Shipbucket

Very impressive work!

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MS State Guard - 08 March 2014 - 28 January 2023

The Official IJN Ships & Planes List

#FJB

Do "stolen double-ended Matsushima" is up-to-come?..............

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"You can rape history, if you give her a child"
Alexandre Dumas

JE SUIS CHARLIE

Hello again!

Mexican Empire:

B. Part II – 1891 to the Emperor’s death (1907)

8. Halcyon days
Although the clash with the USA had ended in President Harrison successfully bluffing Maximilian into abandoning his aspirations on the channel project, the Mexican Empire reached the peak of its internal popularity. Maximilian's image was not damaged by the defeat; the Mexican public had never wanted a war and was grateful when the Emperor chose peace over honor. Mexico's economy continued to prosper, fueled not only by private US and more or less private European investments, but also by increasing domestic activities, and the final decade of the 19th century was widely regarded as the country's golden era. Great improvements in health care drastically curtailed infant mortality and increased lifespan; between 1880 and 1915, the nation nearly doubled its population from 10.000.000 to 18.700.000. More Mexicans than ever received a share of the nation's wealth, and native Americans participated in a way that would have been unthinkable across the Rio Grande; during the 1890s, there even was substantial immigration to Mexico from Spain, Italy and the Habsburg Empire. Between 1880 and 1900, Mexico's GDP nearly quintupled from 6.200.000 to 29.400.000 dollars; that year, the per capita figure equaled Spain’s. Steadily increasing revenues enabled the emperor to keep nurturing his fleet; during Tegetthoff’s tenure as Minister of the Navy, the naval budget had quintupled, and in the 1890s, it doubled again. Even the teenage Infanta Isabel warmed to naval matters, in the shape of a handsome Lieutenant named Juan Alejandro Beltran, ten years her senior, who soon became her closest confidant and used imperial patronage to have himself promoted to Captain at age 27, Rear Admiral at age 31, Vice Admiral at age 35 and Full Admiral and Minister of the Navy at age 39. Only two generations before, Beltran’s grandfather had fought for the liberal rebels against the Empire (he was killed in action in 1866); now the family was staunchly monarchist, which was exemplary for most of Mexico’s bourgeoisie. Beltran was not only charming and charismatic, but also tirelessly energetic and became the dominating figure in Mexican naval affairs for nearly twenty years, although he never held a command at sea; the gallant but lazy Cordona quickly came to rely on him completely. In a completely different way, so did the Infanta. In 1896, she was married to a strapping German Prince named Karl August of Hohenzollern, the youngest son of Prince Leopold von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, whose claim on the Spanish Throne had led to the Franco-Prussian war of 1871. Handsome and looking dashing in a uniform (which pretty much sums up his redeeming features), he became known in Mexico as Principe Carlos Augusto. On his departure, Kaiser Wilhelm II is reported to have said ‘He’s barking mad most of the time, and a scheming asshole in his lucid intervals. I hope they never give them any actual power,” which sums up everything else about him. Infanta Isabel detested her pompous and abusive husband from day one. Beltran on the other hand felt rather more enthusiasm for 'his' navy than for the Empress and played his relationship with the princess for all it was worth. He secured funds to improve training, doctrine, payment and living conditions for naval personnel, which quickly made him the most popular officer in Mexico’s armed forces. While he headed the materiel office in the Naval Ministry between 1893 and 1897, he turned to Great Britain as main supplier of Mexican ships, because Austria’s shipbuilding industry was not yet able to deliver what he wanted. Of the large 1892 fleet modernization program, two big pre-dreadnoughts, two armored cruisers and Mexico's first six real destroyers were British-built. A third battleship was acquired from funds of the program in 1895 from a British yard after the Chinese who had ordered it were no longer able to pay after their defeat against Japan in 1894. Austria was however not entirely sidelined; a coast-defense battleship was ordered in 1893, and the year after, the Tampico naval yard laid down a copy, which would become Mexico’s first domestically built capital ship. Of the four first class protected cruisers laid down between 1892 and 1898, three were Mexican-built, and only one was built by STT. The program also provided four gunboats and twelve torpedo boats. For the first time in Mexican naval history, warships were built in homogenous classes, and Mexican engineers and designers were sent to Great Britain to improve the capabilities of Mexico’s naval yards. While the navy prospered under Beltran, the 1890s also saw the rise of a much more malign figure, General Victoriano Huerta, who assumed the post of Chief of Staff of the Mexican Army in 1895 at age 45, and became its Commander-in-Chief in 1907. Like Beltran, he served under ineffectual superiors (first the honorable, but slightly senile Felipe Berriozabal until 1900, then the cultivated, but complacent Bernardo Reyes until 1910) and had de facto free reign long before he became Minister of war himself in 1910. Unlike Beltran, who was capable and ambitious, but not corrupt, Huerta – who was no bad soldier too, being an able organizer with a good grasp of technological developments, and a talent for asymmetric warfare – developed corruption from an art to a science. His efforts to increase the army budget always served his own interests, as he shamelessly enriched himself. Under his leadership, the Mexican Army was increased in numbers (by 1900, there was a standing force of 100.000), equipment and training, but it gradually lost its nature as an army of the people, becoming an instrument of suppression. It was almost ironic that the first conflict it fought under Huerta's tenure as Chief of Staff was a war of liberation.

9. More Spanish troubles
Popular resentment towards the increasingly inept, corrupt and brutal Spanish rule in Cuba had mounted during the 1890s till open conflict was inevitable. This resentment was shared by many in the USA, and the voices arguing for intervention became ever louder; on the other hand, the Spanish government’s notion of national honor categorically prohibited relinquishing control of their Caribbean colonies. The situation on the Philippines was quite similar, with open revolt against Spanish rule in progress, and the additional complication of Japan and Koko competing with the USA to aid the rebels. In Mexico, sympathies were divided. The Spanish were still profoundly disliked, and public opinion was all in favor of assisting secession of their remaining colonies in the Gulf and the Caribbean. On the other hand, the Imperial government understood that a war between the USA and Spain was a foregone conclusion; the inevitable US victory would not result in liberty for Spain’s colonies, but in a more efficient and powerful new ruler for them, which Maximilian’s advisors considered the worst case scenario. Retaining the status quo was considered preferable, and the Imperial government tried to moderate the boiling conflict between the US and Spain. Unfortunately, nobody listened, and the Americans sent their newest and most powerful battleship, USS Iowa, to Cuba in order to show their sympathies to the rebels. After Iowa had blown up in Santiago harbor on February 15th, 1898, due to decaying gun propellant, the Americans escalated tensions till Spain declared war on April 23rd, 1898. As early as May 1st, Spain’s naval presence on the Philippines was wiped out by the USN; the US fleet (battleship Oregon, armored cruiser Brooklyn and four smaller cruisers) hopelessly outgunned the local collection of Spanish unprotected cruisers and gunboats under Admiral Montojo. Spain focused all efforts on Cuba and sent every available warship across the Atlantic under Admiral Cervera. He could not prevent destruction of Spain’s scant naval presence at Cuba in a one-sided engagement off Guantanamo Bay on June 6th, but engaged the USN in a major battle on July 3rd off Santiago. The Spanish fleet, which had been at the nadir of its fortunes when Tegetthoff defeated it in 1885, had seen significant reconstruction and strengthening; corruption and inefficiency had been rooted out, fighting efficiency was much improved, and new equipment had been acquired. The battle of Santiago therefore was an unexpectedly even contest. The Americans fielded six battleships, an armored cruiser and five protected cruisers; the Spaniards brought five battleships, six large cruisers (four armored) and three smaller cruisers. Only the Spaniards had modern destroyers and torpedo gunboats; the US on the other hand had a dozen small torpedo boats. It was the largest engagement in the Americas since the War of Independence. Spanish total losses were higher than US ones, but only the Spaniards had 240mm rapid-reload guns on three of their ships, while the main guns of all US battleships were slow-firing. Peppered with multiple hits, all US battleships needed repairs, while those Spanish ships that had not been sunk were virtually undamaged. Having fought the USN to a stalemate at sea – for the time being; the Americans started to repair their ships within days of the battle – the Spaniards kept losing on land. They had not been able to prevent the insertion of an US volunteer force aiding the Cuban rebels, and the Rough Riders triggered uprisings wherever they went. Soon, the USA would be masters of Cuba, even without a decisive naval victory. In this situation, the Mexicans intervened and started to actively support Cuban rebels themselves, declaring war on Spain on July 18th. Only four days later, their fleet met the weakened Spaniards off Mayaguana. The Mexicans fielded four battleships, an armored cruiser, six smaller cruisers, two torpedo gunboats, six destroyers and twelve torpedo boats. Although the Mexicans lost an old ironclad to a magazine explosion, they sank a new Spanish battleship and a protected cruiser. The Spaniards – having been unable to resupply after their clash with the USN – were critically low on ammunition and had to break off the engagement. While they retreated to Santiago, the Mexicans coaled and re-supplied at sea – something nobody had believed they were capable of. A few days later, Prince Carlos Augusto himself landed at Guantanamo with a force of 4.000 well-armed volunteers. The Spanish base – heavily fortified at great expense during the last ten years and only recently opened – was taken without much resistance, the garrison fighting rebels deep in the island’s interior. President McKinley made the Mexicans aware in rather undiplomatic terms that the USA would not tolerate any Mexican land grab on Cuba, to which Mexico's foreign minister Miramon replied that Mexico had no intention to do that; all they were interested in was the end of Spanish colonial rule and freedom for everyone. Unfortunately, this was exactly what McKinley himself had been saying all along, so he could hardly admit he had never meant it seriously. Both sides thus kept fighting the Spaniards, secretly preparing to fight each other. On August 4th, US backed rebels unilaterally declared Cuban independence; Carlos’ Augusto’s proxies followed suit five days later. Town and port of Santiago went to open revolt. Without a base, the Spanish fleet needed to break out, with unrepaired damage to most of their ships and hardly any ammunition in the magazines. Just outside Santiago, the Mexicans were waiting, and the second battle of Santiago on August 15th went down a lot more lopsided than the first. Few Spanish ships made it to Puerto Rico; the Mexicans lost a protected cruiser and a torpedo gunboat. On land, things went less smoothly. So brutal was Carlos Augusto’s treatment of prisoners that the Spanish would fight him to the last cartridge; when the Rough Riders and their allies showed up, they’d just surrender. Ironically, many Cubans relished Carlos Augusto’s blundering more than Roosevelt’s sweeping success. In their lust for revenge, letting the Spaniards surrender and sending them home seemed less appropriate than torturing them to death. On August 20th, the last major Spanish garrison in Habana, out of provisions and stricken by yellow fever, surrendered to American-backed rebels. By that time, the US Pacific fleet was back from the Philippines, and some damage to the Atlantic fleet had been patched. When both fleets faced off near Cuba’s westernmost cape on August 27th, it was the Mexicans who were outnumbered and low on ammunition. The choice now was war against the USA or diplomacy. Maximilian and Miramon knew they stood no chance in a prolonged war and entered negotiations. Cuba became independent from Spain, the USA and Mexico promised each other to respect Cuba’s neutrality, and Spain had to cede Puerto Rico and the Philippines to the USA. The fortress of Guantanamo was closed and its heavy guns disabled (the Mexicans however secretly purloined their breechblocks for possible later use). Carlos Augusto was greeted a hero in Mexico, fueling his already huge self-image beyond the threshold of megalomania. The Americans meanwhile occupied Puerto Rico; the remnants of the Spanish fleet had already left. They also annexed Hawaii, which alarmed the Japanese, who had been working towards establishing a protectorate of their own over the archiple with its large population of Japanese immigrants. Japan and Koko reprocitated by arming and encouraging Filipino nationalists to take up arms and fight for full independence. A heavy-handed and rather clumsy American crackdown resulted in a full blown war, which raged from 1899 through 1902, claiming almost 200.000 Filipino lives. When Japanese arms deliveries to the rebels were uncovered, the USN blockaded the Philippines, resulting in several face-offs with Japanese warships. All-out war could be avoided by British diplomatic intervention, but the episode sparked considerable anti-American bitterness in Japan and Koko, which would result in severe repercussions two decades later.

10. Emperor sees 20th century, doesn’t like it, dies
When Carlos Augusto returned to Mexico, he celebrated the first Mexican victory on land against an external enemy since the 1820s. General Huerta however knew that Carlos Augusto had not paid the price for his force’s deficiency in equipment and training only due to the weakness of the opposition. In the following years, Huerta managed to scrape off a larger part of the defense budget for itself and buy modern heavy equipment (and a large estate for himself, of course). Discipline of the army was rigorously enforced, but training and doctrine remained old-fashioned, logistics were neglected, and payment of ratings, noncoms and junior officers was only a third of what could be earned in the navy. Although the navy had dominated the Spaniards, its funding decreased in the years after the war. As General Huerta put it, the navy had performed flawlessly after all, and did not need further improvement. Instead, Huerta oversaw construction of two huge arms manufacturing complexes at Mexico City and Guadalajara; the former made guns of up to 150mm caliber under Skoda license, the latter made the ammunition for them. Another company founded by Huerta made the famous Mondragon rifle, the world’s first semi-automatic weapon to be adopted as service weapon by the Imperial Marines (it was also license-made in Germany during the First World War). Although these factories needed state subsidies throughout their existence, any profits generated of course largely went to Huerta’s personal pockets; navy orders in particular were grossly overcharged. With economy entering a phase of stagnation - attempts to 'Mexicanize' the economy and reduce the influence of foreign, especially American, investors had scared foreign capital off - the beginning of the 20th century marked a period of erosion of imperial authority in Mexico. German investments never were large enough to make up for the loss of US dollars, and German businessmen acted as undiplomatic as their US pendants, and then some. Worse, their arrogance was laid at Prince Carlos Augusto’s door, who was one of them, after all. Being himself, Carlos Augusto did little to improve his public image. His notion of marital fidelity was no more sincere than that of the Empress, if rather less discreet and considerably more profligate. He displayed contempt of Congress and everything that passed for democratic institutions in the Empire, and his attitude towards indigenous Americans, Afro-Americans and Jews would have earned him a place at the Wannsee conference. With Carlos Augusto's backing, General Huerta, who saw communist insurgence everywhere, tirelessly worked to transform Mexico into a police state. To regain some popularity, the Emperor signed a constitutional reform giving Congress more power in 1901; in many respects, Mexico's constitution of 1902 was more democratic than Germany's or Austria's. Rather than smoothing over the discontent, this new freedom only made the opposition bolder, resulting in increasing reluctance to vote money to the armed forces. Between 1897 and 1907, only a single battleship, three cruisers and four destroyers were approved, plus six gunboats, to keep the shipyards occupied. The Emperor - urged by the Infanta, for obvious reasons - had Beltran appointed Minister of the Navy in 1902 upon Cordona's retirement. In the first five years of his tenure, he had to work with reduced budgets, but still managed to bolster naval infrastructure. A torpedo manufacturing plant was opened at Veracruz in 1908, and the Tampico navy yard received a plant for manufacturing Schulz-Thornycroft boilers under license in 1911. Beltran also struck a deal with Siemens to construct a factory for turbines and electric engines in Monterey, which opened in 1913, and with MAN to build a plant for diesel engines at Queretaro, which opened 1914. A submarine construction plant was added to the Tampico naval yard and became operational in 1913. These measures enabled Mexico to build submarines and surface ships of cruiser size without imports; the only items not manufactured domestically were heavy armour plate and naval guns of more than 150mm caliber. Beltran also ensured regular payment of his crews and kept the available ships in prime condition. Large exercises were conducted and constant contact with foreign navies was maintained in order to further develop tactics and doctrine. A German naval mission from 1905 through 1909 under Captain Wilhelm Souchon, the future C-in-C of the Ottoman Navy, helped the Mexicans acquire night-fighting proficiency, perfect their maintenance routines and oversee their design requirements. Mexican warships regularly visited Britain, Brazil, Germany and Austria, and many Mexican officers were sent to train abroad. Actual combat deployments during this period were rare; the Mexicans tried to intervene several times when central American nations ran into trouble, but they invariably ran into the USN. Only rarely did they achieve their objectives. The most positive example was the Venezuelan Crisis of 1902, when several European powers blockaded Venezuela’s coast to enforce the payment of debts. Although Maximilian and especially Carlos Augusto favored the European (particularly the German) position, Mexican public opinion supported the Venezuelans in this affair, and the Imperial government was determined to settle things diplomatically before things spiraled out of control and the US ‘saved’ Venezuela the same way they had saved Puerto Rico and the Philippines. A force of two armored and three protected cruisers under Rear Admiral Greifenstein was a powerful backup in achieving a negotiated settlement. Mexican involvement enabled the Germans to give up their stubborn (and slightly stupid) all-or-nothing stance without significant loss of face, masking their withdrawal as honoring a personal plea from the brother of their closest ally. During the 1903 Panama crisis, when the Americans enforced the independence of Panama from Colombia, the Mexicans again dispatched Greifenstein with a sizeable squadron, this time including two battleships, which however faced a superior US fleet and wisely took no action that could be construed as provocative, because Roosevelt had repeatedly pointed out that he only waited for an excuse. The only positive result was a strengthening of relations with Colombia; like Venezuela, the nation could be considered an informal Mexican ally afterwards. From that point, the Americans increased their presence around the Caribbean. In order to kill further crises like the Venezuelan one in their cradles, they would intervene militarily as soon as any Central American nation experienced financial troubles or threatened to become unstable politically. Or if they struck major treaties with Mexico, which the White House reliably interpreted as a surefire sign of impending financial troubles and political instability. The result was inevitably a new government prioritizing US interests over anyone else’s. This happened in the Dominican Republic in 1904, in Nicaragua in 1905 and on Cuba in 1906. Mexican attempts to intervene were met with overwhelming force and thundering threats of total war and hellfire. In all three cases, the Mexicans had to back off, losing face every time (which was an actively pursued secondary objective of the Americans, every time). Roosevelt actually seemed to enjoy driving old Maximilian to conniptions that way; his own popularity certainly profited from his playing hardball with the Habsburgs. On the other side, the series of foreign political humiliations took their toll on Maximilian’s health, and between 1904 and 1907, the Emperor suffered three strokes. The second one permanently incapacitated him, and the third one, suffered on February 5th, 1907, killed him, aged 75. Roosevelt condoled the Mexican people with the remark that now the 20th century could begin for them.

11. Other People’s scores
In mid-1906, a Portuguese-owned limber company operating in the Amazonas rainforest close to the Venezuelan-Brazilian border accidentally discovered a major gold deposit and started to clandestinely ship mining gear down the Orinoco. When the Venezuelans found out, they nationalized the mine, and the company went bankrupt early in 1907. The Brazilian government consulted a map and found the border in that area had never been properly surveyed. That omission was made good during March 1907, to no-one’s surprise placing the mine squarely on the Brazilian side of the border. The Venezuelan government was told to vacate the area and leave behind the confiscated mining equipment, or else. Venezuela reacted by moving in troops; the resulting clash between Venezuelan regulars and Brazilian border guards in June 1907 ended with a not entirely surprising reverse to the Brazilians and a formal declaration of war. While the Brazilian army prepared to move in with overwhelming power, their navy deployed two battleships and three cruisers to blockade the Venezuelan coast. Simultaneously, the Portuguese government informed the USA that they would deploy forces of their own to Venezuela in order to reclaim Portuguese property. Since the events of 1903, President Roosevelt considered the Venezuelan government a major nuisance, and in his quest to improve relationships with Great Britain – which had somewhat suffered from his fleet building spree – he picked the side of Great Britain’s ally Brazil. Moreover, Portugal – also a British ally – was no power of any significance, so the Monroe Doctrine would not suffer too much from whatever modest forces the Portuguese could contribute. Roosevelt told the Portuguese they could attend if they placed themselves under Brazilian command, which he secretly hoped their national pride would prevent. Surprisingly, the Portuguese acquiesced and deployed a battleship, a cruiser and a destroyer to the Caribbean, placing them under overall command of the Brazilian Admiral Julio Cesar de Noronha. The Venezuelan government, not possessing any navy worth mentioning, secretly asked the Mexican government, who had saved them before, for help. With Maximilian dead and his sole daughter Infanta Isabel uninterested in Politics, Prince Carlos Augusto convinced the government to leap to the opportunity, as the Americans were obviously intending to let the Venezuelans be walloped. Admiral Moya sailed with two battleships, two armored cruisers, four protected cruisers and eight destroyers; on August 16th, 1907, he reached the Brazilian-Portuguese blockade position off La Guaira and told Noronha to sod off. Simultaneously, the Imperial government publicly declared its support for the Venezuelan cause and called for an international conference to settle the issue. President Roosevelt, who had not taken the issue too seriously, went to red alert. This was not what he had planned. The USN, which was currently preparing for the cruise of the Great White Fleet, was told to dispatch a squadron of the newest Conneticut-class battleships under Admiral Sperry, plus appropriate cruisers and destroyers, from Norfolk to La Guaira. While announcing the move, Roosevelt offered the service of the best surveyors in his pay in order to impartially determine the correct location of the border (meaning, exactly where the Brazilians had placed it). Anyone disagreeing – especially the Mexicans, for whom the whole affair was none of their business anyway – would have to face Admiral Sperry’s guns. As soon as this statement was out, Noronha gave the Mexicans six hours to retreat, or face the consequences. He was sure they would cave in. Both fleets were of approximate equal strength, and American reinforcements were under way. The old Emperor would have called it quits at this point, but he was dead, and Prince Carlos Augusto fancied himself made of sterner stuff. He told Admiral Beltran to order Moya to break the blockade, and send him another two battleships as reinforcement. Engaged separately, the Brazilian squadron could surely be defeated before the Americans were there; in the meantime, the Venezuelans could be provided with weapons and ‘volunteers’ to force the issue against the Brazilian army. When Beltran asked the Infanta for confirmation, she absent-mindedly gave it, while still incapacitated with grief over the Emperor’s death. True to Beltran’s orders, Admiral Moya let the ultimatum lapse, challenging the Brazilians to do something about it. Noronha, who was under orders not to risk unnecessary losses due to the critical situation on New Portugal, which could spark a war with Thiaria at any time, got cold feet and ordered his fleet to open the distance, but the commander of the Portuguese contingent, gung ho to uphold his nation’s honor, refused to back down and opened fire upon the Mexican vanguard. After half a bloody hour, the Mexicans had sunk all three Portuguese ships, without the Brazilians lifting a finger. Noronha retreated to the north-east and the blockade was lifted. Carlos Augusto was exultant, and at Veracruz, five transports were laden with guns and ammunition for Venezuela. The next day, the Mexican cruiser Zaragoza entered La Guaira to a frenetic welcome. Another two days later, the Americans met the Brazilians, and both fleets headed for the showdown off La Guaira. Neither the Mexican reinforcements nor any of the transports were anywhere near, and it was painfully obvious that Carlos Augusto had overplayed his hand. As the Imperial government frantically sought for a way out of the conundrum, the ambassadors of friendly nations were contacted. When both fleets already circled each other, the Kaiser, of all people, cabled an offer to send surveyors of his own, to work together with the Americans and attain a truly impartial result which would be acceptable to both sides. The Imperial government jumped at that solution and unilaterally accepted it; neither Carlos Augusto, who wanted to slug things out, nor the Venezuelans were consulted. President Roosevelt was of one mind with Carlos Augusto this time and wanted to force the issue, but the Brazilian government – fearing Thiaria might take advantage of any Brazilian entanglement – caved in and accepted the German offer as well. This development rendered the Americans in the absurd situation of being the only ones not interested in a peaceful settlement. Roosevelt badly wanted to sink the Mexican fleet, but he needed them to fire the first shot; unfortunately, they no longer had any reason to do so. At that point, childish as it was, it was only a question whose fleet retreated first. Having been on station longer, the Mexican bunkers were more depleted, so it was them losing the staring-down contest. In the event, US and German surveyors redrew the border to cut the gold deposit precisely in half (historic and geographical borders were obviously no relevant consideration), and everyone went home unharmed. Except the Portuguese, whose defeat helped spark the revolution of 1908, which would sweep away monarchy.

Mexican Warships 1891 – 1907

A. Battleships

1. San Juan de Ulua
This unique vessel bears the distinction to be the first battleship tailor-made to a Mexican requirement. While Rio Brazos was mostly Tegetthoff’s brainchild, San Juan de Ulua incorporated design input by his Imperial Majesty himself. Maximilian embraced ramming tactics as much as Tegetthoff, but wanted more flexibility; he rightfully considered Rio Brazos as a single-mission hull of limited usefulness in a contemporary battle. He stipulated twice the main armament, arranged in a way to provide three barrels in any possible direction, as in contemporary French ships. The secondary armament was augmented to eight barrels, four on each broadside in a thinly protected battery, and the armored belt was extended upward and forward to close the gap between main belt and battery and give the ram a better structural foundation. Speed was set at 17 knots, the same as Rio Brazos (although the speed was not achieved in service). These improvements needed space, and the final design exceeded 10.000 tons, best compared to the Spanish Pelayo-class or the French Marceau-type. When she was ordered at STT in 1887, she would have been the first ship in the New World of that size; in the event, the Thiarian Ardcheannas, which was ordered later, but completed earlier, narrowly beat her as the largest warship in the Americas. The ship was named for a victorious battle during the Mexican War of Independence against Spain.

Displacement:
10.340 ts mean, 11.600 ts full load
Dimensions:
Length 107,75m, Beam 20,70m, Draught 7,15m mean, 7,95m full load
Machinery:
2-shaft Vertical Compound, 12 cylindrical boilers, 10.000 ihp
Performance:
Speed 16,5 kts maximum, range 2.400 nm at 10 knots
Armour:
Compound. Belt 280mm; forward end 170mm, aft end unprotected; Barbettes 280mm; upper belt and battery 170mm; deck 40mm maximum, CT 170mm
Armament:
4x1 305mm/35 Krupp BL, 8x1 150mm/35 Krupp BL, 10x1 47mm/33 Hotchkiss revolver, 4x 450mm Torpedo tube (1 forward, 1 aft, 1 on each beam, all above water)
Crew
590

San Juan de Ulua was laid down early in 1889 at Trieste and delivered late in 1893. She was fleet flagship between 1894 and 1898; the flag was transferred to Poder days before the Second Spanish war. Together, both ships formed the first division and spearhead of the Mexican fleet. San Juan de Ulua successfully took part in every engagement of that war and was credited with sinking the new armored cruiser Cataluna during the second battle of Santiago.


After the war, San Juan de Ulua was quickly rendered obsolete by contemporary battleship design abroad. Nevertheless she was a reliable ship with a good availability rate and a well-trained crew; she represented Mexico at Queen Victoria’s diamond Fleet review at Spithead. She also was involved repeatedly in face-offs with US naval forces during several US intervention missions in various Central American nations throughout the 1900s. In 1910, she followed Poder as the second Mexican capital ship to be equipped with w/t gear; during this refit, she also landed her torpedo nets. Her bridge was augmented, and her 47mm guns were replaced with eight modern 66/50 Skoda QF guns.


Late in 1912, San Juan de Ulua traveled to Trieste, where Mexico’s first dreadnought battleship was pending delivery, carrying 300 reservists; her own crew transferred to the new Emperador Maximiliano, and San Juan de Ulua was brought back to Mexico by the reserve crew. Afterwards, she remained in reserve at Veracruz. In 1915, she was hulked and served as administrative flagship of the commandant of the naval base there. She survived the war against the USA without seeing action, but during the Mexican civil war, she was sabotaged by communist insurgents (former navy sailors) and sank on an even keel in March 1917. She was refloated in 1920 and scrapped.

2. Mayaguana-class
Prior to 1890, the US reaction to Mexican fleet buildup efforts had been lukewarm at best; a nation that could be overrun on land at will was not considered a long-term threat at sea. After 1890, international developments, particularly Britain’s and Japan’s (and later, also Germany’s) fleet buildup, prompted a more energetic US response, which the Mexican Empire perceived as an immediate threat to itself. The order of four new battleships for the USN in 1891 through 1893, all larger than 10.000 tons, heavily protected and armed to the teeth, was bound to provoke an Imperial reaction. Late in 1892, the Mexican Congress voted for the so-called fleet modernization act. The act called for four battleships (two of them coastal), two armored and six protected cruisers (two of them scouts), eight destroyers and sixteen torpedo boats, all of them to be made available within five years. Remarkably, the program was completed, although it would take ten years till all ships were delivered. The invitation for tender for the two big battleships went out in 1893 to a dozen yards, most of them British; the Emperor would have preferred Austrian or German, but Admiral Beltran did not trust either of these nations’ ability to deliver high-end technology. Armstrong, which was at the same time negotiating with the Japanese, finally made the offer that could not be rejected: When both orders were pooled, a homogenous class of four battleships could be built at minimal cost in minimal time. Armstrong would build two hulls themselves and subcontract one to Fairfield and one to Thames Iron Works, two each to be delivered 1897 and 1898. Late in 1893, the so far largest warship export contract in British history was finalized. Mexico would receive one of the Armstrong-built ships and the Fairfield-built one. Both were mostly identical, except Fairfield’s ship had sixteen Belleville water tube boilers and two identical flat oval funnels, while Armstrong’s ship had an oval funnel forward and a circular funnel aft and only 14 cylindrical boilers. There also were some minor differences in ventilators, shape of the ram, and secondary armament distribution. The Mexican ships had British main guns, but German and Austrian secondaries and tertiaries in order to retain commonality with Mexican standard ordnance. They were originally to be named Soberano (Sovereign) and Monarca (Monarch), but re-named in 1898 before delivery after recent victories in the Second Spanish war, becoming Mayaguana and Santiago, respectively.

Displacement:
12.320 ts mean, 13.860 ts full load
Dimensions:
Length 125,60m, Beam 22,40m, Draught 7,15m mean, 8,00m full load
Machinery:
2-shaft Vertical Triple Expansion, 14 cylindrical boilers (Santiago 16 Belleville Watertube boilers), 14.000 ihp
Performance:
Speed 18,0 kts maximum, range 4.000 nm at 10 knots
Armour:
Harvey. Belt 457mm; Ship ends unprotected; upper belt and casemates 152mm; barbettes 356mm; Turrets 152mm front, 102mm sides; deck 63mm maximum, CT 356mm all-round
Armament:
2x2 305mm/40 Armstrong BL, 10x1 150mm/35 Krupp BL, 20x1 47mm/44 Skoda QF, 4x1 47mm/33 Hotchkiss revolver, 5x 450mm Torpedo tube (1 forward above water, 2 on each beam submerged)
Crew
740

Both ships were delivered about a year behind schedule. The Japanese order was processed in time, indicating political pressure on the building yards to prioritize. Soberano was complete in the spring of 1898, but held back in Elswick when the Second Spanish war erupted; Monarca was not completed until late 1899. Both were renamed a week after the war was ended; Mayaguana (ex-Soberano) was delivered immediately after the ceremony, reaching Mexico in November 1898.


Santiago (ex-Monarca) reached Mexico early in 1900.


Both vessels made up the first division of the Mexican battle fleet; Mayaguana was fitted as fleet flagship, relieving Poder. Like most Mexican ships, they were repeatedly called upon to assert Mexican interest in various Central American countries against US intervention; they met overwhelmingly superior US opposition in every case, and Mexico came out second in virtually every confrontation. During the second Venezuelan crisis of 1907, both ships sunk the small Portuguese battleship Corte Real. Mayaguana was relieved as fleet flagship in 1911 by the new, domestically built Victoria. When the Mexicans introduced w/t communication after 1909, both units were late to receive it, in 1912 and 1913, respectively; they also landed their fighting tops, eliminating the four Hotchkiss revolver guns, and their torpedo net defense. From 1913, when the first Dreadnought division was available, Mayaguana and Santiago formed the core of the Mexican Pacific fleet.


In 1915, Mayaguana was taken in hand for thorough modernization. The fighting tops were removed, and a spotting top and a director tower were fitted to the main mast, which had to be braced with a tripod for stability. Searchlights were re-arranged, and the bridge was enlarged. The secondary guns were replaced by 150/40 Skoda QF guns with higher ROF and relocated to the upper deck, and the tertiary battery now consisted of sixteen 66/50 Skoda QF guns.


During the war against the USA in 1916, both ships were very active under the energetic command of Rear Admiral Othon Blanco. They successfully raided the Pacific locks of the Panama channel and provided fire support to Mexican ground forces fighting around the Baja California. But on September 8th, 1916, they were en route to another attack on Panama and performed at-sea coaling off Cabo Corrientes in the Bay of Banderas, when they were engaged by the US battlecruisers Enterprise and Independence in what was to become the Battle of Corrientes. Although Mayaguana’s gunnery was excellent and scored five hits on Enterprise, Santiago blew up mere minutes into the engagement after a catastrophic hit to her Magazines, and Mayaguana, now outgunned 4:1, was reduced to a blazing inferno, sinking with most of her crew.

3. Cayo-Hueso-Class
With this class, part of the big 1892 fleet modernization act, the Empire started domestic battleship construction. The contract with the STT yard at Trieste, finalized in mid-1893, included construction of one coastal battleship identical with the contemporary Monarch-class for the KuK navy, and delivery of all plans for a sister ship to be constructed at the Tampico Naval Yard. Ironically, construction of the Mexican-built ship commenced first, because STT did not have an empty slipway available before August 1895; the Tampico-built ship was laid down in May 1894. They were named after recent military successes against Spain and the USA, respectively: the battle of Casimba in 1885 and the engagement (battle would probably be an exaggeration) off Key West (Spanish: Cayo Hueso) in 1890.

Displacement:
5.640 ts mean, 6.170 ts full load
Dimensions:
Length 99,20m, Beam 17,00m, Draught 5,80m mean, 6,40m full load
Machinery:
2-shaft Vertical Triple Expansion, 7 cylindrical boilers, 8.500 ihp
Performance:
Speed 17,5 kts maximum, range 3.000 nm at 10 knots
Armour:
Nickel steel. Belt 270mm; Ship ends 220mm; Turrets 250mm max; casemates 80mm; deck 40mm maximum, CT 250mm all-round
Armament:
2x2 240mm/40 Krupp BL, 6x1 150mm/35 Krupp BL, 10x1 47mm/44 Skoda QF, 4x1 47mm/33 Hotchkiss revolver, 2x 450mm Torpedo tube (beam, above water)
Crew
426

Although construction of Cayo Hueso had commenced nearly a year later, she was built by an experienced shipyard and delivered on schedule after 36 months in September 1898, barely missing the Second Spanish war of 1898. She was identical in every respect to the Austrian Monarch-class, with a military mast forward and a short pole mast aft.


Casimba needed nearly twice the gestation period and was not delivered before March 1900, owing to unexperienced shipyard personnel and delays in delivery of her german-made gunnery because of the Second Spanish war. She differed from her sister by having two identical pole masts fore and aft; one pair of 47mm revolver guns, which was mounted atop the military mast on Cayo Hueso, was installed in a bow casemate.


From 1901, this pair of battleships formed the mainstay of the Mexican Pacific Fleet, until the arrival of the first dreadnoughts in 1912. Whereas the Mexican main fleet was involved in numerous face-offs with the increasingly assertive USN during the 1900s, Casimba and Cayo Hueso had a relatively quiet life, resulting in a reputation of poor discipline among their crews. In 1913, they returned to the Caribbean and were taken in hand for an overhaul at Veracruz (Casimba) and Tampico (Cayo Hueso). Casimba received a modernized bridge with up-to-date fire control arrangements including rangefinders and more searchlights, and a w/t rig. Less visible was an increase in main battery elevation, oil spray gear to her boilers and sprinkler equipment for her magazines. She also landed her useless torpedo net.


Cayo Hueso’s refit was more comprehensive. In addition to the measures taken on Casimba, she received a more extensive bridge reconstruction, had a tripod mast with experimental director fire control gear installed, and was completely reboilered with 12 small-tube boilers of domestic production.


Despite such modernization, both ships remained in reserve afterwards because of crew shortages in the wake of Admiral Beltran’s naval expansion program. When Mexico and the USA went to war in 1916, both were used as guard ships with reduced crews at Tampico (Cayo Hueso) and Veracruz (Casimba), respectively. Cayo Hueso played an active part in Tampico’s defense against US ground forces, providing precise counterbattery fire which did a lot of hurt to US Army artillery units involved in the siege. She was eventually removed from the equation when three US pre-dreadnoughts started to bombard Tampico from the sea; Cayo Hueso was hit a dozen times by USS Maine and Ohio, sinking in shallow water. She was salvaged in 1922 and scrapped. Casimba survived the war and became an American prize; she was sunk as a target in 1923.

4. Poder
The order of two big battleships for the Japanese Navy in Great Britain in 1893 prompted the Chinese Empire to follow suit with a British-built battleship of their own that same year. They chose the basic design of Britain’s own HMS Renown, then the most modern, but insisted on 305mm guns; as the installation of 305mm twin turrets was hardly feasible on the same displacement, they settled for mounting them in open barbettes. Renown was dockyard-built; the Chinese placed the order for their clone at Thames Iron works. She had just been laid down when China suffered a crushing defeat against the Japanese. Payments continued to flow through 1895, then dried up just after launch as the Chinese struggled with the financial consequences of their defeat. The well-advanced hull was offered for sale to a third party by the yard in November 1895, and in January 1896, the Mexicans – anxious to acquire more battleships after the USA had recently ordered five new ones in short succession – eagerly stepped in and purchased the ship. Construction then went ahead swiftly, and the ship was delivered in November, 1897, after being fitted with German guns (which also had been part of the original Chinese order). Her name means ‘power’ in Spanish.

Displacement:
12.600 ts mean, 14.750 ts full load
Dimensions:
Length 126,80m, Beam 22,00m, Draught 7,15m mean, 8,15m full load
Machinery:
2-shaft Vertical Triple Expansion, 8 cylindrical boilers, 12.000 ihp
Performance:
Speed 18,5 kts maximum, range 3.000 nm at 10 knots
Armour:
Harvey. Belt 203mm; Ship ends unprotected; Barbettes 254mm; upper belt and battery 152mm; deck 76mm maximum, CT 229mm all-round
Armament:
2x2 305mm/35 Krupp BL, 10x1 150mm/35 Krupp BL, 12x1 66mm/40 Skoda QF, 8x1 47mm/33 Hotchkiss revolver, 5x 450mm Torpedo tube (1 forward above water, 2 on each beam submerged)
Crew
674

She crossed the Atlantic in mid-winter without any trouble; with her unusually high freeboard and powerful machinery, Poder was among the fastest and most seaworthy battleships worldwide. She also was – for the time being – the biggest warship in Mexico’s inventory, also considerably bigger (but poorer armed and protected) than any US battleship. She was just worked up when Admiral Pacheco flew his flag from her in the Second Spanish war; she formed the first division with San Juan de Ulua. Her guns sank the Spanish battleship Isabel la Catolica during the Battle of Mayaguana and damaged the battleship Pelayo during the second battle of Santiago; she took scant damage herself (which was fortunate, because she was not very good at withstanding damage).


After the Second Spanish war, she remained fleet flagship till delivery of the new pre-dreadnoughts Santiago and Mayaguana; she and San Juan de Ulua now formed the second division. During the 1900s, she had several run-ins with US naval forces when the latter imposed US dominance on various smaller Latin American nations; as the Americans usually were numerically superior and determined to shoot at the slightest provocation, all of these encounters ended in humiliating retreats for the Imperial fleet. During the second Venezuelan crisis, Poder was dispatched as reinforcement, but failed to join up with the fleet before the crisis was resolved. Poder was modernized in 1910, landing her torpedo nets and her 47mm tertiary battery; the secondary battery was reduced to eight 66mm Skoda guns, but of a newer 50-caliber model. She received new and re-arranged searchlights, up-to-date fire control gear and a w/t-rig, being the first Mexican capital ship to be so fitted.


She remained with the main battle fleet till 1913, when she blew up off Veracruz due to decaying gun propellant charges. Many of her crew survived because they were on shore leave; 431 died.

5. Victoria
After Mexican industry had successfully delivered a coastal battleship in 1900, the natural next step was an oceangoing one. The project unfortunately was pursued at a time of tight funding after the Second Spanish War, when the army was prioritized under General Huerta’s influence, while the Emperor’s health and authority were failing. Several designs were drawn up and rejected between 1899 and 1901, and Congress even officially cancelled the project early in 1902, just when Mexican Naval designers and Austrian civilian designers of the STT yard had come up with a practicable design. The reasoning was that the US had commissioned 16 battleships during the last ten years and any attempt to keep up with them was futile. Admiral Beltran however pointed out that the increasing rate of US interventions in Central American nations was directly linked to the USN’s ever-increasing strength, and Mexico at least would need the capability to inflict some bloody losses in order to prevent becoming a victim herself; to achieve that, he wanted four new battleships. After long discussions, construction for a single ship was approved in 1903, to be built at the Tampico Naval Yard. The design outwardly resembled a twin-funnel variant of the contemporary Austrian Erzherzog-Karl-type, but was half again as big and had 305mm main guns and considerably stronger protection. At that time, the dreadnought era was already imminent, but Beltran pushed the project through, if only to prove that Mexico was capable of building the biggest type of warship in existence. The ship, named Victoria (Victory), was laid down early in 1904 at Tampico. The yard indeed proved able to deliver quality, but construction time exceeded projections by nearly 100%, lasting till late 1910, at a time the ship was utterly and hopelessly obsolete.

Displacement:
15.080 ts mean, 17.340 ts full load
Dimensions:
Length 136,85m, Beam 22,70m, Draught 7,15m mean, 8,20m full load
Machinery:
2-shaft Vertical Triple Expansion, 20 Belleville-type (built by construction yard) water tube boilers, 18.500 ihp
Performance:
Speed 20,0 kts maximum, range 5.500 nm at 10 knots
Armour:
Krupp. Belt 270mm; Ship ends 150mm forward, unprotected aft; upper belt and casemates 170mm; barbettes 310mm; Turrets 270mm front, 210mm sides; deck 70mm maximum, CT 310mm all-round
Armament:
2x2 305mm/40 Skoda BL, 12x1 190mm/42 Skoda BL, 16x1 66mm/50 Skoda QF, 2x 450mm Torpedo tube (1 on each beam submerged)
Crew
835

Featuring exceptionally good protection and capable of high speed, while still toting respectable armament, Victoria was rated one of the better pre-dreadnought battleship designs. She also was a good sea boat with adequate accommodation and the first Mexican battleship to carry range-finding and w/t equipment upon completion.


She would have been rated formidable in 1904, but was not commissioned before 1910, when the USA already had six dreadnoughts, so she made no difference in the broader picture. Mexico’s first domestic dreadnought was laid down five months after Victoria’s launch and was commissioned merely two years after her completion, so Victoria had only two years to fly the flag of the C-in-C of the Imperial fleet. Early in 1916, she was attached to the battle fleet as an independent command and accompanied Admiral Sarasarte on his rampage across the Gulf of Mexico. Her gunnery added to the destruction of USS Georgia off Chetumal. During the raid on Habana, Victoria guarded Guantanamo bay. After the main fleet’s return and the eponymous battle, Victoria sortied to quietly return to Veracruz, but she was sighted by an US scout plane launched by an old cruiser; guided in by radio, the US submarine K-4 ambushed her 200 miles west of Bermeja and put two 450mm torpedoes into her. She limped on another hundred miles before flooding could be no longer contained. She sank slowly, and more than half of her crew could be rescued.

More to come...

B. Cruisers

1. Puma-Class
Although each of these three small cruisers differed from the others in size and armament, they are best treated as one class. The class ship Puma was laid down at Trieste in 1888 as a half-sister to the contemporary Austrian Tiger, herself based on the British-built Leopard, which in turn was a faster variant of the earlier Mexican Rio Grande. She was identical in every respect to Tiger, and delivered in 1891.


Puma was part of a two-ship order, but the second ship Jaguar was modified to incorporate a more efficient arrangement of her 120mm guns; unlike her half-sister, she had searchlights upon completion and two more 47mm guns. She was laid down in 1889 and delivered in 1892. Due to storm damage suffered during the transit across the Atlantic, she needed repairs after reaching Tampico, and she was not commissioned before 1894.


By that time, the Tampico Naval yard had already laid down an improved and enlarged version of the basic pattern. Ocelot was longer, over 200 tons heavier and carried two more 120mm guns; the torpedo tubes were of larger caliber and relocated to a submerged position. Speed and range were the same; installed hp had been increased by experimentally installing Belleville watertube boilers, which gave a lot of trouble during the first five years. Ocelot was commissioned in 1896.


Together, these three little cruisers formed the scouting squadron of the Mexican battle fleet in the Cuban war 1898. Both at Mayaguana and at Santiago, they engaged Spanish light forces; Puma damaged the Spanish destroyer Osado and torpedoed the unprotected cruiser Reina Mercedes, which was later finished off by a Mexican torpedo boat. Ocelot sank the torpedo gunboat Filipinas and damaged the scout cruiser Murcia. Puma and Ocelot were damaged themselves, but only Puma seriously. After reconstruction, Puma emerged with more powerful 120mm guns, three new 66mm/45 guns and only two 47mm guns; the torpedo caliber was increased to 450mm. The structural damage suffered could however not be fixed satisfactorily, and she was limited to 15 knots afterwards. She was down-rated to a gunboat in 1907.


Jaguar was similarly reconstructed in 1906/7, but landed her 47mm guns altogether in favour of four 66mm/45 pieces. In 1909, she became one of the first Mexican warships to receive a w/t rig.


Ocelot belonged to the Mexican armada during the Venezuelan crisis. Like all Mexican ships, she remained undamaged. She received newer 120mm guns in 1910; secondary armament now consisted of six 66mm/45 Skoda guns. She went to the China station in 1911, where she was scheduled to remain for three years.


Puma paid off in 1912 and was scrapped by 1914. Jaguar, which was still in fine shape, was sold to Colombia in 1914, where she remained in active service till 1932, when she was hulked. The hulk lingered till 1955; her ultimate fate is unknown. Ocelot left Qingdao in August 1914 and made the voyage across the Pacific. She was then part of the Mexican Pacific squadron, whose destruction she missed because of repairs to her engines. She made it to Acapulco after the fall of Tolopobampo, where she was when the Empire fell. Being below 2.000 tons, she was allowed to be retained by the Mexican navy, but during the civil war, she was left to rot and was in an unserviceable state in 1920. Nevertheless, she was refurbished at Veracruz from 1923 to 1925 and remained in service till 1938, when she was replaced by a large Thiarian-built gunboat. Her hulk was scrapped in 1943.

Displacement:
Puma and Jaguar: 1.680 ts mean, 1.950 ts full load
Ocelot: 1.920 ts mean, 2.350 ts full load
Dimensions:
Puma and Jaguar: Length 76,00m, Beam 10,55m, Draught 4,40m mean, 5,15m full load
Ocelot: Length 82,00m, Beam 10,70m, Draught 4,60m mean, 5,30m full load
Machinery:
2.-shaft Vertical Triple Expansion, 4 cylindrical boilers, 5.600 ihp (Ocelot: 4 Belleville watertube boilers, 6.400 ihp)
Performance:
Speed 18,5kts maximum, range 3.600nm at 10knots
Armour:
deck 60mm maximum, CT 50mm
Armament:
Puma original: 4x1 120mm/35 Krupp BL, 8x1 47mm/33 Hotchkiss QF, 2 – 350mm torpedo tubes (one on each beam, above water); Rearmed: 4x1 120mm/45 Skoda QF; 3x1 65mm/45 Skoda QF, 2x1 47mm/33 Hotchkiss QF, 2 – 450mm torpedo tubes (as above)
Jaguar original: 4x1 120mm/35 Krupp BL, 8x1 47mm/33 Hotchkiss QF, 2 – 350mm torpedo tubes (one on each beam, above water); Rearmed: 4x1 120mm/45 Skoda QF; 4x1 65mm/45 Skoda QF, 2 – 450mm torpedo tubes (as above)
Ocelot original: 6x1 120mm/35 Krupp BL, 8x1 47mm/33 Hotchkiss QF, 2 – 450mm torpedo tubes (one on each beam, submerged); Rearmed: 6x1 120mm/45 Skoda QF; 6x1 65mm/45 Skoda QF, 2 – 450mm torpedo tubes (as above)
Crew
Puma and Jaguar: 175
Ocelot: 210

2. Tenochtitlan-Class
Like the preceding class, these three vessels are best treated as the same type despite the last unit’s considerable differences. The first two were Mexico’s first large (by international standards, second class) protected cruisers, based upon the Austrian Kaiser Franz Joseph design and ordered at STT in 1889. Tenochtitlan was laid down in 1890 and delivered in 1893, Acapulco was laid down in 1891 and delivered in 1895. They differed from their Austrian half-sisters by mounting lighter armament; after the sobering experience with the ram cruiser Corona, the Mexicans stipulated only 150mm guns for this class of general-purpose cruisers. On the plus side, they were somewhat faster, capable of over 20 knots.


Both differed only in minor detail; Acapulco had no shields to her 150mm guns and two more 47mm pieces.


Guadalajara, the third unit of the class, was laid down in Tampico in 1892, after modified plans which allowed for less refined construction methods, resulting in considerably larger size; she was seven meters longer, slightly wider and almost 600 tons heavier. She also received Belleville watertube boilers and required less superstructure due to the more spacious hull. Main armament, protection and speed were the same, but the secondary battery was stronger, and four submerged 450mm torpedo tubes were provided. Construction proceeded slowly, and the ship was not delivered before 1897, achieving FOC early in 1898.


All three units took part in every engagement of the Cuban war. Acapulco emerged undamaged and Guadalajara suffered only slight damage, but Tenochtitlan was badly shot up at Santiago and only barely made it home. She needed till late 1900 to return to service. The first two were reconstructed in 1904/05: their main armament was replaced by newer model 150mm guns and moved up to upper deck level for increased seaworthiness, their secondary battery was unified with ten 47mm guns, the torpedo tubes were replaced by larger caliber ones and moved below the waterline, and more extensive bridge facilities with modern fire control gear were installed. Acapulco was present off La Guaira during the second Venezuelan crisis without engaging the enemy. In 1912 and 1913, respectively, they both received w/t gear, among the last Mexican cruisers so refitted.


Tenochtitlan was refitted at Tampico, and Acapulco, which also received a large spotting top, at Veracruz; the shape of the w/t antenna differed considerably, which was a trademark of the Veracruz naval yard.


Guadalajara went to refit in 1907 at Tampico; being of more advanced design than her half-sisters to begin with, she was modified less extensively. Her main armament was exchanged with newer model 150mm pieces, and all guns were redistributed and shielded. W/t gear was added in 1914.


In 1916, the first two units were in reserve. Acapulco was never re-activated, but Tenochtitlan was manned by reservists and sent to Chetumal, where she was duly destroyed by US battleships shortly before the eponymous battle. Acapulco was scuttled at Veracruz when the Empire collapsed; she was salvaged in 1925 and scrapped. Guadalajara was in active service, participated in the siege of Tampico and provided effective fire support for the defenders. She was sunk by gunfire from USS Maine and Ohio during the preparatory bombardment before the final assault.

Displacement:
Tenoctitlan and Acapulco: 3.920 ts mean, 4.500 ts full load
Guadalajara: 4.470 ts mean, 5.040 ts full load
Dimensions:
Tenoctitlan and Acapulco: Length 103,90m, Beam 14,75m, Draught 5,80m mean, 6,55m full load
Guadalajara: Length 110,35m, Beam 14,90m, Draught 5,85m mean, 6,65m full load
Machinery:
2-shaft Vertical Triple Expansion, 4 cylindrical boilers, 9.600 ihp (Guadalajara 8 Belleville watertube boilers, 11.000 ihp)
Performance:
Speed 20,5kts maximum, range 4.000nm at 10 knots
Armour:
Gun Shields 50mm; deck 60mm maximum, CT 80mm
Armament:
Tenochtitlan and Acapulco original: 8x1 150/35 Krupp BL, 6 (Acapulco 8)x1 47mm/33 Hotchkiss QF, 8x1 37mm Hotchkiss revolvers, 4 – 350mm torpedo tubes (2 on each beam, above water).
Tenochtitlan and Acapulco rearmed: 8x1 150mm/40 Skoda BL, 10x1 47mm/44 Skoda QF, 2 – 450mm torpedo tubes (beam, submerged)
Guadalajara original: 8x1 150/35 Krupp BL, 12x1 66mm/45 Skoda QF, 6x1 37mm Hotchkiss revolvers, 4 – 450mm torpedo tubes (2 on each beam, submerged)
Guadalajara rearmed: 8x1 150mm/40 Skoda BL, 12x1 66mm/45 Skoda QF, 4 – 450mm torpedo tubes (as above)
Crew
350 (Guadalajara 365)

3. Monterey
This attempt at a large second class protected cruiser was a rather qualified success. For the first time, the design was drawn up all new by the Mexican Navy, rather than copying an extant British or Austrian type, and the lack of design experience told. Although the required twelve 150mm guns were provided, only half of them were available on each broadside; the ship was no better protected than the smaller Tenochtitlan-class, and two knots slower. She was a bad roller and an indifferent sea boat, and handling was poor.


As Tampico was fully occupied at that time and Veracruz not yet able to build ships of that size, the cruiser was ordered at the CNT yard in Austria. She was built quickly and delivered in half the time Tampico needed for Guadalajara, and in the Cuban war, Monterey was fully worked up and flew the flag of Rear Admiral Villaraca. In the battle of Mayaguana, she came under whithering fire from the Spanish armored cruisers Princesa de Asturias and Vizcaya and was reduced to a wreck; when she capsized and blew up, most of her crew including the Admiral were killed.

Displacement:
5.740 ts mean, 6.430 ts full load
Dimensions:
Length 118,10m, Beam 16,80m, Draught 6,25m mean, 7,05m full load
Machinery:
2-shaft Vertical Triple Expansion, 8 cylindrical boilers, 12.000 ihp
Performance:
Speed 18,5 kts maximum, range 4.800 nm at 10 knots
Armour:
Gun Shields 50mm; deck 60mm maximum, CT 80mm
Armament:
12x1 150mm/35 Krupp BL, 12x1 47mm/44 Skoda QF, 6x1 37mm Hotchkiss revolvers, 2 – 450mm torpedo tubes (beam, submerged)
Crew
505

4. Infanta Isabel-Class
Among other things, the 1892 fleet expansion program called for two first class cruisers; the only extant Austrian armored cruiser, the Maria Theresia, was useless as a template on account of her small size and poor seakeeping. The Mexicans turned to Armstrong for a suitable design, and within weeks, the British yard produced an upscaled version of a cruiser offered to Chile (which would become the O’Higgins). Admiral Beltran liked the ship and immediately placed an order for two hulls, under the condition that the first one was laid down immediately, before the Chilean ship. As the Mexicans paid better, Armstrong complied. The Mexican armored cruiser had the same length as the Chilean ship, but was beamier and 400 tons heavier; protection and speed were the same, but main armament was strengthened by substituting two 152mm guns with 203mm pieces. The first ship, Infanta Isabel, named for the heir to Mexico’s throne, was laid down in 1895 and delivered late in 1897; the second hull was started in 1897 and delivered late in 1899.


A brand new Infanta Isabel stood in the Mexican battle line at Mayaguana and Santiago; during the latter engagement, she was responsible for sinking the Spanish cruiser Cristobal Colon, despite the inexperience of her green crew. By all accounts, she was the best ship in the Mexican fleet at that time. Her sister reached Mexico shortly before the turn of the century; Duque de Tampico – named for Admiral Tegetthoff’s official title – differed in secondary armament distribution and some smaller details, like ventilators and the lack of flag facilities.


Both cruisers formed the vanguard of the Imperial battle fleet for ten years and repeatedly faced off US naval forces during various interventions in smaller Central American nations. Duque de Tampico sank the Portuguese cruiser Dom Carlos during the Venezuelan crisis. In 1910 and 1912, respectively, both had their secondary armament reduced and redistributed to increase seakeeping; fire control was revamped and w/t equipment was added.


Both now resembled each other more than before the refit; Infanta Isabel could be told apart by the empty casemate amidships, whereas the central casemates were removed on Duque de Tampico. The latter also landed the aft pair of torpedo tubes.


Both went to Tolopobampo late in 1914 to bolster the Mexican Pacific fleet; they were the first Mexican warships to pass the Panama channel. They were both present at the battle of Banderas, where Infanta Isabel was blown up from safe distance by USS Enterprise. Duque de Tampico managed to escape the massacre, dealing heavy damage to the armored cruiser USS St.Louis in the process; by the time she reached Tolopobampo, US ground forces were already descending upon the base, and she had to turn around. When coal had run out, she dropped anchor in the Bahia Concepcion, awaiting supplies which never came. After the fall of the Empire, the cruiser surrendered to the Americans and was scrapped in San Francisco in 1921.

Displacement:
9.140 ts mean, 10.880 ts full load
Dimensions:
Length 135,65 m, Beam 19,40 m, Draught 6,55 m mean, 7,50 m full load
Machinery:
2-shaft Triple Expansion, 30 Belleville watertube boilers, 18.000 ihp
Performance:
Speed 21,5 kts maximum, range 4.800 nm at 10 knots
Armour:
Belt 178mm maximum; Ship ends unprotected; barbettes 178mm; Turrets 178mm front, 127mm sides and rear; Casemates 152mm; deck 51mm maximum (slopes 76mm), CT 203mm
Armament:
6x1 203mm/45 Armstrong BL; 8 (after refit 6) x 1 150mm/40 Skoda BL; 14 (Duque de Tampico: 16; both after refit: 12) x1 66mm/45 Skoda QF; 10 (after refit: 0) x1 47mm/44 Skoda QF
Crew
540

5. Veracruz-Class
Monterey’s shortcomings – particularly her low speed – were apparent before she was complete, and the Imperial design bureau prepared an improved version for the remaining two large cruisers of the 1892 program. They were laid down in 1896 and 1897 at Tampico and Veracruz, respectively. Ironically, the Tampico-built ship was named Veracruz, and the other one Zaragoza. With the experience gained from building previous cruisers, the Mexican naval yards delivered much improved quality, in less time and at lower cost per ton. Both ships differed visibly from each other: Veracruz was somewhat shorter, and her sixteen Thornycroft-boilers discharged through two funnels.


Zaragoza had eighteen Belleville-boilers and three funnels. Due to her slightly lower designed hp, Zaragoza had the same speed as her sister; both outpaced Monterey by nearly five knots. Armour protection and coal capacity also were increased, although installation of four of the guns in upper deck casemates impaired seaworthiness.


Both ships were rated as fast and economic steamers, and their habitability made them very popular with their crews. They were very active during the 1900s all around the Caribbean. During the Venezuelan crisis, both belonged to the Mexican armada. Zaragoza sank a Portuguese destroyer and made port at La Guaira to show support to the Venezuelan cause. Veracruz was comprehensively modernized in 1912/13. Her main guns were replaced with more modern pieces and moved to upper deck level, the secondary battery was strengthened, w/t gear and modern fire control equipment was installed.


Zaragoza’s modernization 1914/15 was even more thorough; her casemates were removed entirely, and she received a primitive kind of director fire control.


Both cruisers were based at Chetumal in 1916 and went raiding as soon as the war was declared, in an attempt to disperse US naval forces. Unfortunately, Veracruz was torpedoed and sunk by USS C4 in the Caribbean without having captured a single enemy ship. Zaragoza, operating north of the Spanish Main, was more successful and captured seven US merchants; no less than five US cruisers were dispatched to hunt her down. On August 7th, 1916, she was sighted and engaged by USS Minneapolis, a dedicated commerce raider herself, and got the better of her in a four-hour engagement. But just when Minneapolis was ripe for the kill, USS Brooklyn caught up and opened fire. Critically short of coal, Zaragoza managed to escape the US armoured cruiser, but needed to seek shelter in British waters in the Bahamas. She was interned there for the remainder of the war and surrendered to the USA after the Empire fell. She was broken up in the US in 1924.

Displacement:
5.580 ts mean, 6.400 ts full load (Zaragoza 5.650 ts mean, 6.470 ts full load)
Dimensions:
Length 121,90m (Zaragoza 123,00m), Beam 16,50m, Draught 6,20m mean, 7,05m full load
Machinery:
2-shaft Vertical Triple Expansion, 16 Thornycroft watertube boilers, 21.500 ihp (Zaragoza 18 Belleville boilers, 20.000 ihp)
Performance:
Speed 23,5 kts maximum, range 5.000 nm at 10 knots
Armour:
Gun Shields 60mm; deck 80mm maximum, CT 80mm
Armament:
10x1 150mm/35 Krupp BL (both rearmed: 150mm/45 Skoda QF), 12x1 66mm/45 Skoda QF, 6x1 47mm/44 Skoda QF, 4 – 450mm torpedo tubes (beam, submerged)
Crew
485

6. Cuitlahuac-Class
The 1903 program – the first acquisition of warships after a five-year hiatus – most prominently included the big battleship Victoria, but also two scout cruisers to augment the ageing Puma-type ships, which could no longer keep up with the fleet. They were designed by the Imperial design bureau, based on the Austrian Zenta-class, but a lot bigger, faster and more seaworthy. Cuitlahuac was built at Tampico and completed first in September 1906. Cuauhtemoc was simultaneously laid down at Veracruz, but took a year longer to complete. She differed from Cuitlahuac in lacking the latter’s four 47mm guns, her torpedo tubes were submerged, and she differed in sundry hull and rigging details not readily apparent from a distance. Most importantly, she had four-shaft Parsons turbines instead of VTE machinery; she was marginally faster than her sister, broke down a lot more often and had less range, but was invaluable to the Imperial Navy’s engineering department in gaining experience with the new type of machinery.


The class ship was one of the first Mexican cruisers to receive w/t late in 1909.


When the new 100mm/55 Skoda QF gun became available, which had twice the ROF of the 120/45, longer range and better accuracy, it was decided to rearm these cruisers with the new guns in 1914. Cuitlahuac swapped them one for one, and also received a 66/50 AA gun in lieu of two of her 47mm guns.


Her sister was more comprehensively rebuilt; she landed her entire 66mm secondary battery save a single HA gun and mounted ten of the new 100mm pieces. She also received a tripod mast and a primitive fire control director.


Both vessels went to the Pacific fleet late in 1915, the last Mexican warships to cross the Panama Channel. Cuitlahuac shared the fate of most of the squadron, torpedoed by a US destroyer in the initial phase of the battle of Banderas; Cuauhtemoc managed to escape the carnage together with the armored cruiser Duque de Tampico. She was surrendered to the USA when the Empire collapsed and sunk as a bombing target in 1923.

Displacement:
3.250 ts mean, 3.780 ts full load
Dimensions:
Length 116,75m, Beam 13,50m, Draught 4,55m mean, 5,20m full load
Machinery:
2-shaft Vertical Triple Expansion, 12 Belleville boilers, 12.800 ihp (Cuauhtemoc 4-shaft Parsons turbines, 12 Belleville boilers, 14.000 shp)
Performance:
Speed 23 kts maximum (Cuauhtemoc 24 kts), range 3.600 nm (Cuauhtemoc 3.000 nm) at 10 knots
Armour:
Gun Shields 60mm; deck 80mm maximum, CT 80mm
Armament:
Original: 8x1 120mm/45 Skoda QF, 8x1 66mm/45 Skoda QF, 4x1 (Cuauhtemoc: none) 47mm/44 Skoda QF, 2 – 450mm torpedo tubes (beam, above water /Cuauhtemoc: submerged)
Rearmed: 8x1 (Cuauhtemoc: 10x1) 100mm/55 Skoda QF, 8x1 (Cuauhtemoc: none) 66mm/45 Skoda QF, 1x1 66mm/50 Skoda QF HA, 2x1 (Cuauhtemoc: none) 47mm/44 Skoda QF, 2 – 450mm torpedo tubes (as before)
Crew
315

Yet more to come

C. Gunboats

1. Otomi-Class
A steel-hulled development of the Yaqui-class. They adopted Huasteco’s ram bow, and did away with the barquentine rig, retaining only some fore and aft sails. They also had a round stern, more beam and a revised armament; to be honest, there was little resemblance between them and the Yaqui-class. Otomi was Mexico’s first domestically built steel-hulled vessel, and the first one with Triple Expansion engines. She was laid down in 1890 and completed 1893; her sister ship Zoque was laid down 1892 and completed in 1894.


Both took part in the Cuban war, providing fire support for Prince Carlos Augusto’s volunteer force. In 1910, both were upgunned; this refit however took things one step too far, and they came out overweight, with impaired stability.


Otomi was stationed at La Guaira, Venezuela in 1916, training Venezuelan sailors as part of a Mexican military mission. She was acquired by the Venezuelan government in 1918 and served under the name Orinoco till 1931. She was scrapped soon afterwards. Zoque operated from Tampico in coastal waters during the war, assisting ground forces and laying mines. She managed to escape to Veracruz when Tampico fell and remained available to the postwar Mexican navy. She was struck in 1929 and broken up soon after.

Displacement:
610 ts mean, 730 ts full load
Dimensions:
Length 45,20 m, Beam 7,70 m, Draught 2,90 m mean, 3,40 m full load
Machinery:
1-shaft Vertical Triple Expansion, 2 cylindrical boilers, 1.000 ihp
Performance:
Speed 12 kts maximum, range 3.000 nm at 6 knots
Armament:
Original: 4x1 100mm/35 Skoda BL, 4x1 47mm/33 Skoda QF. Rearmed: 4x1 120mm/45 Skoda QF, 4x1 47mm/33 Skoda QF
Crew
100

2. Iturbide-Class
Torpedo gunboats based upon the Austrian Trabant-type. They were approved in 1890 and built in Veracruz, two at a time. Iturbide and Juan Nepomuceno Alvarez were completed in 1893, Ruiz Estrada and Mariano Matamoros in 1895. They were obsolescent when commissioned, but at least they were slightly faster than the Austrian original, and together with Mexico’s first four real destroyers, formed an effective screening squadron during the Cuban War. Alvarez was sunk by the secondary batteries of the Spanish battleship Felipe II at Mayaguana.


Their peacetime service afterwards was uneventful. Alvarez and Iturbide were dispatched with the battleships Poder and San Juan de Ulua to reinforce the Mexican fleet during the second Venezuelan crisis, but failed to link up before the crisis was resolved. Ruiz Estrada went round the Cape in 1908 to become flagship of the Pacific Fleet’s torpedo boat squadron. Like her sisters, she was fitted with w/t in 1912 and landed her eight 47mm guns in favor of four more 66mm pieces.


Ruiz Estrada’s squadron never traveled far from Tolopomabpo and escaped destruction at Banderas; the gunboat was surrendered to the US with the rest of the Pacific squadron and broken up soon after. Iturbide and Matamoros were refitted to minelayers in 1914, the only ships of that type in the Imperial navy’s inventory. They landed two of their 66mm guns and could embark 60 Mines each.


They were dispatched to Guantanamo in utter secrecy after the war had broken out and fortified the entrance to the bay; afterwards, they were deactivated and their crews transferred to the heavy units of the main battle fleet to replace losses. They were captured intact by the Cubans and integrated into the Cuban Navy. They were poorly maintained, however, and scrapped in 1925 and 1927, respectively.

Displacement:
540 ts mean, 620 ts full load
Dimensions:
Length 67,20 m, Beam 8,20 m, Draught 2,50 m mean, 3,00 m full load
Machinery:
2-shaft Vertical Triple Expansion, 2 cylindrical boilers, 3.600 ihp
Performance:
Speed 21 kts maximum, range 2.400 nm at 10 knots
Armament:
2x1 66mm/45 Skoda QF, 8x1 47mm/44 Skoda QF, 2 – 457mm TT (1 bow above water, 1 centerline trainable)
Crew
85

3. Campeche-Class
Although roughly based upon Earle’s design for the Haitian gunboat Crete a Pierrot, which was docked at Tampico in 1900, these vessels were Mexican designed to replace all older large gunboats in Imperial inventory. They looked old-fashioned for their time, but were robustly built, seaworthy ships with powerful armament. They were designed for patrol, anti-piracy and counterinsurgence, but could double as escorts in wartime; their ram bow was explicitly meant for dealing with submarines. The first two – Campeche and Sonora – were laid down at Tampico in 1901 and delivered in 1903.


The following pair – Oaxaca and Durango – had a re-designed stern and was fitted with twin screws for better maneuverability; they also had watertube boilers of better fuel efficiency. Otherwise, they were identical. They were laid down in 1903 and delivered in 1905.


The last pair – Jalisco and Aguas Calientes – was five meters longer and had completely revamped armament; they were the first Mexican ships with the very fast firing Skoda 100mm/55. With six of these powerful guns, these gunboats outgunned any contemporary destroyer. They were laid down 1905 and delivered 1906/7. They were the last Mexican ships commissioned in the 1891 white/black/brown livery.


All six were completed without w/t, but retrofitted between 1913 and 1915. On the first four, four machineguns each were added to deal with asymmetrical threats.


Oaxaca and Durango received their antennae in Veracruz, resulting in a different mast shape.


Jalisco and Aguas Calientes landed their 47mm guns in order to embark 2 66mm/50 HA guns and six machineguns in 1916. They also received a destroyer-type fire control system.


Sonora was stationed at Qingdao in 1914; she went to Corregidor when the Japanese attacked the Germans, but steamed to Koko in March 1916 when tensions between Mexico and the USA escalated. She was interned at Toumachi when Mexico went to war with the USA, but returned to the Mexican Republic in 1919. She was in active service till 1932, then served as TS till 1944, then as accommodation hulk till 1952, when she was broken up. Campeche was stationed at Uruguay in 1914, interned there in 1916, and sold to that nation in 1917. She remained in Uruguayan service till 1942; then she was sunk by a Brazilian submarine. Oaxaca operated from Tampico during the war and was sunk by US destroyers. Durango was stationed at Chetumal in 1916 and was destroyed by the battleship USS New Jersey during the assault on Chetumal. Aguas Calientes and Jalisco were stationed at Veracruz in 1916 and supported the local torpedo boat squadron against US forces; Aguas Calientes was heavily damaged by US destroyers, but survived, while Jalisco remained undamaged. Both remained active with the Mexican navy after the war; they were de-rated to training ships in 1938. Aguas Calientes was scrapped in 1946, Jalisco was preserved as a museum in Veracruz.

Displacement:
First group: 950 ts mean, 1.100 ts full load; second group: 980 ts mean, 1.140 ts full load; third group: 1.120 ts mean, 1.240 ts full load
Dimensions:
First and second group: Length 64,00m, Beam 7,90 m, Draught 3,00 m mean, 3,70 m full load. Third group: Length 69,30m, Beam 8,15m, Draught 3,00 m mean, 3,70 m full load
Machinery:
First group: 1-shaft Vertical Triple Expansion, 2 cylindrical boilers, 2.000 ihp. Second and third group: 2-shaft Vertical Triple Expansion, 2 Thornycroft watertube boilers, 2.800 ihp
Performance:
Speed 16 kts maximum, range 3.400 nm (second and third group: 4.000 nm) at 10 knots
Armament:
First and second group: 2x1 120/45 Skoda QF, 4x1 66mm/45 Skoda QF, 2x1 37mm Hotchkiss revolvers. Third group: 6x1 100/55 Skoda QF, 4x1 47mm/44 Skoda QF
Crew
120 (first four), 135 (last two)

4. Tolteco-Class
Six small, slow gunboats of purely domestic design, built for the Mexican Pacific fleet. They were mainly built to keep the Veracruz Naval yard in business during the 1899 – 1907 period, when few large ships were acquired. Like the earlier Yaqui-class, they were named for First Nations of Mexico, all starting with the letter T: Tolteco and Tojolabal (laid down 1902, delivered 1903/4); Totonaco and Tzotzil (laid down 1904, delivered 1905); and Tarahumara and Triqui (laid down 1906, delivered 1907).


They were not significantly modernized during their career, which mostly consisted of customs and border guard work; they were however fitted with w/t gear, four machine guns, and military grade searchlights in 1914/5.


Tojolabal was wrecked in 1911 in the Gulf of California. During the war of 1916, the other five dispersed along the long Mexican Pacific coast. Only Tzotzil was lost during the fall of Tolopobampo, the other four survived and served with Mexico’s postwar fleet. They were scrapped in the late 1920s.

Displacement:
235 ts mean, 280 ts full load
Dimensions:
Length 41,80 m, Beam 5,50 m, Draught 2,00 m mean, 2,40 m full load
Machinery:
2-shaft Vertical Triple Expansion, 1 Thornycroft watertube boiler, 750 ihp
Performance:
Speed 14,5 kts maximum, range 2.700 nm at 8 knots
Armament:
2x1 66mm/45 Skoda QF
Crew
40

almost done

D. Torpedo Craft

1. No.5-class
A larger type of second class torpedo boat, also Austrian-designed, but based upon a German Schichau-prototype. Owing to their bigger size, they were better sea boats than the No.1-type, and faster and more heavily armed into the bargain. Nos. 5 through 8 were built at Trieste between 1890 and 1892 and also delivered as deck cargo of a freighter.


Like their predecessors, the Mexicans reverse-engineered the type, with more satisfying results this time. Nos.13 through 16 were built at Veracruz between 1894 and 1897. All eight were assigned to local defense squadrons, the Austrian quartet at Veracruz, the home-buiilt vessels at Chetumal. The latter were active during the Cuban War, attempting to intercept the Spanish fleet, but failing to find it; on the return leg, No.13 sank in heavy weather. The seven survivors were retired between 1913 and 1915, except No.7 and No.14, which were assigned to the torpedo school in Tampico. No.14 was destroyed during the siege, No.7 miraculously survived, but was broken up in 1921.

Displacement:
65 ts mean, 75 ts full load
Dimensions:
Length 36,90 m, Beam 4,80 m, Draught 1,90 m mean, 2,30 m full load
Machinery:
1-shaft Vertical Triple Expansion, 1 Thornycroft watertube boiler, 800 ihp
Performance:
Speed 20 kts maximum, range 1.000 nm at 10 knots
Armament:
2x1 37mm Hotchkiss revolver, 2x1 450mm torpedo tubes (1 bow, fixed, 1 deck centerline aft, trainable)
Crew
20

2. No.17-class
Mexico’s first four first class torpedo boats were part of the 1892 fleet expansion program and built to a British design; the prototype No.17 was built by Thornycroft, Nos 18, 19 and 20 were copied at Veracruz. All were ordered in 1895; No.17 was delivered 1896, the other three 1897, built in less than half the time than the much smaller No.5-class ships.


Although they were a satisfying design, there was no repeat order, because by that time Mexico was purchasing destroyers. All four belonged to the Mexican battle fleet during the Cuban war, together with Mexico’s first four true destroyers. They didn’t get the opportunity to charge the enemy and made no imprint, but at least took no losses either. In 1906, they were loaded to a freighter and transported to Tolopobampo to join the Mexican Pacific Fleet. In 1911, they were retrofitted with w/t gear.


During the war, they remained defensive and were safe in port when the heavies of the Pacific Squadron were destroyed by US battlecruisers. After the war, they had to land their torpedo tubes and were down-rated to patrol boats. In that guise, they remained in service with the Mexican Republic till phased out in the late 1920s.

Displacement:
125 ts mean, 150 ts full load
Dimensions:
Length 45 m, Beam 4,50 m, Draught 2,30 m mean, 2,70 m full load
Machinery:
2-shaft Vertical Triple Expansion, 2 Thornycroft boilers, 2.000 ihp
Performance:
Speed 25 kts maximum, range 1.600 nm at 10 knots
Armament:
2x1 47mm/44 Skoda QF, 3x1 450mm torpedo tubes (1 bow, fixed, 2 deck centerline, trainable)
Crew
25

3. Nicolas-Bravo-Class
Under the big 1892 program, Mexico also ordered four destroyers in Great Britain. The chosen design was Palmer’s 27-knotter, and the order was placed in 1894. They were built between 1895 and 1897 and commissioned in Mexico late that year after fitting Mexican guns. They were named Nicolas Bravo (pennant NB), Hermenegildo Galeana (HG), Ignacio Allende (IA) and Francisco Xavier Mina (FX).


All were operational for the Cuban war and joined the battle fleet. At Mayaguana, Galeana torpedoed and sank the Spanish torpedo gunboat Marques de Molins, and Allende delivered the coup de grace against the crippled Spanish coast defence ironclad Guipuzcoa. Mina and Allende were severely damaged by Spanish light forces, but could both be brought in. At Santiago, Bravo sank the large Spanish torpedo boat Azor, and Galeana torpedoed the cruiser Oquendo, which was later sunk by gunfire from three Mexican cruisers. All four destroyers took part in the second Venezuelan crisis. Afterwards, they were fitted with w/t gear, a proper bridge and higher funnels.


When the Perez-Valence-Class was commissioned, the 27-knotters were refitted as seagoing minesweepers, landing their aft 66mm gun and their torpedoes. They were assigned to the Veracruz naval base.


During the first battle of Tampico, they were employed to screen a torpedo boat raid against the US fleet; during that mission, Mina was sunk by US destroyers. The other three remained available to the Mexican Navy after the war; being no longer able to go faster than 18 knots, they were not required to be surrendered. They were used as patrol craft for a few years, then scrapped in the late 1920s.

Displacement:
275 ts mean, 320 ts full load
Dimensions:
Length 62,25 m, Beam 5,95 m, Draught 2,45 m mean, 2,90 m full load
Machinery:
2-shaft Vertical Triple Expansion, 4 Reed boilers, 4.000 ihp
Performance:
Speed 27 kts maximum, range 3.000 nm at 10 knots
Armament:
Original: 2x1 66mm/35 Skoda QF, 4x1 47mm/44 Skoda QF, 2x1 450mm TT (deck, centerline, trainable). From 1914/5 only 1x1 66mm, no torpedo tubes, but fitted with sweeps.
Crew
55

4. Lopez-Rayon-Class
Also under the 1892 program, two more destroyers were ordered at Palmer’s in 1896, to that builder’s standard 30-knotter design. They were named Lopez Rayon (LR) and Mariano de Abasolo (MA) and reached Mexico too late for the Cuban war.


This type served as the basis for four copies built at Veracruz between 1899 and 1903. Their names were Porter (PR), Esnaurrizar (EZ), Mariano Arista (AS) and Meija Camacho (MC). They differed from the British original by having the central funnels trunked together. All four accompanied the Mexican fleet during the second Venezuelan crisis, and Meija Camacho delivered the coup de Grace against the crippled Portuguese battleship Corte Real.


Under the 1907 program, two more Palmer 30-knotters were purchased; they were built on speculation and fitted with turbine engines, all other particulars were similar. They were slightly shorter, but had fuller lines, making them considerably heavier. They were slower on paper, but this resulted from a more realistic trials regime; actual sea speed was higher, and could be maintained much longer. Their larger size and higher freeboard also made them more seaworthy and allowed for a heavier armament. They did have shorter range, however. They were named Guerrero (GR) and Yanez (YZ).


All eight were retrofitted with w/t and had their rigging changed in 1913. The first six also were upgunned to the standard of the turbine ships during that refit.



The turbine ships received enclosed bridges during the same refit in 1914.


They were part of the main battle fleet till 1915, when enough Tatra-class destroyers were available. The six VTE-propelled units were then assigned to the Pacific Fleet, together with two larger, newer Holzinger-class destroyers. During the war, they accompanied the heavies of the Pacific squadron on every mission; during the raid on Panama, they used their torpedoes to sink two US freighters in an attempt to block the channel locks. During the battle of Banderas, Lopez Rayon and Porter were sunk by USS Chester, and Arista was grounded while trying to hide in a remote bay. The other three escaped with the armored cruiser Duque de Tampico and were surrendered to the US after the Empire fell; they were scrapped in 1923/5. The turbine ships remained with the main fleet and took part in the battle of Chetumal. They acted as a rearward screening force and stayed out of harm’s way. They remained at Guantanamo when the fleet sortied for the raid to Habana, and were left behind during the battle of Guantanamo a few weeks after. They were captured by Cuban forces and integrated into the Cuban Navy. They served till spares ran out in 1927, then they were broken up.

Displacement:
390 ts mean, 440 ts full load (Mexican built ships 420 ts mean, 480 ts full load; Turbine ships 440 ts mean, 550 ts full load)
Dimensions:
Length 67,05 m (Turbine ships 65,70m), Beam 6,35 m (Mexican built and turbine ships 6,50 m), Draught 3,00 m mean, 3,50 m full load
Machinery:
2-shaft Vertical Triple Expansion (3-shaft Parsons Turbines in Guerrero and Yanez), 4 Reed boilers (Thornycroft in Mexican-built ships), 6.400 ihp (7.000 shp in Guerrero and Yanez)
Performance:
Speed 30 kts (Mexican-built ships: 28,5 kts, Turbine ships 27 kts) maximum, range 3.000 nm at 10 knots (Turbine ships 2.400 nm)
Armament:
First six original: 2x1 65mm/45 Skoda QF, 6x1 47mm/44 Skoda QF, 2x1 450mm TT (deck, centerline, trainable)
First six as rearmed, last two always: 6x1 65mm/45 Skoda QF, 2x1 450mm TT (deck, centerline, trainable)
Crew
65

Only one post to go

And last but not least an overview over the entire fleet in 1898...


and in 1907.


To come: Fall of the Empire, 1907 - 1916. Stay tuned.

Greetings
GD

Top quality stuff as usual.

_________________
My Worklist
Sources and documentations are the most welcome.

-Koko Kyouwakoku (Republic of Koko)
-Koko's carrier-based aircrafts of WWII
-Koko Kaiun Yuso Kaisha - KoKaYu Line (Koko AU spinoff)
-Koko - Civil Aviation

this is beyond awesome.


If I could stop drawing ridiculous things, I would love to try on something like that