Naval battles of the world : $b Great and decisive contests on the sea ... with an account of the Japan-China war and the recent battle of the Yalu; the growth, power, and management of our new Navy.Shippen, Edward
History
Naval battles of the world : $b Great and decisive contests on the sea ... with an account of the Japan-China war and the recent battle of the Yalu; the growth, power, and management of our new Navy.
Shippen, Edward
Naval battles; Sino-Japanese War, 1894-1895; United States. Navy
This shot also killed Lieutenant Diego Ferré, the Admiral’s Aid, who
was at the fighting wheel, and only separated from the conning tower
by a light wooden grating. Ferré’s death appears to have been caused
by concussion, as no wounds were found upon his body. This shot also
damaged the fighting wheel, and the ship ran off to the eastward until
the damage was repaired, when she again headed to the northward.
About this time a shell penetrated the armor of the turret, which was
trained on the port-quarter, in the thickest part, to the left of the
port of the right gun. This shell killed or disabled most of the two
guns’ crews.
Among these were two gun-captains, Englishmen, who had been trained on
board the gunnery-ship, “Excellent,” and Commander Carbajal, who had
come to inform the second in command, Commander Elias Aguirre, that he
was now in command.
The left gun was not injured, and relief crews were sent to it; but
the firing was very wild. The right gun was disabled by the compressor
and cap-square being bent. At this time Lieutenant Rodriguez, who
was looking out of the gun-port, had his head taken off. This, in
connection with the previous casualties, so demoralized the Peruvians
that most of the subsequent fighting was done by the foreigners of the
“Huascar’s” ship’s company. By this time the fire from the Nordenfelt
guns and the small arms of the Chilians had driven most of the officers
and men of the “Huascar” down into the ward-room. Some of these were
wounded, but the most were merely taking refuge there.
The “Cochrane” now attempted to ram, coming at right angles to her
adversary. She missed the “Huascar,” going close astern of her, but a
shot from one of her port-guns pierced the armor of the “Huascar,” on
the starboard quarter, exploding, and doing much damage--among other
things, carrying away the steering apparatus.
The “Huascar” now again headed to the eastward: but a shell pierced the
armor, abreast of the engine-room, covering the engine with fragments
of all kinds, and killing and wounding many persons. Among these were
Surgeon Tavara, and Mr. Griffiths, the master of the English schooner
“Coquimbo,” captured a few days before, and whose crew had been forced
to render service during the action.
The relieving tackles, by which the “Huascar” was now steered, were not
only exposed to shot, but had a very bad lead, and the steering was
very uncertain, not only from that cause, but because Commander Aguirre
had to command the vessel from one of the look-out hoods of the turret,
and the word had to be passed clear aft, on the lower deck, to the men
at the relieving tackles. There was, probably, not much real control of
the “Huascar” after the conning tower was destroyed, Grau killed, and
the main steering wheel disabled.
The “Cochrane” now again attempted to ram the “Huascar,” firing her
bow-gun, at two hundred yards, and coming on at right angles. She again
missed her blow, and passed astern.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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