Chilean cruiser O'Higgins (1897)

O'Higgins

Company type	Armoured cruiser
Industry	Naval shipbuilding
Founded	4 April 1896
Headquarters	Newcastle-on-Tyne , United Kingdom
Products	Warships

Template:Other ships Template:Infobox ship O'Higgins was an armoured cruiser in the Chilean Navy. Constructed by the British firm Armstrong, the design was created by naval architect Philip Watts. The vessel served from 1898 until 1933 under Chilean command.

Construction

In April 1896, the Chilean government commissioned an armoured cruiser named O'Higgins from Armstrong, Whitworth & Co, following a design by Sir Philip Watts, at a price of £700,000. The keel was laid at Armstrong’s Elswick shipyard in Newcastle-on-Tyne on 4 April 1896. The vessel was launched on 17 May 1897 and reached completion on 2 April 1898.

Design

File:O Higgins 8 inch gun house right elevation.jpg

The primary firepower of O'Higgins comprised four 8-inch (203 mm) 40-calibre guns mounted in single turrets—two positioned along the ship’s centreline at the fore and aft, and two placed port and starboard beside the forward funnel. Additionally, ten 6-inch (152 mm) 40-calibre guns were installed; six housed in casemates and four in single turrets. The secondary armament included four 4.7-inch (120 mm) guns, ten 12-pounder guns, and ten 6-pounder Hotchkiss guns, all manufactured by Armstrongs. The cruiser was also equipped with three 18-inch (457 mm) torpedo tubes: two submerged tubes on the ship’s beam and one above waterline at the stern.

Protection was provided by an armoured belt running along the ship’s side, extending approximately 260 feet (79 m) in length and 7 feet (2.1 m) in depth. The belt armour measured 7 inches (178 mm) thick around the machinery spaces, tapering to 6 inches (152 mm) towards the bow and stern. An armoured deck spanned the vessel’s length and width with thickness varying between 3 inches (76 mm) and 1.5 inches (38 mm). To minimize fouling, the hull was sheathed in copper and wood.

Propulsion came from two vertical triple-expansion steam engines powered by thirty Belleville water-tube boilers driving two shafts. These engines produced 16,500 indicated horsepower (12,300 kW), enabling a top speed of 21.6 knots. Coal capacity reached up to 1,253 long tons (1,273 metric tonnes), allowing for a cruising range of approximately 4,580 nautical miles at a speed of 8 knots.

Operational history

During late 1897, as O'Higgins approached completion at Elswick, rising tensions between Spain and the United States over Cuba’s rebellion sparked rumours that Spain sought to augment its navy by acquiring foreign warships. Among vessels speculated to be targets were O'Higgins, the recently finished Chilean armoured cruiser Esmeralda, and the protected cruiser Ministro Zenteno, both also under construction for Chile at Elswick. With war between Spain and the United States increasingly probable, American attempts were made to purchase O'Higgins among other ships; however, these efforts failed to secure the cruiser. Subsequently, O'Higgins arrived at Valparaiso on 25 July 1898.

File:Abrazo del Estrecho B&N.jpg

Federico Errázuriz (right) and Julio Roca (left) aboard the cruiser O'Higgins

On 15 February 1899, O'Higgins served as the venue for a significant diplomatic meeting at Punta Arenas between Chilean President Federico Errázuriz Echaurren and Argentine President Julio Argentino Roca aimed at normalizing bilateral relations; this event became known as the "Embrace of the Straits" (El Abrazo del Estrecho). Later, in response to tensions between the United States and Colombia culminating in Panama’s secession, the cruiser was dispatched to Panama in 1903.

In 1919, a floatplane was installed aboard O'Higgins, capable of being lowered onto and retrieved from the sea via crane for aerial operations. On 12 March 1920, a collision occurred between O'Higgins and the Chilean cargo ship SS Llai Llai in Philadelphia; as a result, SS Llai Llai sank. An aircraft accident involving a crash into O'Higgins took place on 24 August that same year, resulting in the pilot's death. The cruiser underwent two refits during its service life: one between 1919–1920 and another from 1928–1929.

In September 1931, amid widespread unrest within the Chilean Navy known as the naval mutiny of that year, O'Higgins was seized by its crew on the first day of the uprising.

The vessel was officially retired from active service in 1933 and ultimately dismantled for scrap in 1958; however, sources vary regarding its disposal date, with some citing as early as 1946 or as late as 1954.

See also

• List of retired vessels of the Chilean Navy

Notes and references

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

• Brooke, Peter. Armstrong Warships 1867–1927: Warships for Export. Gravesend, UK: World Ship Society, 1999. ISBN 0-905617-89-4.
• Chesneau, Roger and Eugene M. Kolesnik. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press, 1979. ISBN 0-85177-133-5.
• Whitley, M.J. Cruisers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. London: Brockhamton Press, 1999. ISBN 1-86019-8740.