English: The civil war in Spain: the Battle of Escombrera.

The Civil War in Spain, the Battle of Escombrera, a naval battle off Carthagena. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 1 November 1873.

Spiteful, Research, Invincible, Swiftsure, Lord Warden, Diana, Almanza, Carmen, Narvas Tolosa,
Fernando Catolico (Rebel), Mendez Nunez (rebel), Tetuan (rebel), Numancia (rebel), Vitoria, Ville de Cadiz.

Look and Learn

Read the ILN about this battle (THE NAVAL BATTLE OFF CARTHAGENA)
THE NAVAL BATTLE OFF CARTHAGENA. We give an Illustration of the naval battle on the 11th ult., in Escombrera Bay, outside the harbour of Carthagena, fought by the ironclad squadron in the possession of the Intransigentes, or Red Republican faction, who have revolted in that city of Murcia, against the squadron belonging to the Spanish Republican Government of Madrid. The sketch is by Dr. Fleetwood Buckle, M.D., surgeon, R.N., of H.M.S. Invincible, who has furnished also the following clear and spirited description, with several diagrams, which we have not space to insert :-
"'H.M.S. Invincible, Escombrera Bay, Oct. 11, six p.m. "After months of dreary, monotonous watching, ' protecting British interests' in various Spanish ports, we have at last had a small excitement, in watching to-day the sea-light between the Madrid squadron under Admiral Lobo, of Chilean fame, consisting of the ironclad Vitoria, frigates Almansa, Carmen, and Narvaez Tolosa, the paddler Ville de Cadiz, and sloop Diana, and the Murcian squadron of three ironclads, Numancia, Tetuan, and Mendez Nunez, and paddle-frigate Fernando el Catolico, under General Contreras. It was a very pretty sight, despite the mist and rain, which at intervals during the afternoon obscured the view, and wrapped its levelling mantle round them all. Admiral Lobo arrived yesterday from Gibraltar. During the evening he kept just outside Escombrera Island; but at night, perhaps to economise coal, he made rail, and was blown off the land to the eastward by the strong north wind to a position east of Port Porman. Between seven and nine a.m. the Intransigente ships collected outside the island. At 10:30 a.m. we steamed out, in company with the Lord Warden, Swiftsure, Research, Spiteful, and Hart, and followed, by the German wooden frigate Elizabeth, the Italian ram San Martino, and French ram Thetis. We proceeded under easy steam in single column, line ahead, as nearly as possibly parallel to the coasts, in a direction east by south, a mile off shore. About 11.30 a.m. the Murcians were broad on our starboard bow ; the three ironclads were in line abreast, the Mendez Nunez being inside. They were three miles due south of Cape Agua. The Numancia was next, and the Titucan seaward. The Fernando el Catolico followed, being evidently held in reserve to tow or assist any disabled vessel, a task :In which the old wooden paddler would render good service. At this time Admiral Lobo's squadron was in no particular order, about six miles away to the southward and eastward of Cape Negreti.
"Soon, the Numancia left her consorts, and steamed away very pluckily straight towards the Vitoria. Admiral Lobo then began to get his fleet into something like position by turning to port. The Almansa and Diana forming her starboard, and the Carmen and Narvaez Tolosa her port quarter column.. The Ville de Cadiz remaining some distance away on their part beam. In this formation the hostile squadrons approached each other, and at ten minutes past noon the Vitoria opened lire from her big bow shield guns on the Numancia. The shot falling short, the Murcian flagship held on past the Vitoria, exchanging broadsides. She cut the Madrid ships' line between the Diana and the Almansa, and turned to starboard across the sterns of the Carmen and Narvaez Tolosa, paying no attention to their shot, which, although the distance was small, nearly all fell short. She thus separated the Ville de Cadiz from the rest, and then commenced a stern chase, the paddler making all possible sail, and running before the fresh E.N.E. breeze. The Vitoria, seeing her small friend had no chance alone of getting away from the fast ironclad, left her three wooden frigates to the tender mercies of the ironclads Mendez Nunez and Tetuan, then coming up, and chased the rebel flagship, which after steaming hard for about four miles had nearly come up with the Ville de Cadiz. The captain of the latter, seeing that Contreras meant to ram him, executed a very pretty manoeuvre. Relying on the known handiness of a short paddler, he made a feint of going off to his right, as though steering for Carthagena; then, when he saw the long ironclad turning to cut hint oil, he suddenly put his helm hard to starboard, and went round so quickly that before the Numancia could alter her course. she had shot across his stern, and probably, from making sure of ramming, she had no guns ready. At any rate, she did not fire at him, or the Ville de Cadiz must have gone to the bottom of the sea. Instead of this, she got off with a shot in the paddle-wheel, which did no material damage. She hauled her wind on the port tack, and, passing to the southward of the Vitoria and the frigates, joined the Diana, and was soon hull down and away from danger, where she remained for the rest of the day, miles away from the fight.
'" By this time the Vitoria had opened fire from her useful bow shield-guns on the Numancia, and was fortunate enough to lodge a shell in her battery. The Numancia at once started full speed for Carthagena harbour, the damage done by the shell seeming to cause a panic on board her. The Vitoria continued to follow; but, being a slower ship, did not come up until the Numancia slackened speed within range of the forts. In the meantime the other ships were not idle. The Mendez Nunez, at 12.19 p.m., opened fire at very long range at the Vitoria and Almansa. Her shot generally did not reach half way; but as she came up with the 'chequer sider' Carmen the practice was much better on both sides. The ' direction was very good and the ' elevation' decidedly improved. One shot appeared to strike the Carmen in the fore chains, and in return one from her went right through the Mendez Nunez. This, in the crowded state of her decks, must have done considerable damage. She was then called off to the relief of the Numancia. But when the wooden frigates Almansa, Carmen, and Narvaez Tolosa, then steering towards Carthagena in the track of the Numancia and Vitoria, again came nearly within range, long shots continued to be exchanged. As they were fired very wildly, and without sufficient elevation, they did no damage. About two p.m. she passed to the north of the Vitoria and entered the bay under cover of the forts.

"The Tetuan was, at twenty minutes past noon, on the starboard beam of the English Mediterranean Fleet, about four miles south and by east of Cape Agua. She then steamed very slowly to the eastward, crossing the track of the Mendez Nunez and exchanging shots with the Vitoria. One from the latter pitched into the water just under her bows, and caused a rapid disappearance of the motley crowd of sailors from her forecastle. Another was equally efficacious in clearing her bridge. Undeterred, however, by these slight alarms, she proceeded to engage the three wooden frigates, and appeared to strike the Almansa six times, without receiving any damage in return. Passing the frigates, she steamed in the direction of the little Diana ; but in a few minutes, finding herself deserted by her consorts, she turned round off Cape Negreti and slowly steamed back towards Escombrera Bay, about half way between the British and Madrid squadrons, engaging in succession the Carmen, Almansa, and Narvaez Tolosa. At two p in., when she was just off the entrance to Carthagena Bay--the Numancia and Mendez Nunez having just escaped being cut off by the Vitoria, then coming up from the southward - the French ironclad tam Thetis is stated to have broken .down in her machinery. She therefore made sail, and in doing so got right between the Tetuan and the Vitoria. Seeing the' error she had made, as the shot was rattling through her topsails, the French ship backed her sails and made a stern board out of it, but not until the Tetuan had availed herself of the opportunity thus afforded of getting to the westward or fort side of the Vitoria. As soon as the Thetis was clear the Tetuan, whose port bow was towards the Vitoria's starboard bow, steamed ahead ; but the Vitoria, having greater way on, crossed her bow ; then both, porting their helms, exchanged starboard broadsides. The Vitoria's 12-ton guns sent their shot right through the Tetuan's 4 1/2-in. armour-in/one side, out the other; but the Tetuan's weaker guns are said not to have pierced the Vitoria's plating-at least, that is the Spanish report to-night ; but, the ships being less than, 400 yards apart, I think it unlikely, especially as the Vitoria then steamed straight out to sea, and would not again attack the Tetuan, although she remained in the same position an hour afterwards, apparently broken down. The Tetuan fired a gun at the Numancia, and made her come out again; but she only stopped a few minutes, and once more sought the shelter of the forts, although Admiral Lobo withdrew all his ships and steamed away to the eastward. The action ceased at 12.15 p.m. The Murcians acknowledge that thirteen were killed and forty nine wounded. Admiral Lobo reports :-' None killed ; none wounded.' One of his frigates is said to have gone to the eastward to 'land the sick.' The wooden paddle-corvette Fernando en Catolico remained five miles south and by west of Cape Agua and the harbour all through the engagement, and was evidently only looked upon as a supply or tug vessel, not a fighting ship. There were no hospital ships or tugs, with Geneva flag attached, to either squadron. The Numancia started very pluckily, but, after the Vitoria chased her, appeared to run away. Whether the captain or crew are to blame for this we cannot at present tell. The Vitoria also, after exchanging broadsides with the Tetuan, steamed away as fast as she could. This is scarcely consistent with the report that she had received no damage and had no one 'either killed or wounded.' "