River Gunboats Read online

  This is the first work to attempt to cover the subject as fully as possible at the time of writing. Given the enormous scope it is inevitable there will be gaps and lacunas. My hope is that I will have inspired future historians and enthusiasts to fill these gaps, and recognise the historical contributions of the river or lake gunboat.

  Ongoing Developments

  Just as with my initial intention to provide maps, when the enormous scope of the subject unfolded to me, I was obliged for space considerations to delete one additional planned appendix, detailing the research and building of model gunboats. Readers who wish to browse these elements to complete the picture will find them on my Website, at rogerbranfill-cook.com, in the relevant pages dedicated to river gunboats. There I will also be posting additional illustrations, and updating new details of river gunboats as they come to light.

  Ivoiry, September 2017

  NOTES ON THE PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS

  With such a varied collection of river and lake gunboats, ranging from sectionalised armed launches to massive riverine ironclads, to keep to a standard scale for the available plans and drawings would be futile. Where space is available the plans have been expanded to fill the page or column width, and virtually all the drawn-on scales have been eliminated. It is a relatively simple matter to reproduce copies of the plans to any desired scale by referring to the specifications.

  The specifications are as complete as can be found from the various published and Internet references. In some cases details have had to be left blank, for example where the precise dimensions are not all recorded or have been lost. A stunning example of this latter is the displacement for the Lake Baikal icebreaker SS Angara, where the original archive plans in the UK do not specify her tonnage. And neither can the museum which currently preserves her. Length is virtually always overall, which can exceed the water-line length. In a very few cases the length has had to be expressed as ‘between perpendiculars’, as this is the only figure recorded – and as such is little use for scale modellers. Tonnage is a thorny problem, as many reference works do not specify the system used. I have followed the same procedure, so one must assume that in countries where, at the time a vessel was constructed, the metric system was officially in force, for example France, Germany, Portugal and Spain, then the displacements stated are in Metric Tons. Similarly, for example with British, British Empire, United States, Confederate and Japanese vessels the displacement will be expressed in Long Tons. To convert every single entry from Long Tons to Metric Tons and vice versa was simply one conversion too many, for little positive result. Dimensions, as well as distances, however, have all been expressed in both Metric and Imperial.

  The following abbreviations have been used to save space. Displ: displacement; L: length; B: beam; D: draught; bhp: brake horsepower of an internal combustion engine; ihp: indicated horsepower of a reciprocating steam engine; shp: shaft horsepower of a turbine; VTE: vertical triple expansion reciprocating steam engine; QF: quick-firer; SB: smooth-bore muzzle-loader; MLR: muzzle-loading rifled gun; BL: breech-loading gun; LA: low-angle gun; HA: high-angle gun; DP: dual purpose HA/LA gun; AA: anti-aircraft gun; AT: anti-tank missile; MG: machine gun; HMG: heavy machine gun; manpad: shoulder-fired AA missile; SA or SAM: surface-to-air AA missile.

  For guns which are described as, for example ‘3in L/50’, the shell calibre is 3 inches and the barrel length is 50 times the diameter of the shell. A German Pak is an anti-tank gun, KwK is a tank gun, and FlaK is anti-aircraft. The Hotchkiss revolver cannon is a manually-operated five-barrelled gun firing explosive shells, in 37mm, 40mm, 47mm and 57mm calibres. The Hotchkiss 37mm QF comes in two different barrel lengths: the short Model 1885 which fires the same shell as the revolver cannon has no recoil mechanism. The ‘Pom-Pom’ is a Vickers Maxim heavy machine gun firing 37mm or 40mm explosive shells, so named for the distinctive sound it makes when firing.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  As the broad scale of this project began to open up before me, I was greatly encouraged in my initial research by Erwin Sieche and Andreas von Mach, who furnished invaluable help and advice on Austrian and Russian gunboats respectively, plus a large number of first-class illustrations, which kick-started my writing.

  As I began to diversify, I received much help from Michael Mallinson on Nile gunboats, Dan Sambra and Mugur Catalin Leonidaq, both experts on Romanian gunboats, and Grant Middlemiss, who has done such excellent research on New Zealand gunboats. Lately, I must mark my appreciation of the help given to me by John P Cann, with his knowledge of the Portuguese Brown Water Navy, Holger Kotthaus for sharing his expert advice on German colonial gunboats, and Gerhard Wicke for help with the Vistula Flotilla and other Austro-Hungarian items.

  So many experts and individuals have furnished me with advice and illustrations, and I must acknowledge my gratitude to the following: Jack of Brownwater for permission to use his Vietnam photos and colour illustrations; Martin Blundell for help with MLs in Burma; Richard E Bodmer for details of Clavero; Oded Breier of Israeli Shipyards for permission to use the photo of Shaldag; Richard Caie for kindly lending the illustration of gunboats at Omdurman; Colin Carlin for info and photos on the British steamers of Lake Tanganyika; Jeffrey Charles for his kind permission to use the photos of the Rhine Flotilla of 1918; Corrado Cherini for kind permission to use his illustrations of Italian gunboats; Jenny Clark of Bloomsbury Press for details of Melik; John Collins of Wivenhoe for details of gunboat El Fateh; Emily Dean of the Imperial War Museum, for the Burma Flotilla photos; Stéphane Gallois for his kind permission to use photos and drawings of French China and canal gunboats; Robert Gaytten for help with Mesopotamian gun rafts; Major George Geear for help with cottonclads; David Hathaway of Paper Shipwright for his card models, permission to reproduce the illustrations, and info on Rhein and Moselle; J J Heath-Caldwell, for permission to use the photo of HMS Miner; Richard Hide for his kind permission to use his photo of HMS Robin; John Hinchcliffe for help re Pamela and Una; Ian Huband of Holyhead Marine, for arrangement drawings of the RN ORC; Joanne Ichimura for help on sourcing the London Missionary Society files on the TSS Good News; Ken Joyce for help with MLs in Burma; Thomas Kean of Frontier Burma Newspaper, for help with the Burma MLs; Toni-Ann La Crette of the Royal United Services Institute, and Danielle Sellers of the Royal Engineers Museum, for searching for info on Gordon’s Hyson; Meriel Larken for help and advice re Yavari; Dan and Linda Libertino of the Igor I Sikorski Historical Archives, for providing illustrations of the ASPB prototype; Alan Ludbrook for the photos of his fine model of HMS Alecto; Vic Makau at Leeboards.com for advice on China Gunboat leeboards; Lieutenant Colonel Paul Malmassari for help with Indochina and the Danube; Nori Muster for his kind permission to reproduce the photo of the Sera Pinto; Trevor Muston for help with photos of the RN ORC; Milica Naumovic of the British Embassy Belgrade, for help with the Serbian River Flotilla; Paul Robinson for his kind permission to use details of the Rhine Flotilla of 1918; David M Sullivan, of Warship International; Gordon of Tramscape for help with PS Memnon; James Ferney Chavez Vargas of the Colombian Navy, for help and photos; François Vauvillier for his help with French canonnières; Conrad Waters for help with South America and for the photo of Serpukhov; Russell Wilson of Hong Kong for his excellent model photos; Lew Zerfas of Lews Model Boats for much kind help on ACW vessels.

  Last and not least, Andrew Choong of the Brass Foundry, Greenwich Maritime Museum, for his invaluable help, and Robert Gardiner, my ever-patient Editor.

  ACRE

  Armed Launch Independencia

  This small, ephemeral independent state came briefly into existence as a result of the so-called Acre War between Bolivia and Brazil. The First Acre Republic was declared on 14 July 1899, but the arrival of Brazilian warships at Puerto Alonso on 15 March 1900 put an end to the new Republic. This did not stop the mainly Brazilian residents of the area from rising in revolt against Bolivian rule and declaring the Second Republic of Acre in late 1900, during which the Bolivian armed launch
Rio Afuá carried supplies to Puerto Alonso. On 14 October 1902 the Rio Afuá was captured by the insurgents at Puerto Alonso and renamed Independencia. She was subsequently used by the rebels to transport tons of rubber to sell, in order to purchase arms and ammunition. The Third Republic of Acre was declared on 27 January 1903, which led the Bolivian President, General José Manuel Pandpo, to lead a Bolivian force to combat the Acreans. However, a diplomatic settlement was reached on 17 November 1903 which put an end to the fighting, and ceded the territory of Acre to Brazil. The Independencia, ex-Rio Afuá, became part of the Brazilian Navy.

  ANGOLA

  The following Portuguese patrol boats were transferred to Angola on independence in 1975:

  Antares;

  Bellatrix class P 366, P 368, P 377 and P 378;

  Júpiter class P 1134 – P 1137;

  Argos class P 361, P 362, P 372, P 374 – P 376, P 379, P 1130.

  For details, see PORTUGAL.

  Project 1400ME Zhuk

  On 23 January 1977 the Soviet Union transferred to Angola Grif No 35. The model transferred was armed with two twin 12.7mm HMG, and powered by two 1,000hp M-401BT diesel engines. For full details, see RUSSIA Part II.

  ARGENTINA

  Choele Choel

  The Argentine Navy recognised the need for gunboats to control its extensive river systems, and in 1869 it purchased the commercial screw steamer Maritiana/Transport for service on the Rio Negro (Black River), which runs for 342 miles (550km) inland from the sea. In October 1869 she was renamed Choele Choel.

  Choele Choel initially saw service on the Rio Negro, based at Carmen de Patagones. Then in November 1870 she sailed up the Ibicuy following the revolution of Lopez Jordan. After a minor collision with the Brazilian monitor Barroso at Asuncion in 1873, she transferred to the Upper Parana. 1875 found her patrolling the Upper Paraguay, and the next year she was laid up.

  Launched:

  Before 1869 by Fontana Hnos, of Boca del Richuelo.

  Dimensions:

  Displ: 65 tons; L: 25m/82ft; B: 5.9m/19ft 4in; D: 1.7m/5ft 7in.

  Crew:

  15–20.

  Power/Speed:

  Twin screws; coal- or wood-fired steam engine, 65ihp/4.5 knots.

  Guns/Armour:

  1 × 8-pounder bronze SB/5mm flat iron plates protecting the hull.

  Fate:

  Pontoon 1878; sold for scrap 1891.

  ARA Uruguay and Paraná

  Paraná and Uruguay were ordered from Lairds as part of President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento’s reinforcing of the Argentine Navy after the war with Paraguay. They were designed as seagoing vessels, but with relatively shallow draught in order to be used on the rivers of Argentina. To protect them in the event of grounding, their hulls were built of iron 1¼in (31mm) thick, sheathed in teak and finally covered in zinc plates.

  Paraná was delivered to Argentina by an English crew, being commissioned on 2 May 1874. The following September her crew joined the 1874 revolution, but after that failed, she was recovered by the Argentine Navy in the port of Maldonado, Uruguay. She was re-armed in 1879. Between 1885 and 1889, Paraná was employed on the Paraná, Uruguay and de la Plata rivers, and carried out hydrographic surveys. Modernised in 1894, she was sold in 1900, and became the merchant ship Piedrabuena. She was finally wrecked in 1926.

  ARA Paraná.

  Uruguay had a much longer and more varied career, and is still in existence as a museum ship at the time of writing. Completed in 1874, on her arrival in Argentina she was involved in the revolt of the students at the Naval Academy, then in 1875 she carried infantry up the Uruguay River to combat the rebel Lopez Jordan. Rearmed in 1880 and overhauled in England between 1884 and 1886, she divided her time between rescuing mariners in distress on the high seas and patrolling the Uruguay and Paraná Rivers. In 1893 and again in 1900 Uruguay was rearmed with modern Armstrong guns.

  Then in 1900 she was taken in hand and converted to an Antarctic rescue ship. Her sailing rig was cut down, she was reengined with part of the machinery salvaged from the wrecked destroyer Santa Fe, most of her guns were landed, her magazines were reloaded with explosives to blast a path through ice and with provisions to last a year, and, most significantly, her hull was stiffened by the insertion of eight new bulkheads. With a much-reduced crew of just twenty-seven, she sailed to rescue the survivors of the Swedish Nordenskjöld expedition, who she discovered in October 1903 marooned on Paulet Island and Snow Hill Island. The following year she supported a French Antarctic expedition, then was used on regular resupply runs to the base at Orcadas. Finally laid up in 1926, Uruguay was saved from scrapping, and is a museum ship at Puerto Madero.

  Launched:

  1873 by Laird Brothers, Birkenhead.

  Dimensions:

  Displ: 540 tons; L: 46.36m/152ft 1in; B: 7.62m/25ft; D: 3.35m/11ft.

  Crew:

  104 as gunboat/27 as Antarctic rescue ship.

  Power/Speed:

  Single screw; horizontal steam engine, 475ihp + 2,000ft2 (612m2) sail area/11 knots sail + steam, 6 knots steam only. Uruguay 1900: VTE steam engine, 1,850ihp/11 knots.

  Guns/Armour:

  4 × 7in BL on Vavasseur mountings; 1879/1880: 1 × 6in gun + 2 × 90mm. Uruguay: 1893: 2 × 4.7in. 1900: 2 × 4.7in + 4 × 3in. 1903: 4 × 3in; Disarmed.

  Fate:

  Paraná sold for merchant use 1900; Uruguay museum ship 2017.

  River monitors Los Andes on the left and La Plata on the right, seen in 1901. (Photo from Website www.histamar.org)

  Los Andes and La Plata

  Ordered by President Sarmiento in 1872, these two turret ships were intended as river monitors, due to nervousness about using low-freeboard turret ships at sea following the HMS Captain disaster. Nevertheless, they would spend most of their service lives on seagoing expeditions and as guardships in the various river mouths. But in late 1878 Los Andes was part of the squadron which sailed up the Santa Cruz River and landed troops. In the same year her sister was stationed in the Uruguay River. In 1893 in the Paraná River, Los Andes was seized by revolutionaries, and was being used to run weapons to Rosario, when she was ambushed by loyal warships and knocked out of action opposite Espinillo Island. In 1899 Los Andes was stationed in the Rio Santiago and the River Plate, and in 1902 carried out hydrographic surveys of the Plate. The following year La Plata carried out river patrols. Briefly reactivated during the Great War, from 1923 Los Andes remained derelict and was sold for scrap in March 1931. La Plata was discarded in 1927 and sold to commercial firm Laminación Curia S. R. L. Her hulk was still in existence in 1961.

  Interestingly, they had ballast tanks which could reduce their freeboard in combat by 6ft (1.83m) in forty-five minutes.

  Launched:

  1875 by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead.

  Dimensions:

  Displ: 1,677 tons; L: 55.68m/182ft 8in; B: 13.4m/43ft 11in; D: 3.5m/11ft 6in.

  Crew:

  126.

  Power/Speed:

  Twin screws; 2 × compound steam engines, total 1,500ihp/9 knots

  Guns/Armour:

  2 × 200-pounder/23 cal MLR/255mm turret; 160mm hull. 1883: 2 × 9.2in Armstrong BL; 2 × 3-pounder Armstrong QF; 4 × 37mm Hotchkiss QF.

  Fate:

  La Plata sold 1927; Los Andes sold 1931 and scrapped.

  Independencia and Libertad

  Libertad was originally laid down as 9 de Julio, but was rechristened when this name was given to a cruiser. These two interesting vessels were used as coast defence ships, but their original concept was described as that of ‘riverine battleships’, and they were deliberately given relatively shallow draught to enable them to patrol the river systems of Argentina or, as the report in The Engineer of 18 November 1892 states, ‘to go where the ordinary armoured vessel could not possibly follow’. Krupp 24cm main guns were chosen for their main armament, but the gun mountings were of Elswick design and manufacture. Both had a slight tumblehome amidships, which caused the secondary armament to be mounted on sponsons. Thi
s had the advantage of making the forward 4.7in guns able to fire directly ahead, and the rear pair directly astern.

  ARA Libertad in ‘as built’ condition. Note the open torpedo-launching aperture just forward of amidships. In later years she would lose her bow scrollwork and the lower of her fighting tops. An enclosed pilot house would be constructed on top of her conning tower. The above-water torpedo tubes would be removed, no doubt on US Navy advice following their removal from all American battleships for safety reasons when in combat with other armoured vessels. (Photo from Website www.histamar.org)

  Their introduction led to a great deal of interest, as they were well-armed and well-protected for their size. It would probably be more fitting to have described them as ‘pocket armoured cruisers’, but this type of description was still some three decades in the future when they appeared. Despite their designation, they spent very little of their seventy-year existence cruising the rivers of Argentina.