{"id":33797,"date":"2022-05-30T09:00:16","date_gmt":"2022-05-30T07:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naval-encyclopedia.com\/?p=33797"},"modified":"2022-05-30T09:00:16","modified_gmt":"2022-05-30T07:00:16","slug":"chilean-cruiser-chacabuco-1898","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbodesign.com\/ww1\/chile\/chacabuco-1898.php","title":{"rendered":"Chilean cruiser Chacabuco (1898)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n<\/a> Armada de Chile – 1897-1902<\/strong><\/div>\n

The longest-living cruiser of South America<\/h2>\n

Chacabuco was a 1890s British-designed protected cruiser by Philip Watts at Elswick in 1897, and a sister shp to the Japanese Takasago. She was modernized during WW2 and had a fairly long career until 1952. In fact she was still around in 1959, pending her fate.<\/p>\n

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Context: The Argentine-Chilean naval arms race<\/h3>\n

The Argentine\u2013Chilean naval arms race, was initiated by the Chileans in 1887, acquiring the battleship Capit\u00e1n Prat, and the protected cruisers Presidente Err\u00e1zuriz and Presidente Pinto. In the return Argentina ordered the Libertad and Independencia, and later the Veinticinco de Mayo and Nueve de Julio. <\/p>\n

Chile naturally could not rest idle, and 1892 ordered in UK one of the most formidable cruiser at the time, Blanco Encalada. In 1895, not to be undone, Argentina ordered ARA Buenos Aires, to what the Chilean answered with another, even more massive cruiser, the Esmeralda<\/strong>, and later Ministro Zenteno. <\/p>\n\n

Next Argentina went with four armored cruisers built in Italy, Garibaldi class<\/a>. To what Chile replicated in 1896 with O’Higgins<\/strong> and in 1901, with two further orders confirmed, Chile, ordered two battleships, which turned out to be the second-class Swiftsure class<\/a> Constituci\u00f3n and Libertad. <\/p>\n

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In the same move, they also ordered the protected cruiser Chacabuco<\/strong>. Eventually as Argentina was also to order two battleships, Great Britain came to the rescue and force a treaty between those nations. The strain on Chile has been enormous in particular, as its started o commit, like a gambler, its gold reserve to pay for new acquisitions. Eventually due to the tight links between UK and Chile, which was highly dependent for some deliveries, did not want to risk the country’s future economy and this resulted also in the cancellation of the two pre-dreadnoughts, which were taken over by the RN to combat the Russians in the far east. The treaty whi peut and end to the rivalry was signed on 28 May 1902<\/p>\n


Her sister ship IJN Takasago at Portsmouth<\/em><\/p>\n

At the end of this however, Chacabuco was completed as a sister-ship of the IJN Takasago, an export class cruiser of Sir Philip Whatt’s Elswick cruiser of 1896. Same design, with a balanced armament with two main 8-in guns and a serie of 4.7 in secondaries. <\/p>\n

She was launched on 4 July 1898 and was far too close to completion for cancellation at the signing of the agreement between Chile and Argentina, so she was completed and acquired in 1902, just before the treaty was applied.<\/p>\n


Chacabuco on 15 October 1902<\/em><\/p>\n

Name:<\/h3>\n

Chacabuco was named originally, and provisionally Fourth of July, was actually a battle in Feb. 12, 1817, securing Jos\u00e9 de San Mart\u00edn’s south patriots a decisive success against Spanish Royalists north of Santiago, Chile. It mostly secured the Independence of Chile, also after a campaign by Jos\u00e9 Miguel and Juan Jos\u00e9 Carrera on the one hand, and Bernardo O\u2019Higgins on the other. The latter became rightfully so an important warship name as well in the Chilean Navy.<\/p>\n

Design of the Chacabuco<\/h2>\n


Her sister ship Takasago on Brasseys<\/em><\/p>\n

Hull & main characteristics<\/h3>\n

Classic Watt’s design at Armstrong Whitworth with a forecastle and poop, main guns on these decks, and secondary guns at battery deck below, some on sponsons and under well design protective masks, just as the main guns. Forward bridge above the conning tower, military mast fore and aft with fighting tops and spotting platforms, two funnels heavenly spaced and small platform aft for redunncy plus quarterhouse. Both masts had limited rig for optional sails, never mounted. Projectors were also mounted either side of the main bridge platform wings. <\/p>\n

She carried small boats along the amidship flying bridge, along the funnels and eight air grates, vents and ducts. There was a single steam pinnace, a picket boat, two dingheys, two yawls. It could have been possible to have the 3-pounder guns dismounted and carried on board to cover landing parties, but no wheeled mount was provided for them. The anchors were three, fitted on sloped plates forward of the forecastle deck, one port and two starboard.<\/p>\n

Chacabuco entered service with the typical Victorian livery of 1898, black hull, upper deck white and superstructures in “sand canvas” (masts, funnels, bridges). The main guns shields were whote, as the gun shields. She had a golden-looking armories at the prow like most war vessels of the time. This was changed in overall white, and supestructure partly in dark grey in 1907-1908. Probably at the time of WW2, she had an overall medium grey livery, and still was painted that way after refit in WW2 and until the end of her career.<\/p>\n

Armor protection of the Chacabuco<\/h3>\n

It matched the caliber of her main guns, and concrned the belt, the armored deck, and some details of her battery decks and gun shields:<\/p>\n