Battle of Monte Santiago

Battle of Monte Santiago
Part of Argentina-Brazil War
Date April 7-8, 1827 Location Santiago coast, Argentina Result Brazilian victory
Belligerents
Empire of Brazil Brazilian Imperial Navy	Argentina Argentine Navy
Commanders and leaders
James Norton	William Brown
Strength
12 ships in the first day, 16 in the second 1 frigate 2 corvettes 8 brigs 7 schooners 2 boat 5 gunboat. 229 cannons	2 brigs 1 boat 1 schooner 63 cannons
Casualties and losses
2 brigs destroyed 1 brig and 1 schooners damaged 40+ dead and wounded	2 brigs sunk 1 schooner damaged 75 - 150 dead and wounded

The naval Battle of Monte Santiago was an important naval encounter during the Argentina-Brazil War (1825-1828).

While many of them were inconclusive, this battle proved to be a major loss for the Argentine Navy, and an important strategic victory for the Brazilian Navy. Despite the inequality of forces (the Brazilian fleet was four times bigger), the Imperial Navy lost twice as many ships as the Argentine Navy. The battle is hightlighted by Argentine historians as one of the most courageous and ferocious naval encounters in its history . On that day, Sgt. Mayor Francis Drummond (engaged to Admiral Brown's daughter Elisa) died heroically on deck, firing his marooned ship's cannons instead of retreating. As a result of the battle, the Navy of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata had to face very important losses and the Empire of Brazil consolidated Naval supremacy.

The Battle

While the Brazilian Imperial Navy of Brazil counted with high seas vessels, with more fire power but lesser speed, the Argentine Navy relied on fast maneuvering ships. Some Argentine commanders believed that the lack of maneuvering of the Imperial vessels in shallow waters and the speed of their own ships could decide some engagements in their favour.

The Argentine commander was confident that, by using the surprise element, the superior maneuvering of his ships could inflict damage to the enemy and that he could escape before the Imperial fleet was able to coordinate an effective counterattack.

Unfortunately for him, he was unaware of the enemy's initial three-to-one advantage in terms of ships on the first day of battle (which escaled into a four-to-one advantage by the second day). Brown also underestimated the Brazilian vessels' capacity to cut off any route of escaping in time. As a result, the battle was a two-day pouring of shells onto his men.

At the second day, the Brazilian vessel ´´Paula´´ opened fire at the brigantine ´´Independencia´´. The ´´Independencia´´ (that had lesser firepower) lost it´s masts, and to prevent the ship from sunking, twelve cannons were thrown overboard. As a consequence Francis Drummond, its Captain, was wounded by a sliver that cut his ear. At 4 pm Drummond didn´t had any more powder left, and had already fired his supply of three thousand rounds. Drummond managed to use anchor chains as amunition. By then he ordered to abandon ship, but the crew fiercely refused his command. Then Drummond, in order to resupply amunition, sailed in a lifeboat to the flagship ´´Republica´´. At that moment he was hit by 24 lbs cannonball that destroyed his pelvis and right leg and died.

The losses in this battle, along with the loss of the 25 de Mayo (Argentine major vessel) in the battle of Punta Lara-Quilmes (June 29-30, 1826), resulted in the dominance of the Brazilian Navy over the River Plate. Nevertheless, the heavy losses sustained by the Brazilians during these battles discouraged them to escale the naval war into the interior rivers of Argentina or to attempt a direct attack against Buenos Aires. However the Navy of the Provincias Unidas was almost fully destroyed and Brazil achieved Naval supremacy . As a result of the Battle of Monte Santiago, only skirmishes by corsaries could be undertaken by the Provincias Unidas since they were no longer able to deal at high seas with medium and large sized ships of the Brazilian Navy. Montevideo and Colonia, the two largest cities in the Banda Oriental, were still under control by the Empire of Brazil.

This situation would continue until the Preliminary Peace Convention, by which Oriental Province became the independent Western State of Uruguay.

Footnotes

References

External media

• Laurio H.Destefani, The Battle of Monte Santiago (in spanish).
• Brownian National Institute, Chronology of William Brown career (in spanish).

link

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