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The following is some basic information on the 2nd Class Spanish Gunboats. The author is searching for more information on these vessels, and would like verification of the facts as listed below. If you can in either of these items, please contact the website administrator, and he will put us in contact! We need your help!

There was a total of about forty 2nd Class Gunboats on the official Spanish Navy rolls, but only about 25 gunboats took an active part in the war.

"REAL DECRETO

En atencion a lo expuesto por el Ministro de Marina y de conformidad con el Consejo de Ministors:

En nombre de mi Augusto hijo el Rey D. Alfonso XIII, y como Reina Regente del reino,

Venego en decretar lo siguiente:

Articulo 1. Se aprueba el adjunto estado de nueva clasificacion de buques de la Armada.

CANONEROS DE SEGUNDA
LOS COMPRENDIDOS ENTRE 300 Y 100 TONELADAS."

Madrid, 18 de Agosto de 1895
El Ministro de Marina, Jose Maria de Beranger.

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The vessel was built for service in the Philippines. The details of her service are unknown, but she wa probably captured by Americans at Luzon, and added to the U.S. Navy rolls on May 5, 1899. ALBAY was decommissioned on February 13, 1904 at Cavite and sold on June 8, 1906.

The vessel was named for a volcano on the Camarines Peninsula, Philippines.

The vessel was an iron-hulled gunboat built for service off Spain. At the beginning of the Cuban Insurrection, she was transferred to Cuba. During the Spanish American War, she was located at Cienfuegos under the command of Commander Lt. Bruquetas. After the war she became part of the Cuban mercantile fleet which changed her name to TEREZA. Her fate is unknown.

The vessel was named for Francisco de Alsedo y Bustamante, who was the captain of the 84 gun vessel "Montañés" during the Battle of Trafalgar. 

The vessel was an wooden-hulled gunboat built in the U.S. during the First Cuban Insurrection as a gunboat for shoal actions. The funding for the vessel was half provided by the government, and half by contributions for Cuban people and businessmen loyal to Spain. She was dropped from the navy rolls in 1891. During the Spanish American War she was in very poor condition, completely breaking down in 1898.

The vessel was named for a river in Cuba.

The vessel was a steel-hulled gunboat built for service in Cuba. After her completion, she was sent to Santiago, Cuba. At the beginning of the Spanish American War, she took part in the mining of Santiago harbor. On the night of May16-17, 1898, she stopped repeated attempt of the USS WOMPATUCK to cut the telegraph cable between Santiago and Cienfuegos, although the WOMPATUCK finally prevailed. With the arrival of Admiral Cervera's squadron, ALVARADO took part in patrols at the entrance to Santiago harbor. On July 17, with the fall of Santiago to the Americans, ALVARADO was captured and on August 4 was placed under the command of Lt. Victor Blue. On AUgust 12, she took part in the battle against Mansanillo. She remained on the rolls of the U.S. Navy until June 1912.

The vessel was named for Spanish Conquistador Pedro de Alvarado (1485-1541), who led an expedition in Mexico and Guatemala. From 1527 to 1531, he served as governor of Central America.

The vessel was a steel-hulled gunboat built for service in the Philippines. During the Spanish American War, she served in Manila Bay. After the Battle of Manila Bay, she was taken into a shallow river, and was sunk on the Pasig River before the August 13 attack on Manila. She was raised in October 1899 and repaired at the cavite Naval yard. She was placed in commission by the Americans on August 10, 1900. She was decommissioned on April 11, 1910 and sold on December 15, 1910.

The vessel was named for a volcano and town in the Philippines.

The vessel was built for service in the Philippines. The details of her service are unknown, but she was probably captured by U.S. Army at Luzon, and was commissioned by the Americans on Jule 25, 1899.At this time, she was probably in very poor condition and was decommissioned not long later on August 7, 1902 at Cavite. She was sold at Cavite in 1907.

The vessel was named for an archipelago in the Philippines.

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Displacement	Dimensions	Horsepower	Speed	Range	Bunker capacity	Class
208 tons	36.30m x 5.34m x 1.98m	250	10 knots	1100 miles	32 tons	Samar

The vessel, built in 1888 in Cavite, Philippine Islands, had two shafts. Her armament consisted of one 87 mm/27cal breechloading gun and one 37mm/20cal. RV gun. She had a complement of  35 men.

The vessel was a steel-hulled gunboat built for service in the Philippines. At the beginning of the Spanish American War, she was serving in the vicinty of Luzon. On May 12, (eleven days after the Battle of Manila Bay) she entered Manila Bay and was captured by the USS RALEIGH. The vessel's crew had not known about the Battle of Manila Bay and was not aware that a state of war existed. She was then manned by men from Dewey's squadron and placed under the command of Lt. B. Tappan. She was commissioned on July 2, 1898 and took part in the August 13 attack on Manila, where she served on the left falnk of the U.S. Army. The army reported that her fire was very effective. After the conclusion of the Spanish American War, she saw service in the Philippine American War. She was sold for scrap in Manila on September 13, 1923.

The vessel was named for a city in Peru where, in 1866, the Spanish Mendez Nunez squadron volcano battled Peruvian coast artillery.

The vessel was a wooden-hulled vessel which was launched during the Second Carlist War. In the 1890's, she was re-equipped for hydrographic work. During the Spanish American War, she was in Cartagena. After the war, she was used for auxiliary services (such as an air vessel in the 1920's). She probably feel into complete disrepair in the 1930's

The vessel was named for the Spanish word for crocodile.

The vessel was an wooden-hulled gunboat built in the U.S. during the First Cuban Insurrection as a gunboat for shoal actions. The funding for the vessel was half provided by the government, and half by contributions for Cuban people and businessmen loyal to Spain. During the First Cuban Insurrection, the vessel was involved in a landing near Punta Tarquino in an attempt to sieze a small rebel camp in April, 1870. She was dropped from the navy rolls in 1897. During the Spanish American War she was present at Cienfuegos, under the command of Lt. Lahera. She in very poor condition, completely breaking down in 1898.

The vessel's name means "boatswain" in Spanish.

The vessel was an wooden-hulled gunboat built in the U.S. during the First Cuban Insurrection as a gunboat for shoal actions. The funding for the vessel was half provided by the government, and half by contributions for Cuban people and businessmen loyal to Spain. In 1890 she was refitted for use as a hydologic vessel. During the Spanish American War she was based in San Juan. She was sold for scrap on September 7, 1898.

The vessel's name means "Creole" in Spanish.

This wooden-hulled vessel was launched as a substitute for the gunboat RADIPO which exploded in February, 1870. Her engines were produced by John Ericsson's company. The funding for the vessel was half provided by the government, and half by contributions for Cuban people and businessmen loyal to Spain. She was basically a version of the ACTIVO-class gunboat built in Spain. The vessel was used for patrol and guard service around Cuba. During the Spanish American War, she was in very poor condition. Under the command of lt. Don Luis Pou, she took part in the battle at Mansanillo on June 30, 1898. During this action she damaged the USS HORNET, wounding three men. After the July 18 battle Mansanillo, she was dearmored and destroyed by her crew. She was dropped from the Spanish naval rolls on December 13, 1898.

The vessel's name means "Spanish Cuba" in Spanish.

This steel-hulled vessel , completed in 1896, was built for service in Cuba and transferred to Puerto-Rico. She took part in some ineefectual firing against the U.S. Navy's blockading vessels. After the war, she was left in the Caribbean to look after Spanish interest. In 1899, she was sold to Venezuela and renamed MIRANDA. The vessel was in service into the 1940's.

The vessel was named for Spanish conquistador Diego Velasques de Queliar (1464-1524) who conquered Cuba. From 1511 to 1524, he was general-governor of Cuba.

The vessel was an iron-hulled gunboat built for service off Spain. During the Spanish American War, she was stationed at Cartagena, Spain. She was struck from the Spanish Navy rolls in 1897.

The source of this vessel's name is unknown, but possibly she was given a common female Spanish name.

The vessel was a wooden-hulled gunboat specially built for use in shallow waters. She was first used as the royal yacht ISABEL II. After the Revolution of 1868 she was transferred to the Spanish Navy and armored as the the gunboat FERROLANO. The vessel took part in the Carlist War of 1872-1876, serving off Spain. She was struck from the navy rolls in 1897, and was in great disrepair in the early 1900's.

The vessel's name means "Ferrol born and bred" in Spanish.

The vessel was an wooden-hulled gunboat built in the U.S. during the First Cuban Insurrection as a gunboat for shoal actions. The funding for the vessel was half provided by the government, and half by contributions for Cuban people and businessmen loyal to Spain. In September, 1870, she aided in the defeat of a Rebel band in the Santa-Cruz province. She was dropped from the navy rolls in 1891. During the Spanish American War she was in very poor condition, completely breaking down about 1898.

The vessel was named for the Spanish word for "arrow."

The vessel was an wooden-hulled gunboat built for action on Cuban rivers. Some sources list her as being a paddle-wheeled gunboat, others list her as a screw vessel. She took an active part in the First Cuban Insurrection (1868-1878). At the beginning of the Second Cuban Insurrection, she was in poor condition. She was dropped from the navy rolls in 1897. She completely broke down about 1898.

The vessel was named for the Fradera (? - 1864), a Spanish officer  who was killed at Callao. This act triggered war between Spain, Chile and Peru.

The vessel was an wooden-hulled gunboat built in the U.S. during the First Cuban Insurrection as a gunboat for shoal actions. The funding for the vessel was half provided by the government, and half by contributions for Cuban people and businessmen loyal to Spain. She was dropped from the navy rolls in 1891. During the Spanish American War she was in very poor condition, completely breaking down about 1898.

The vessel was named for the Spanish word for "gazelle."

Mitiuckov, Nick, Naval Historian, Izhevsk, Russia (personal correspondence)

Libro "Astilleros Espanoles, 1872-1998", page 60.

Lledó Calabuig,  José  Buques de Vapor de la Armada Española 1834-1885 (Steam ships of Spanish Navy from 1834 to 1885) (Madrid, 1998, published by Agualarga Editores S.L.) (contributed by Francisco Jose Diaz Diaz).

Aguilera A. Buques de la Armada Espanola. (Madrid, 1967) 242.

"Some Spanish Warships Build at Clydebank,"  Warship International 1983., #4 P.424-425.

St Hubert Ch. "The early Spanish Steam Warships 1834-1870," Warship International  1983, #4. P.338-367; 1984. #1. P. 21-44.

St Hubert Ch., Zaforteza C.A. "The Spanish Navy of 1898" Warship International
1980. #1. P.39-60; 1980.  #2. P.110-120; 1981. # 3. P. 262-270.

The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

Ispaniya // Voennie Floty i Morskaya Spravochnaya Knizhka 1891. -S.330-348;
1894. - S. 279-300; 1897. - S. 393-452; 1899. - S. 337-412; 1901. - S. 565-579.

Libro "Astilleros Espanoles, 1872-1998", page 60.

Valdiveso Mario, Naval Historian, El Ferrol, Spain (personal correspondence)

Anca Alejandro, Naval Historian, Madrid, Spain (personal correspondence)

Poncet Jose, Naval Historian, Subig, Spain (personal correspondence)

Diaz Fransico Jose, Naval Historian, Leon, Spain (personal correspondence)

Von Mach Andreas, Naval Historian, Indersdorf, Germany (personal correspondence)