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The following is some basic information on the Spanish Torpedo boats. 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!

In the era of the Spanish-American War, Spain had a larger torpedoboat force than the United States. The Spanish Naval Staff had been following the growth and evolution in the field of torpedo boat construction very attentively. As a result, the Spanish Navy had a unique collection of vessels of this class by the time of the war.

At the large naval maneuvers of 1887-88, it was found that the Spanish torpedo boats were not in combat condition. The technical condition of all of the vessels was poor. Only one, the BARCELO was able to reach its designed maximum speed. However, in spite of what they saw at the maneuvers, the Spanish Navy did not make improvements and during the next ten years leading up to the Spanish American War the situation did not improve. The crews of the torpedo boats were not well-trained, and the vessels themselves had continued to decline. By 1898, none of the Spanish torpedo boats were capable of going into action. At the beginning of  the Spanish American War  only two torpedo boats were assigned to the Reserve Squadron (ORION and RETAMOSA), but they did not take part in the expedition to try to relieve the Philippine.

The "Real Decreto de 29 Octubre 1890" divided all torpedo boats between the various naval stations.

The Cadiz Naval Region received the following: RETAMOSA,ORION, HABANA, and BARCELO. The El Ferrol Naval Region received the EJERCITO. The Cartagena Naval Region received the RIGEL, ACEVEDO, and ORDONES.

"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.

TERPEDEROS DE SEGUNDA LOS DE COSTA Y PUERTO INFERIORES A 100 TONELADAS."

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

Click here for a profile of the RIGEL
 

Displacement	Dimensions	Horsepower	Speed	Range	Bunker capacity	Class
57 tons	32m x 3.75m x 1.0/2.4m	700	19 knots	500 miles	13 tons

The vessel, built in 1883 by Aktien Gessellschaft, Veser (Germany, near Bremen), had one shaft. Her armament consisted of one 42mm/42cal RV, two 356 Torpedo tubes with four torpedoes. The vessel  breechloading gun and 2 machine gun. She had a crew of  18 men.

The RIGEL was based on the German SCHUTZE-class torpedoboat. The vessel had a very comfortable state-room for crew (in contrast to the other torpedoboats of this period.). She had an armoured conning tower. Her main armarment were bronze torpedo of the Schwartzcopf-class, that were antiquated for this times. The RIGEL travelled without assistance from Germany to La Coruna. By the middle of the 1890's, RIGAL was assigned to the Naval School of Cartagena. She was dropped from the navy rolls in 1900.

She was named for a star in the Orion Constellation.

There is no more information available on this vessel. She was probably an experimental vessel and didn't appear on the Navy rolls.

Click here for a profile and image of the ORDONEZ!
 

Displacement	Dimensions	Horsepower	Speed	Range	Bunker capacity	Class
66 tons	35.87m x 3.84m x 1.67m	660	20 knots	500 miles	20 tons	Acevedo

These vessels were launched in 1885 by Thorncroft, in England and had one shaft. Their armament consisted of two 25mm/42 cal. RV, and two 356 torpedo tubes. They had a crew of 18 men.

The two vessels of this class were ACEVEDO (later named #7, and later yet, # 43) and
JULIAN ORDONEZ (later named # 6, and later yet, # 44). By 1908-1910, neither had any combat capability. In 1910, they were dropped from the navy rolls, and were scrapped in 1919.

The vessels were named for Julian Ordonez and Acevedo, who were, respectively, a major lieutenant and a boatswain in the Spanish Navy, and who were killed on January 20, 1878 at Cavite during a Filipino rebellion.

Click here for a profile of the RETAMOSA
 

Displacement	Dimensions	Horsepower	Speed	Range	Bunker capacity	Class
70 tons	35.66m x 3.84m x 1.55m	700	20.25 knots	350miles	15 tons

The vessel was launched in 1885 by Yarrow, in England. Her armament consisted of two 25mm/43 cal RV, and two 356 torpedo tubes, with four torpedo tubes. She had a crew of 17 men.

She was dropped from the navy rolls in 1900.

The vessel was named for a Spanish naval captain with a successful career against the Barbary pirates in the Mediterranean.

Click here to see an image of the ORION!
 

Displacement	Dimensions	Horsepower	Speed	Range	Bunker capacity	Class
88 tons	37.70m x 4.78m x 2.04m	1000	20 knots	2000 miles	16 tons

The vessel, launched on November 24, 1885 by Germania-Werf of Kiel, Germany, had one shaft. Her armament consisted of two 25 mm/42cal RV, and two 356 torpedo tubes with four torpedoes. She had a crew of 18 men.

The vessel was later renamed #5 and then #42. She had a long beam and, as a result, had good seagoing capabilities, as was found during her passage from Kiel to Ferrol it the winter of 1886. In 1907, the vessel was reboilered (new boilers of Yarrow-system), but in 1908 she was determined to have no combat capability. She was dropped from the navy rolls in 1914.

The vessel was named for a hero of Greek mythology.

Click here to see an image and profile of BARCELO!
 

Displacement	Dimensions	Horsepower	Speed	Range	Bunker capacity	Class
65 tons	38.40m x 3.32m x 1.19m	800	20 knots	1200 miles	25 tons	Barcelo

BARCELO was was launched by Normand of Le Havre, France in 1886. BUSTAMENTE, based on the Normand design was produced in Spain in 1887. The armament of these vessels consisted of two 25mm/42 cal RV (BARCELO) or two 42mm/42 cal RV (BUSTAMENTE), with two 356 torpedo tubes with four torpedoes. They had a crew of  18 men.

The BARCELO was renamed #9. BUSTAMENTE's career is not known. Since they were built in France, the two vessels had an unusual silhouette: both funnels were asymmetrical, dismissal to starboard. The vessels left the navy rolls in 1912.

BARCELO was named for a Spanish naval captain with a successful record against the Barbary pirates.

Click here to see an image and profile of this vessel!
 

Displacement	Dimensions	Horsepower	Speed	Range	Bunker capacity	Class
67 tons	38.89m x 3.84m x 1.55m	780	24.5 knots	3000 miles	15 tons

The vessel, launched in 1886 by Thorncroft in England, had one shaft. Her armament consisted of one 25 mm/42cal RV and two 356 torpedo tubes. She had a crew of  17 men.

The vessel was built from funds raised by subscription from the public and was based on British class torpedoboats # 41-60. Later HABANA was renamed  # 8, an then #45. By 1910, she ws determined to have no combat capability, was struck from the navy rolls in 1918.

The vessel was named for the capital of Cuba. .

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Displacement	Dimensions	Horsepower	Speed	Range	Bunker capacity	Class
60 tons	33.98m x 3.96m x 1.00m	1000	25 knots	? miles	15 tons

The vessel, launched on November 30, 1888 by Gil y Cia (La Grana, near El Ferrol, Spain) in 1875, had one shaft. Her armament consisted of two 42mm/42 cal RV, and two 356 torpedo tubes. She had a crew of  17 men.

The vessel was built under an initiative of Madrid's Army Society (this is reason for the vessel's name).Her design was based on a German design but was built in Spain since the cost was less (about 200000 pesetas, versust 300000 pesetas). However, the ship had very bad performance levels, and Spain refused to continue the building of any other similar ships.

EJERCITO was designed to make 25 knots, but in her trials only reached 18 knots. Here speed was generally less than this. She was dropped from the navy rolls in 1900. Her boilers were removed and reused in the gunboat CONDOR

The vessel was named for the word "army" in Spanish.

Click here to see a plan and profile of the ARIETE!
 

Displacement	Dimensions	Horsepower	Speed	Range	Bunker capacity	Class
97 tons	45m long	800	26 knots	1500 miles	35 tons	Rayo

The vessel was constructed by Thornycroft (England) in 1887. She carried two torpedo tubes, and two bow machine guns. The vessel had two boilers with asymmetric chimneys located which were not located on the main axis of the ship, but towards the sides. The ship's speed was a record for in its day. She had a crew of 25

Click here to see a plan and profile of the AZOR!
 

Displacement	Dimensions	Horsepower	Speed	Range	Bunker capacity	Class
108 tons	45m long	1600	24 knots	1400 miles	25 tons	Azor

The vessel was constructed by Yarrow - Inglaterra in 1887. She carried three torpedo tubes (two in the bow, and one in the stern) and two machine guns. She carried locomotive boilers which had their funnels were adjacent to each other. The ship was divided into 10 watertight compartments. These were among the first Spanish torpedo boats with good facilities for the crew. She had a crew of 23.

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

FOCK's Schwartze Gesellan,

CONWAY's All the World's Fighting Ships, Vol 1 and 2.

AGUILERA's Buques de la Armada Espanola.

Voennie floty i morskaya spravochnaya knizhka. Under edition of

 His Emperor Highness, Great Kniaz Alexander Mikhailovich.

(Information on the AZOR Class and the RAYO Class provided by Luis Diaz)