Santisma Trinidad

The full index of our ship stamp archive
Post Reply
shipstamps
Posts: 0
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 8:12 pm

Santisma Trinidad

Post by shipstamps » Mon Sep 08, 2008 7:14 am


Argentine issued a 25c on 17 May 1972 for Navy Day, which depict the brigantine La SANTISIMA TRINIDAD.
She was possible locally constructed at Corrientes, Argentine (the capital of the province of Corrientes) as a “sumaca”, the book from Aak to Zumbra gives of this type:
Small roughly built flat-bottomed coaster peculiar to the Rio de la Plata Estuary, but also used along the east coast of South America in the 18th and early 19th centuries. In the later period served as a “corsair” of the Spanish and Argentineans.
Set square foresails, gaff mainsail and gaff topsail; multiple headsails to bowsprit and jibboom.
1803 When she was seemingly new she was the property of D. Ángel Fernández Blanco, the Major of Corrientes.
In the chronicle of that time she is mostly given in abbreviated form as TRINIDAD.
Early 1914 he sold her to D. Juan Thwites for 9.000 pesos, who resold her via Mr White on 29 January 1814 to the Argentinean State for 15.370 peso and 4½ real.
After she was bought by the Argentinean Government refitted in a warship.
Joined the Argentinean Navy under the name La SANTISIMA TRINIDAD the first vessel under that name in the Argentinean Navy.
Tonnage 162 ton, dim. 30 x 8.30 x 3m., draught 1.80m.
Armament: 2 – 24pdrs., 8 – 6pdr., 4 – 4pdr. guns. Crew 58 other sources 130. Sumaca rig.
By 1814 the Argentinean war of liberation against Spain was in full swing, and the naval campaign conducted by Admiral Guillermo Brown in the River Plate in 1814 resulted in the defeat of the Spanish fleet in two or three decisive combats.
The SANTISIMA TRINIDAD joined the squadron of Brown, with No 9 and under command of D. Thomás Nother.
24 March 1814 sailed out as flagship of a second squadron, in which also where the CARMEN, FORTUNA, AMERICANA and the falucho SAN MIGUEL in search on the river Uruguay for the Spanish fleet.
The Spanish naval fleet in the Plate River consisted of the brigs BELEN and ARANZANU, the sumaca GALVEZ, the sloop MURCIANA and the gunboats PERLA, SAN RAMÓN, LIMA and AMERICANA, besides some smaller crafts, under overall command of the Spanish Capt. Jacinto de Romarate.
28 March he finds Nother and his squadron around noon, in the mouth of the Arroyo de la China.
Romarate got the support of some shore batteries, and soon after noon the battle started, by heavy fire from both sides. The TRININDAD got beached and comes under heavy gunfire, which killed Nother.
Command was taken over by D.M.Smith, who also got severely wounded, then the command is taken over by Angel Hubac, he also got wounded and is replaced by Bartolomé Cerretti.
Cerretti got wounded and command was taken over by the sub-lieutenant Jorge assisted by the surgeon assistant and Leonardo Rosales. With sixty men killed and wounded she got off and retreated to safety.
The CARMEN was blown up killing her commander Spiro, while the other patriot’s ships got a severe punishment which inflicted heavy damage.
When the SANTISIMA TRINIDAD returned in Barracas (a district of Buenos Aires) under tow, it is a hull complete dismasted and without any rigging.
Repair takes immediately place under supervision of D. Thomás Aueler
June 1814 after repair she joined again the squadron, still under command of Hubac, and the squadron took revenge of the lost battle in the mouth of Arroyo de la China, when the squadron captured the squadron of Captain Romarate, by the capture and surrender of Montevideo.
1814 After peace returned to the La Plate River, the SANTISIMA TRINIDAD kept in navy service under command of Hubac. Thereafter she made several trips between Buenos Aires and Montevideo repatriating troops and transporting war material, mostly naval, captured in Montevideo.
January 1815 she made one voyage to Concepción del Uruguay transporting troops of the Argentinean army to that port, to make that port a rampart against the fighting of the “caudillos del Litoral” (politic and military (strongmen) leaders of the n.e. Provinces.) Thereafter she is a unit of the Liberator (Freedom) Squadron under command of Hubac.
April 1815 as flagship of the Squadron Libertadora, when General D Carlos Maria de Alvear was named acting Supreme Director of the United Provinces of Rio de la Plata, butt he was quickly deposed when he attempted to become a dictator.
The squadron operated from out Martin Garcia against the rebellious troops of Alvear.
14 April Dr. Ignacio Alvarez Thomas the new Supreme Director ordered commander Hubac that the navel forces under his control had to capture the troops and ships under control of Alvear.
19 April she received orders to return to Buenos Aires when D.Carlos Maria Alvear had escaped, protected by the British consul, and after General Viamonte had taken over command of the army.
After arrival at Buenos Aires she was refitted most probably in Ensenada of Barragán and made ready for an other voyage. (more a privateer voyage)
Between October 1815 and the beginning of the new voyage took part in manoeuvres under command of Capt. or D. Bartolomé Cerreti.
She was now brig rigged and armed with 4 – 18pdrs., 4 carronades, two of 32pdrs. and two of 24pdr.
02 September 1815 registered not official an owner given but most probably Brown and others.
15 September 1815 sailed from Buenos Aires under command of Miguel D. Brown (a brother of Admiral Brown), together with frigate HERCULES under command of Guillermo Brown.
Schooner CONSTITUCION and the HALCON followed five days later, the plan was to rendezvous at Mocha Island. She rounded Cape Horn and arrived at Mocha Island 28th December, the HALCON one day later. From the CONSTITUCION noting was heard and till today not anything of the schooner or her crew has been found. Then she set course for the coast of Peru, and took part in the capture of the Spanish frigates GOBERNADORA and CONSECUENCIA.
She arrived together with the HALCON, on 10 January 1816 off Callao, Peru; the HERCULES met the other two vessels near Forte El Callao, where after she attacked Callao.
29 January 1816 Admiral Brown takes command of the SANTISIMA TRININDAD, and he left with her the squadron for an attack on Guayaquil.
08 February Brown attacked fort Punta de Piedras, the attack was successful the fort was demolished. She captured the schooner CARMEN.
09 February 1816 the next attack was not so successful when she was captured by Spanish forces, when she attacked fort Elizalde and the castle of San Carlos, during the attack she grounded when the ebb tide quickly falls. Not any help could be given by the CONSEQUENCE with on board a prize crew and the CARMEN due to the shallow waters she were prevented to give any help.
Admiral Brown and his crew were captured. After lengthy negotiations Brown and his crew were released for the return of the captured frigate CANDELARIA and GOBERNADORA, three brigantines and some captured looting.
Admiral Brown and his crew return to the HERCULES and the other ships of the squadron, the SANTISIMA TRINIDAD was abandoned.
1819 The SANTISIMA TRININDAD was refloated by the inhabitants of Guayaquil, first they bring her to Callao and then to Valparaiso, where according oral tradition, she ended her days in the fight for freedom in the Pacific.
Sg 1400. Scott 975.
Auke Palmhof

Info received via Mr Mario Rosner.

Post Reply