Argentina issued a $4.50 stamp in 2014 for the 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Montevideo, the stamp is designed after part of a painting by the Italian painter Eduardo de Martino a member of the General Staff of the Argentinian Navy. The stamp shows the pursuit of the Argentinian vessel HÉRCULES http://www.shipstamps.co.uk/forum/viewt ... ules#p8834 and the Spanish MERCURIO off Montevideo, and a portrait of Admiral G. Brown.
MERCURIO: Built as a wooden corvette on a yard in Cartagena, Spain for the Spanish Armada.
23 December 1802 launched as the MERCURIO. She was the first ship in the Spanish Navy under that name.
Tonnage 200 ton (bm), deadweight 426.6 ton, dim. 32 x 5.8 x 4.9m. Length of keel 27.4m.
Armament 22 – 9 pdrs. 12 – 12 pdrs. guns in 1814.
Crew 35-100 in 1814 180 men.
After completed sailed to South America, and on patrol off Rio de la Plata on 31 August 1803, she made several voyages under the command of Francisco Salazar and Lieutenant Alejo Gutiérrez Rubalcaba till October 1804 was she under the command of Francisco Pérez de Grandallana.
After the outbreak of the war between England and Spain and the blockade of Ferrol, Spain by the English navy, she was prevented from sailing back to Spain. At that time she was stationed at Callao, Peru.
August 1805 the MERCURIO joined the squadron of Admiral Gravina and on the 10th of that month left port with the squadron.
20 August the squadron arrived at Cadiz, where she was decommissioned, and the crew joined the SAN JUSTO.
08 November 1808 commissioned again under command of Lieutenant José Primo de Rivera, she transported supplies to the Mediterranean coast.
09 July 1809 she sailed from Spain with on board the Ambassador Marquis de Casa Irujo bound for Montevideo where she arrived on 24 September 1809.
On her return voyage to Cadiz during a storm she was heavily damaged when sailing in the Bay of Biscay between 6 and 8 March 1810.
24 May 1810 sailed again for Montevideo where she arrived on 5 August of that year, she took part in the first blockade of Buenos Aires in September 1810 as flagship of a squadron of 8 Spanish ships.
During the blockade the commander of the MERCURIO had a serious incident with Capt. Robert Ramsay of the small Royal Navy schooner HMS MISTLETOE (8 – 12 pdr, carronades) who unlike his predecessor as head of the naval station in Argentina at the Rio Plata, Commodore Robert Elliot sympathized with the revolutionary and opposed to the government of Montevideo recognized the right of the blockade.
11 October 1810 two British brigs were stopped by the blockading fleet. Captain Rober Ramsay summoned to return the two ships within an hour.
Lieutenant José Primo de Rivera told Ramsay that only one of its guns was enough to blow Captain Ramsey and the MISTLETOE out of the water. Ramsay said he was well aware that the MISTLETOE would with certainty be sunk in an hour but he still would attack the MERCURIO.
José Primo de Rivera released the ships and Ramsay arrived in triumph at Buenos Aires.
After the humiliation Rivera was released of his command as flag commander and Jacinto de Romarate took over the command of the squadron.
21 October 1811 Primo de Rivera left the MERCURIO on sick leave till 02 January 1812, after his return on board MERCURIO, she was again used to blockade the rebel capital Buenos Aires.
05 March 1813 the MERCURIO left for Lima and returned on 28 February 1814 at Montevideo with on board 300,000 Pesos, 1000 pounds of gunpowder, 4 culverins and other supplies for the support of the royalist stronghold.
Initiated the Naval Campaign of 1814, the fleet of the United Provinces of the River Plate under command of Admiral Brown defeated the Spanish squadron under Jacinto de Romarate in the Battle of Martin Garcia, the Spanish fleet retreated to the Uruguay River. Trapped inside the river the squadron could only receive stores from the forces of José Gervasio Artigas in Montevideo.
Primo de Rivera facing the Admiralty Board was ordered to sail with a squadron from Montevideo with supplies, he was not allowed to fight against ships of Admiral Brown and he sailed a northwest course, when he received news of the presence of Admiral Brown ships he did not dare to continue despite that the ships of Romarate were only 30 miles from Martin Garcia.
He also was thinking that the draught of his ships prevented him from entering the river, and rumours reached him that two new frigates were fitted out in Buenos Aires, (which was false). Primo de Rivera sent Romarate only one barge with supplies and he and his ships returned to Montevideo, where he arrived on 25 March eight days after his sailing from that port, he moored his ships in a quiet place in the harbour at Bano de los Padres to avoid the wrath of the people of Montevideo.
In early April on board the MERCURIO the negotiations opened between Members of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, which were unsuccessful.
14 May 1814 under command of Captain Miguel de la Sierra and crewed by 180 men the MERCURIO joined the Royalist squadron which was commanded by Pedro Hurtado de Corcuera.
The squadron sailed out for the revolutionary squadron of Admiral Brown which blockaded the bay. Brown pretended to flee their opponents and sailed out of the bay.
The MERCURIO sailed in front of the squadron, and when Admiral Brown ordered his ship to turn and attack the Royalist squadron the MERCURIO faced the HERCULES, the battle took about a half hour when calm prevented the operations. One the 15th the Royalist squadron retreated towards Montevideo and on the dawn of the 16th the MERCURIO was the first ship to reach the safe harbour pursued by the HERCULES. The HERCULES sailed inside the bay under Spanish flags to outwit the shore batteries, and fired a 21 gun salute in front of the population to claim a victory and fired a broadside at the MERCURIO where after she sailed out of the bay.
The Royalist squadron complete defeated, soon the Royalist army started talks with Buenos Aires which began on 20 June and surrender was accepted by the commander of the army Carlos Maria de Alvear. Among other things the MERCURIO was allowed to sail from Montevideo with on board the Governor Gaspar de Vigodet and escorting a convoy of transports back to Spain.
But conditions were ignore by Alvaer and the Royalist ships were taken a few days later when still at Montevideo.
The corvette MERCURIO was captured.
First used to transport military and naval equipment from Montevideo to Buenos Aires and manned by a Creole crew.
October and November of 1814 she was commanded by Santiago King and in December by Antonio Lamarca.
By the end of 1814 she was careened and the equipment on board was in a good state, but in spite of this she was almost disarmed and crewed by only six sailors early 1815 at Riachuelo de Barracas.
1816 Only a crew of 5 men, and probably the same year sold, where after she was used as a prison pontoon in front of Buenos Aires.
Her fate not known.
Argentina 2014 $4.50 sg?, scott? (MERCURIO on the left the HERCULÉS on the right of the stamp.)
Sources:
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercurio_(1802) http://oceania.pbworks.com/w/page/84493 ... curio-1814