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Construcition and founding
The Nueva España torpedo gunboat belonging to the Temerario class was a ship of the Spanish Navy paid for in most of its amount with the contributions of the Spanish colony of Mexico, grouped for that purpose in the Spanish Patriotic Board, which requested in return from the government that it was named as New Spain in homage to the place of residence of the donors (Mexico, former Viceroyalty of New Spain).
Desing
It had a spur prow, a whalebone castle, the stern of a yacht, and it carried two masts with their crab beaks. With a steel hull and twenty watertight compartments, it was built at the request of the Spanish Patriotic Board by the Arsenal de la Carraca in Cádiz. The name of Veloz, the first with which it was called, was changed to that of New Spain by Royal Order of April 2, 1889. Its keel was laid on December 1, 1887 and launched on November 8, 1889.
She used a Weis still to feed her four direct-fired boilers, two cylindrical aft, for economical speed navigation, and two locomotive-type forward, for high speed.
The interior electric lighting consisted of 35 incandescent lamps with 10 candles, two with 500 on the sides and a Magín projector installed in the bow. The coal bunkers, in the form of a waist around and on the boilers and machines, served as protection for them. As bilge means, it had seven ejectors, six steam pumps and two double centrifuges for circulation that could take water from the bilge, which together could drain 1,400 tons of water per hour.
The Nueva España was equipped with a store of food for 45 days, cisterns with water for a month, a distiller for fresh and mixed water, a servomotor for steering the rudder, and a double-action steam and hand winch. Its total cost was two and a half million pesetas
War use
He participated in the Spanish-American War. The intensive use that was made of it and the lack of adequate maintenance, due to the economic needs of Spain, would mean that at the beginning of the contest its speed would have been considerably reduced.
Under the command of First Class Lieutenant Eduardo Capelastegui, the Nueva España took part in the two sorties from Havana against the blockade forces:
On April 25, 1898, along with two other gun-torpedo boats, he made a short reconnaissance sortie, causing the blockadeers to keep two monitors, four small cruisers, five auxiliary gun boats, a torpedo boat, and a warning in front of the port shortly after. far superior to the blocked one in number and power.
On May 14, 1898, after reducing the blockade squadron to two cruisers and four auxiliary gunboats, the departure of the cruiser Conde de Venadito and the gun-torpedo boat Nueva España was ordered. The Spanish ships left more than 13 km from the port, firing on the United States ships, which withdrew, avoiding combat. At night the two ships returned to port; the next day the blockading ships rose to ten. There were no casualties or damage to either side.
On June 10, 1898, with nine US Navy ships positioned in front of the port of Havana, the Spanish ships left again. This time the Spanish force was made up of the cruiser Conde de Venadito, the torpedo gunboats Nueva España and Vicente Yáñez Pinzón, and the gunboat Flecha. Under the command of the Chief of Staff of the Antilles Squadron, Captain José Marenco y Walter, the Spanish ships tried to attract their enemies within the range of action of the coastal batteries. But the American ships shied away from combat, contenting themselves with firing at long range. Only one light shell hit the Finch in the hull, causing no damage.
After the war, the Treaty of Paris was signed, which in Article V stated: “[…] Flags and banners, uncaptured warships, portable weapons, cannons of all calibres… will be the property of Spain…”. For this article he
Postwar
On 1900, by Decree of May 18 of the Ministry of the Navy, the situation of the Navy ships at that time was technically described and 25 units were decommissioned as they were considered ineffective. Regarding New Spain:
“The Infanta Isabel, also without any military value, is suitable for the service of the Canary Islands, the Gold Coast and the possessions of Guinea (ecuatorial), and its conservation, while there is no other of military efficiency, seems inescapable. Similar considerations advise conserving Nueva España, a generous donation from our brothers in Mexico.”
Repatriated after the armistice, his torpedo armament was withdrawn, in addition to disembarking the 120 mm guns in 1904, leaving him with an armament of quick-firing Nordenfelt pieces: two 57 mm, four 42 mm and one 11 mm machine gun. Its main scene of service was the Catalan and Majorcan waters, until it was decommissioned on January 20, 1914.
started December 1, 1887
Launched November 8, 1889
Assigned 1900
low 1914
Destination
• Merchant since 1918
• scrapped in 1928
General characteristics
Displacement 630 t
Length 58.00 m between perpendiculars
Beam 7.00 m
Draft 3.63 m
Rigging 410.5 m² of sails.
Armament
• 2 González Hontoria 120 mm cannons
• 4 Nordenfelt 57 mm guns
• 1 Nordenfelt 11 mm machine gun
• 2 torpedo tubes fixed to the bow
Later the torpedo tubes were removed it will keep 1 Nordenfelt 11 mm machine gun, 4 Nordenfelt 47mm and 2 rapid fire Nordenfelt 57 mm guns
Propulsion • 2 Griffith propellers
• 2 twin vertical triple expansion machines R. Napier & Sons
Power 2600 Cv indicated
speed 20 knots
Range 4300 nautical miles
Crew 80
Merchant ship and end
It was sold in May of the following year to the Basque shipping companies Artaza and Barandiarán, from Bilbao, and after undergoing a transformation in Santander in 1917. On June 8, 1918, the Nueva España carried out its tests under the name Presen, owned by the Itxaso shipping company, with 383 registered tons and 520 cargo and a single propeller, the name under which it sailed as a coastal collier until it was scrapped in 1928.
Sources
https://www.todoavante.es/index.php?title=Nueva_Espana_(1891)