USS Oneota (1864)

USS Oneota

USS "Oneota", a harbor and river monitor built at Cincinnati, Ohio, by Alex Swift & Co., and by the Niles Works, was launched 21 May 1864.

Completed shortly after the end of the American Civil War, on 10 June 1865, "Oneota" was laid up until sold to her builder, Alex Swift and Co., 13 April 1868, and illegally resold to Peru. The selling of the "Oneota" and her sister the "Catawba" violated a treaty the United States had signed with Spain. Though the sale was allowed to proceed Alex Swift and Co. had to pay fines the equalled nearly ⅓ of the total sale amount.

BAP Manco Cápac

The monitor served the Peruvian Navy as "Manco Cápac", named after Manco Cápac,the first king of the Kingdom of Cuzco which would grow into the Inca Empire.

In 1879, disagreements over nitrate-rich lands led Chile to go to war with Bolivia and Peru. The Chileans opened with a blockade of Iquique on 5 April by the ironclads "Almirante Cochrane" and "Blanco Encalada" along with unarmored warships. On 21 May, the Chileans prepared to attack the Peruvian fleet at Callao, but there they found only the monitors "Atahualpa" and "Manco Cápac"; the seagoing ironclads were missing. They turned up at Iquique the same day, scattering the Chilean wooden vessels left on guard there despite poor Peruvian gunnery. During the three day battle at Iquique, the "Manco Cápac" left Callao for Arica on 3 August, arriving four days later.

On 8 October 1879, the Chilean fleet caught the Peruvian ironclad "Huáscar" resulting Battle of Angamos Peninsula. The "Huáscar" was finally captured after being riddled by Chilean gunnery. Repaired and under Chilean command, on 27 February 1880 the "Huáscar" attacked the Peruvians at Arica, fighting an inconclusive duel with the "Manco Cápac". The Chilean fleet continued to bombard Arica until the army closed in on the city from the rear; the city fell in June 7th after a quick and short battle and the "Manco Cápac" was scuttled to prevent capture.Alden, John D., CDR USN "Monitors 'Round Cape Horn" "United States Naval Institute Proceedings" September 1974 pp.78-82]

The sunken hulk still exists and is mostly intact, was exactly located in 2007, lying 2 1/2 miles off shore and 100 feet deep according reports of University of Tarapaca in Arica, Chile. Besides there's a documentary of the same University about it.

Notes

References

External links

* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/oneota.htm navsource.org: USS "Oneota"]