Spanish Broadside Ironclad (1868-1896) Zaragoza was a Royal Spanish Navy (Armada Real) wooden-hulled armored frigate ordered in 1860, built at the Royal Arsenal of Cartagena and completed in 1868. She had a relatively uneventful career after the 3rd Carlist War, being modernized in 1889. In 1892, she became a torpedo training ship, and was stricken … Read more
Spanish Broadside Ironclad (1865-1882) Arapiles was a Spanish broadside ironclad, wooden hulled armoured frigate built in England, launched in 1864 and in service until 1882. She was bought on the stocks, for the Spanish Navy, while being started at Green, Blackwall, London in June 1861 as an unarmored steam frigate. She was then purchased and … Read more
Spanish Broadside Ironclad (1864-1912) In its rapid expansion program, the Spanish Navy (Armada) chose to order it’s first ironclad in Britain. This was Vitoria (Victory), an iron-hulled armored frigate (single main artillery deck, secondary open deck) purchased in 1863. She took part on both sides in the Cantonal rebellion of 1873–1874, rebel first, and then … Read more
Spanish Broadside Ironclad (1863-1873) Tetuán was the first Spanish-built Ironclad, the second in service with the Armada (Spanish Navy), designed on French plans but built at Ferrol, and faster than her sister Numancia. Her career included the Cuban squadron, the Glorious revolution, and the Canton of Carthagena uprizing, the Naval Battle of Portmán in which … Read more
Spanish Broadside Ironclad (1862-1910) Numancia was a French-built Ironclad, the first “battleship” ever in service with the Armada. She had a fairly long career, and was rebuilt and rearmed four times. On 19 October 1873 she sank by accident the gunboat Fernando el Católico, in November 1902 protect Spanish citizens in Morocco, had a mutiny … Read more
