Endgame Fortress of Humaitá



a brazilian flag flies on watchtower of captured humaitá. on right brazilian ironclad moored river bank. (from soldier s photographic album preserved @ national library of brazil.)



the endgame: allies close round humaitá. took allies more 2 years go 7 leagues invasion point @ 1 fall of fortress @ 2 . note scale on map 10 miles. (base map sketched commander a.j. kennedy, r.n.)


on 19 february 1868 when river unusually high 6 brazilian ironclad vessels ordered dash past humaitá during hours of darkness, did no great difficulty because chain boom anyway lying in river bed. paraguayans stopped resupplying humaitá river , starved out. fortress captured in siege of humaitá, operation culminated on 5 august 1868. razed pursuant treaty of triple alliance. decisive year of paraguayan war.








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