River batteries Fortress of Humaitá

1 river batteries

1.1 preliminary batteries
1.2 batería londres
1.3 batería cadenas

river batteries

the londres battery of humaitá fortifications. although image e.c. jourdan of brazilian engineering corps has become iconic, shows in state of part dismantlement. in reality embrasures protected heaped earth.



batteries of fortress of humaitá according e.c. jourdan (1871) of brazilian corps of engineers.

an invading force, if steaming around bend upriver, have pass 8 fixed batteries, capable of concentrating fire on reentrant angle. furthermore shipping within range of heavy guns before arriving @ bend, , after it.

the batteries variously named in sources, , number of guns may not have been constant.

preliminary batteries

first invading force had pass humaitá redoubt, armed single 8 inch (20 cm calibre) gun.

it must pass itapirú (seven guns); pesada [heavy] (five guns), partly revetted brick; octava or madame lynch (three guns en barbette); coimbra (eight guns); , tacuarí (three guns).

the batería londres

next, invading flotilla must pass batería londres (so called because of técnicos in paraguay recruited limehouse, london, firm of j. & a. blyth). walls 8.2 metres (27 ft) thick. supposed rendered bomb-proof layers of earth heaped upon brick arches, , there embrasures 16 guns. of these ports said burton 8 walled , converted workshops, because artillerymen in hourly dread of caving in , crumbling down.

the batería cadenas

as climax invading force come alongside bateria cadenas (chain battery, protected chain boom), backed artillery barracks. according survey brazilian engineering corps battery had 18 guns.