Samuel Spiro

Miguel Samuel Spiro was a naval commander of the Argentine Navy born in Hydra Island,

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

. He emigrated to

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

with his two brothers in 1810, and was an early supporter of the

May Revolution The May Revolution ( es, Revolución de Mayo) was a week-long series of events that took place from May 18 to 25, 1810, in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. This Spanish colony included roughly the terri ...

. He had been a Navy Captain in Greece, and took part in organizing the fledgling naval forces of the

United Provinces of South America United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

. Spiro was one of the main Argentine navy commanders in the United Provinces' victory at Martin Garcia. He died on 28 March 1814 during the naval battle of Arroyo de la China, on the

Uruguay river The Uruguay River ( es, Río Uruguay, ; pt, Rio Uruguai, ) is a major river in South America. It flows from north to south and forms parts of the boundaries of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, separating some of the Argentine provinces of La M ...

, near

Concepción del Uruguay Concepción del Uruguay is a city in Argentina. It is located in the Entre Ríos province, on the western shore of the Uruguay River, some 320 kilometers north from Buenos Aires. Its population is about 80,000 inhabitants (). History The city ...

, when he decided to scuttle the

yawl A yawl is a type of boat. The term has several meanings. It can apply to the rig (or sailplan), to the hull type or to the use which the vessel is put. As a rig, a yawl is a two masted, fore and aft rigged sailing vessel with the mizzen mast p ...

he was commanding rather than surrender her to the royalists. The royalist commander on chief, Jacinto de Romarate, claimed that the ship blew up after being hit by the guns of his flagship, the brigantine ''Belén.'' The Argentine navy has named two ships in his honor, the most recent being the corvette ARA ''Spiro'' (P-43), commissioned in 1988. 1814 deaths Greek emigrants to Argentina Argentine Navy officers People from Hydra (island) Argentine military personnel killed in the Argentine War of Independence Year of birth unknown {{Argentina-mil-bio-stub