''San Telmo'' ("Saint
Peter González" or "Saint
Erasmus of Formia
Erasmus of Formia, also known as Saint Elmo (died c. 303), was a Christianity, Christian saint and Christian martyrs, martyr. He is venerated as the patron saint of sailors and abdominal pain. Erasmus or Elmo is also one of the Fourteen Holy Hel ...
") was a
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
74-gun
ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which depended on the two colu ...
, launched in 1788. It sank while bringing reinforcements to
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
during the
war of independence
This is a list of wars of independence (also called liberation wars). These wars may or may not have been successful in achieving a goal of independence.
List
See also
* Lists of active separatist movements
* List of civil wars
* List o ...
, and some of its crew or passengers may have discovered and landed on
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
.
History
In 1819, the ''San Telmo'', commanded by Captain Joaquín de Toledo y Parra, was the flagship of a Spanish naval squadron under Brigadier
Rosendo Porlier y Asteguieta bound for
Callao
Callao () is a Peruvian seaside city and Regions of Peru, region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area. Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Callao municipality consists o ...
, Peru, to reinforce colonial forces there fighting the independence movements in
Spanish America
Spanish America refers to the Spanish territories in the Americas during the Spanish colonization of the Americas. The term "Spanish America" was specifically used during the territories' Spanish Empire, imperial era between 15th century, 15th ...
. It was damaged by severe weather in the
Drake Passage
The Drake Passage (referred to as Mar de Hoces Hoces Sea"in Spanish-speaking countries) is the body of water between South America's Cape Horn, Chile and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It connects the southwestern part of the Atla ...
, south of
Cape Horn
Cape Horn ( es, Cabo de Hornos, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are the Diego Ramírez ...
on 2 September 1819.
Legacy
A portion of the 644 officers, soldiers and seamen of the ''San Telmo'' may have been the first people to land on Antarctica. Some remnants and signs of the wreckage were later found by
William Smith on
Livingston Island
Livingston Island (Russian name ''Smolensk'', ) is an Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean, part of the South Shetlands Archipelago, a group of Antarctic islands north of the Antarctic Peninsula. It was the first land discovered south of 60 ...
in the
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands with a total area of . They lie about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between southwest of the nearest point of the South Orkney Islands. By the Antarctic Treaty of 195 ...
. If any crew members survived the initial sinking and managed to land there, they would have been the first humans in history to reach the continent.
San Telmo Island, off the north coast of
Livingston Island
Livingston Island (Russian name ''Smolensk'', ) is an Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean, part of the South Shetlands Archipelago, a group of Antarctic islands north of the Antarctic Peninsula. It was the first land discovered south of 60 ...
, is named after the ship.
Moments prior to the battle that led to the
capture of Valdivia
The Capture of Valdivia ( es, Toma de Valdivia) was a battle in the Chilean War of Independence between Royalist forces commanded by Colonel Manuel Montoya and Fausto del Hoyo and the Patriot forces under the command of Thomas Cochrane and J ...
in February 1820 the patriot force told the Spanish garrison of the
Valdivian Fort System
The Fort System of Valdivia ( es, Sistema de fuertes de Valdivia) is a series of Spanish colonial fortifications at Corral Bay, Valdivia and Cruces River established to protect the city of Valdivia, in southern Chile. During the period of Spani ...
they were part of the convoy of ''San Telmo''. Using this tactic they were able to approach the beach at
Aguada del Inglés largely undisturbed before their amphibious assault begun.
See also
*
List of ships of the line of Spain
This is a list of Spanish ships of the line (comprising the battlefleet) built or acquired during the period 1640-1854:
Those with 94 or more guns were three-deckers, while all the others listed were two-deckers. The Spanish term for ships of the l ...
*
List of disasters in Antarctica by death toll
References
External links
El San Telmo. Una historia sin final.
History of Antarctica
Ships of the Spanish Navy
Colonial Peru
Maritime incidents in 1819
Livingston Island
Shipwrecks in the Southern Ocean
1819 in Antarctica
1788 ships
Spain and the Antarctic
1819 in the Spanish Empire
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