''O'Higgins'' was a

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

an frigate famous for her actions under Captain Lord Cochrane.

Russian career

The ship was launched in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

in 1816, as the ''Speshni''-class frigate ''Patrikii'' ("Патрикий"). To save time and money, the Russians built her of pine and larch. In 1817 the Russians sold her to

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, which renamed her ''María Isabel''.

Spanish career

In 1818 ''María Isabel'' sailed under Captain Dionisio Capas with a convoy to the coast of

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

. There the

First Chilean Navy Squadron The First Chilean Navy Squadron was the heterogeneous naval force that terminated Spanish colonial rule in the Pacific and protagonized the most important naval actions of in the Latin American wars of independence. The Chilean revolutionary gover ...

, under the command of

Manuel Blanco Encalada Manuel José Blanco y Calvo de Encalada (; April 21, 1790 – September 5, 1876) was a vice-admiral in the Chilean Navy, a political figure, and Chile's first President (Provisional) (1826). Biography Born in Buenos Aires which was the capital ...

, captured her at

Talcahuano Talcahuano () (From Mapudungun ''Tralkawenu'', "Thundering Sky") is a port city and commune in the Biobío Region of Chile. It is part of the Greater Concepción conurbation. Talcahuano is located in the south of the Central Zone of Chile. Geo ...

Chilean career

The Chileans renamed the ship ''O'Higgins'' after

Bernardo O'Higgins Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme (; August 20, 1778 – October 24, 1842) was a Chilean independence leader who freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. He was a wealthy landowner of Basque-Spanish and Irish ancestry. Alth ...

, the South American Independence leader and first Chilean head of state. ''O'Higgins'' was Thomas Cochrane's flagship when he commanded the Chilean navy during the

Freedom Expedition of Perú The Liberating Expedition of Peru ( es, Expedición Libertadora del Perú) was a naval and land military force created in 1820 by the government of Chile in continuation of the plan of the Argentine General José de San Martín to achieve the in ...

. When ''San Martín'' was wrecked in the bay of Chorrilos, Peru, in July 1821, Cochrane shifted his flag from ''San Martín'' back to ''O'Higgins''. Cochrane also sailed ''O'Higgins'' to Acapulco. On 8 June 1823, ''O'Higgins'' suffered severe damage when she collided with the Chilean ship in the

Bay of Paraíso A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a nar ...

during a

gale A gale is a strong wind; the word is typically used as a descriptor in nautical contexts. The U.S. National Weather Service defines a gale as sustained surface winds moving at a speed of between 34 and 47 knots (, or ).Ramón Freire Ramón Freire Serrano (; November 29, 1787 – December 9, 1851) was a Chilean political figure. He was head of state on several occasions, and enjoyed a numerous following until the War of the Confederation. Ramón Freire was one of the pr ...

renamed the frigate ''María Isabel'' again.

Argentine career

She was sold to

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

on 1 April 1826 and refitted in Valparaíso and renamed ''Buenos Aires'', but she never reached Buenos Aires. She sank rounding

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 Ramí ...

.Gerardo Etcheverry
Principales naves de guerra a vela hispanoamericanas
retrieved 28 January 2011

Citations

External links