Battle of Curuzú

Battle of Curuzú
Part of the Paraguayan War
Brazilian (all blue uniform) and Argentine (blue and red uniform) troops landing in Curuzú
Date 1–3 September 1866 Location Curuzu, Paraguay Result Allied victory
Belligerents
Paraguay Paraguayan Army	Empire of Brazil Imperial Army Imperial Navy Marine Corps  Argentina Argentine Army
Commanders and leaders
Colonel Manuel Antonio Gimenez	Bartolomé Mitre Gen. Baron de Porto Alegre
Strength
2,500 men and 13 Cannon[1]^:61	4,500 infantry and 3,800 dismounted cavalry 5 Ironclads[1]^:61
Casualties and losses
700 killed 1,800 wounded 32 captured[1]^:61	159 killed 629 wounded [1]^:61

The Battle of Curuzu occurred between September 1 and September 3, 1866 during the Paraguayan War.

After the first Battle of Tuyuti, won by the Allies on May 24, 1866, an Allied council of war decided to use their navy to bombard and capture the Paraguayan battery at Curupayti.^[1]:60

Battle

Map of the part of the Paraguay River where took place the fight of the gunboat Ivaí with the Fortress of Curuzú.

On September 1, five Brazilian ironclads, Bahia, Barroso, Lima Barros, Rio de Janeiro and Brasil began bombarding the batteries at Curuzu, which continued the next day. That is when the Rio de Janeiro hit two mines and sank immediately along with her commander Américo Brasílio Silvado, and 50 sailors. Simultaneously, 8,391 men of the Brazilian 2nd Corps, under the command of Gen. Baron de Porto Alegre, attacked the Paraguayan batteries at Curuzu, south of the main stronghold of Humaitá on the shores of Paraguay River.^[1]:61

On September 3, the fort, commanded by Colonel Jimenez, was stormed. The defenders relied on the advantage of the wetlands and bushes around the fort. The fort was conquered after a heavy bombardment, and the Paraguayan army was pursued until the vicinity of Curupaiti.^[1]:61

The ironclad "Rio de Janeiro" had a hole blown in her bottom by a torpedo, and sank almost immediately — the greater part of her crew, together with her captain, being drowned. This was the only ironclad which was sunk during the war.^[2]

Aftermath

President Francisco Solano López decimated the 10th Infantry Battalion on 10 Sept. 1866, killing 63 men.^[1]:61

Gallery

• 

  Interior view of Curuzú.

• 

  Vista N / S from the interior of Fort Curuzú on September 20, 1866. Candido Lopez, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes Buenos Aires, Argentina

• 

  The Count of Porto Alegre leads the Brazilian forces in the Battle of Curuzu, 1866 (painted by Victor Meirelles)

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  Taking the battery of Curuzu (3 September) by the Brazilian 2º Army Corps, under the command of lientenant-General Viscount of Porto Alegre (according to a sketch of Mr. Paranhos).

• 

  Attack on Paraguayan Forts.

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  Bombardment of Curuzú

• 

  Bombardment of Curuzú (Edoardo De Martino).

• 

  "Rio de Janeiro" sunk by a torpedo, painted by Adolfo Methfessel.

• 

  Battleship Rio de Janeiro sunk by a torpedo in front of Curuzú.

• 

  Naval Warfare in Paraguay: Destruction of a Brazilian Gunboat by a torpedo.

References

1. Hooker, T.D., 2008, The Paraguayan War, Nottingham: Foundry Books, ISBN 1901543153
2. Thompson, G, 1869, The War in Paraguay, London: Longmans Green and Co., p.169

• DONATO, Hernâni. Dicionário das batalhas brasileiras. 2a ed, IBRASA, 1996, ISBN 978-85-348-0034-1, 593 pp.