Assault on the battleships Barroso and Rio Grande

Assault on Barroso and Rio Grande
Part of the Paraguayan War

Assault on the battleship Barroso and monitor Rio Grande, National Historical Museum collection
Date9 July 1868 (1868-07-09)
Location
Tagy, left bank of the Paraguay River
Result Brazilian victory
Belligerents
 Paraguay  Empire of Brazil
Commanders and leaders
Francisco Cabriza [pt]
Strength

20 canoes

  • 270 men

2 ironclads:


40th Fatherland Volunteers Corps
Casualties and losses
74:
42 killed
32 captured		 11:
3 killed
8 wounded

The assault on the battleship Barroso and the monitor Rio Grande, also known as assault on the battleships at Tagy, was a Paraguayan naval operation carried out during the Paraguayan War. The Imperial Brazilian Navy was present in the main actions of the allied forces. President Francisco Solano López knew of the threat that the navy posed and wanted to capture some of its ships, the ironclads. The seizure was also seen as a form of compensation for the losses incurred as a result of the war. Assault plans were created and executed in 1868.

On 9 July 1868, at 11:50 pm, 270 Paraguayan soldiers, known as bogavantes [pt], attacked two Brazilian battleships, Barroso and Rio Grande, anchored near the Tagy ravine, located on the left bank of the Paraguay River. The approach attempt was not simultaneous, which allowed each vessel to support itself with their respective artillery pieces. Imperial Brazilian Army infantry encamped near Tagy also supported the ships. Despite being well armed and having managed to climb to the deck of both vessels, the bogavantes were not successful, being quickly repelled. The Paraguayans suffered 74 casualties and the Brazilians 11.

After the defeat of the bogavantes, the last forces that protected the fortress of Humaitá and that depended on their victory abandoned the stronghold and tried to flee to the Chaco, however they were surrounded and defeated by Brazilian troops. The fortress was occupied shortly thereafter.