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GIRALDA
Yate Aviso
ENRIQUE ACOSTA GALVÁN
Tras ser entregado a McCalmon, batió el récord de la travesía de Inglaterra al Mediterráneo, navegando las 1000 mni que separan Dartmouth de Gibraltar en 61 horas. Ante la inminencia de la guerra entre España y Estados Unidos el buque fue ofrecido en primer lugar al gobierno americano, y tras la negativa y falta de interés por su parte, al Gobierno español que acepta su compra el 28 de marzo de 1898 por 60 000 libras esterlinas, o su equivalente 300 000 dólares estadounidenses, que al cambio, supusieron 2 250 000 pesetas. Guerra hispano-estadounidense Tras su compra, arribó a Barcelona el 27 de marzo de 18983 siendo designado su comandante el 1 de abril el capitán de fragata Rafael Rodríguez de Vera,4 zarpando con destino a Cádiz el 20 de abril5 tras completar su artillado y cargar carbón. Durante la Guerra hispano-estadounidense, se planeó un contragolpe que aliviara la situación del Almirante Cervera y de si era posible, realizar algún bombardeo sobre la costa americana. Para llevar a cabo tal contraataque, el elegido fue el almirante Manuel de la Cámara y Livermore. Se trataba de crear dificultades, con los buques que quedaban en España, a los norteamericanos y posibilitar alguna victoria que elevase la moral española. Para ello se iban a crear tres divisiones navales que pudieran desconcertar al enemigo: La 1ª División estaría al mando del propio Cámara, y estaría compuesta por el crucero Carlos V, los cruceros auxiliares Meteoro, Patriota y Rápido y el aviso Giralda. La 2ª División estaría al mando del capitán de navío José Ferrándiz y Niño, y estaría compuesta por el acorazado Pelayo, el acorazado-guardacostas Vitoria y los destructores Osado, Audaz y Proserpina. La 3ª División estaría mandada por el capitán de navío José de Barrasa y Fernández de Castro, compuesta únicamente de tres cruceros auxiliares, el Buenos Aires, el Antonio López y el Alfonso XII. Debido a la corta autonomía del acorazado Pelayo y del Vitoria, la 2ª División haría una maniobra diversiva, navegando unos días en dirección al teatro de operaciones del mar Caribe, cambiando el rumbo posteriormente para regresar a aguas nacionales y proteger las costas españolas de un posible ataque norteamericano, uniéndoseles el crucero protegido Alfonso XIII, una copia de la clase Reina Regente. La 1ª División, se dirigiría hacia las islas Bermudas, donde recibiría órdenes e informes, para iniciar posteriormente un ataque contra la costa este americana, dirigiéndose hacia el norte, rumbo a Halifax en Canadá, dominio británico, para recibir nuevas instrucciones, y trasladarse después al mar Caribe, cayendo sobre las islas Turcas y Caicos. La 3ª División debería dirigirse hacia la zona del cabo San Roque, en Brasil, y desde allí dedicarse a hostigar el tráfico mercante enemigo. Esta acción no llegaría a producirse, entre otros motivos por las presiones británicas, que no deseaban la extensión de la guerra a todo el Atlántico. Con posterioridad, se formaría otra escuadra que zarpó de Cádiz el 16 de junio, también bajo el mando del almirante Cámara con órdenes de dirigirse a Filipinas.6 Dicha escuadra, sería retenida en el canal de Suez hasta lo indecible, mientras que el magnate de la prensa W. Hearst daba la orden a un enviado suyo de que adquiriese un buque para hundirlo en el lugar donde pudiera obstaculizar el paso de la escuadra española. Tras la derrota en la batalla naval de Santiago de Cuba, se ordenó el retorno a la península de la escuadra de reserva, arribando el almirante Cámara a Vigo bordo del Giralda.7 Una vez finalizada la contienda trasladó en 1899 los restos de Cristóbal Colón desde Cádiz, a donde habían llegado el 16 de enero de 1899 procedentes de La Habana a bordo del crucero Conde de Venadito, hasta Sevilla, a donde arribó el 19 de enero y donde recibieron sepultura en la Catedral de Sevilla. Yate real El 16 de agosto de 1900 la reina regente María Cristina y sus hijos Alfonso XIII, María de las Mercedes y María Teresa, con el presidente del Gobierno, Francisco Silvela, embarcaron en el Giralda en el municipio vasco de San Sebastián. Aquel día llegaron a Bilbao. El 18 de agosto fueron a Gijón y el 20 a Avilés, en Asturias. El 22 de agosto fueron a La Coruña, Galicia. El 28 de agosto visitaron los municipios gallegos de Muros, Villagarcía de Arosa, Marín y Vigo.11 El 1 de septiembre visitaron la ciudad de Ferrol. El 8 de septiembre fueron a Santander, en Cantabria, y el 10 de septiembre regresaron a San Sebastián.12131415 Desde entonces fueron usuales estos cruceros veraniegos de la familia real. El 2 de mayo de 1904 Alfonso XIII18 fue en el Giralda, acompañado por el acorazado Cardenal Cisneros,19 a Melilla. El 3 de mayo recalaron entre las islas del Congreso y de Isabel II, en las Chafarinas, y el rey fue a visitar la isla de Isabel II en la falúa real.20 Aquel día viajaron a Ceuta. Zarpó con el rey a bordo desde Castellón, escoltado por el Cisneros y el Numancia la tarde del 13 de abril de 1905 con destino Alicante, a donde arribarían los tres buques en la mañana del 14 de abril. En junio de ese mismo año el rey inició un viaje a Francia y Gran Bretaña. Partió en el yate real Giralda hasta el puerto francés de Cherburgo, escoltado por el Cisneros y el Princesa de Asturias. Desde allí pusieron rumbo al puerto británico de Portsmouth, para finalmente arribar a Ferrol el día 19. Pese a que el rey regresó a España unos días antes, los buques permanecieron en el puerto inglés en visita de cortesía. En abril de 1906 trasladó a Alfonso XIII en el primer viaje de un monarca a Canarias escoltado por el Princesa de Asturias. El 30 de julio zarpó escoltado por el Princesa de Asturias desde San Sebastián con destino Cowes, en la isla de Wight, en la visita que los reyes realizaron a este puerto. El día 1 de agosto los buques españoles arribaron a Cowes, y el 13 partieron con rumbo a Southampton, donde los reyes tomaran un tren que les conducirá a Escocia, el día 20, tras la visita a Escocia, el Giralda y el Princesa zarparon desde Southampton con destino a Cowes, donde arribaron el 21, el 23 los buques llegan a San Sebastián. El 8 de abril de 1907, fue escenario de la cumbre real celebrada en el mar frente a Cartagena entre el rey Alfonso XIII y el británico Eduardo VII22 En el puerto cartagenero fondearon además del Giralda, el acorazado guardacostas Numancia, el Extremadura, el Infanta Isabel, el Lepanto, el Princesa de Asturias y los torpederos Ordóñez y Acevedo. En junio de 1911 zarpó desde Santander escoltado por el Reina Regente, con el rey Alfonso XIII a bordo, con destino a Inglaterra donde participó en las regatas de Cowes, regresando en agosto. El rey se alojó en el Giralda durante la celebración del centenario de la constitución de 1812 en Cádiz.23 Buque hidrográfico Tras pasar por los astilleros para hacerle un recorrido al casco, en 1918, fue utilizado como buque escuela, pasando en 1920 a desempeñar papeles de buque hidrografo de la Armada, tarea en la que permaneció hasta 1934. Baja y desguace Antes del inicio de la guerra civil se intentó venderlo para desguace, cosa que no sucedió hasta 1940, siendo desguazado el buque en Sevilla. Anécdota El buque Giralda debía salir en un sello dedicado a barcos de época en emisión española del 15 de julio de 1994, pero sorpresivamente el barco que salió en el sello fue otro
After being handed over to McCalmon, he broke the record for the crossing from England to the Mediterranean, sailing the 1000 nm that separated Dartmouth from Gibraltar in 61 hours. Given the imminence of the war between Spain and the United States, the ship was offered first to the American government, and after the refusal and lack of interest on its part, to the Spanish Government, which accepted its purchase on March 28, 1898 for 60,000 British pounds, or the equivalent of US $ 300,000, which at the exchange rate amounted to 2,250,000 pesetas. Spanish-American War After the purchase of it, she arrived in Barcelona on March 27, 18983 being appointed its commander on April 1, the captain of the frigate Rafael Rodríguez de Vera, 4 setting sail for Cádiz on April 205 after completing her artillery and loading coal . During the Spanish-American War, a counterattack was planned to alleviate the situation of Admiral Cervera and, if possible, carry out some bombardment on the American coast. To carry out such a counterattack, the chosen one was Admiral Manuel de la Cámara and Livermore. It was a matter of creating difficulties, with the ships that remained in Spain, for the North Americans and making possible a victory that would raise Spanish morale. For this, three naval divisions were to be created that could confuse the enemy: The 1st Division would be in command of the Chamber itself, and would be made up of the Carlos V cruiser, the auxiliary cruisers Meteoro, Patriota and Rapido, and the Giralda warning. The 2nd Division would be under the command of the captain José Ferrándiz y Niño, and would be made up of the battleship Pelayo, the battleship-coastguard Vitoria and the destroyers Osado, Audaz and Proserpina. The 3rd Division would be commanded by the naval captain José de Barrasa y Fernández de Castro, composed only of three auxiliary cruisers, the Buenos Aires, the Antonio López and the Alfonso XII. Due to the short autonomy of the battleship Pelayo and Vitoria, the 2nd Division would make a diversionary maneuver, sailing a few days in the direction of the theater of operations in the Caribbean Sea, later changing course to return to national waters and protect the Spanish coasts from a possible North American attack, joining them the protected cruiser Alfonso XIII, a copy of the Reina Regente class. The 1st Division would go to the Bermuda Islands, where it would receive orders and reports, to later initiate an attack against the American east coast, heading north, towards Halifax in Canada, British rule, to receive new instructions, and move later to the Caribbean Sea, falling over the Turks and Caicos Islands. The 3rd Division should head towards the area of Cape San Roque, in Brazil, and from there dedicate itself to harassing enemy merchant traffic. This action would not take place, among other reasons due to British pressure, which did not want the extension of the war to the entire Atlantic. Subsequently, another squad would be formed that sailed from Cádiz on June 16, also under the command of Admiral Cámara with orders to go to the Philippines.6 This squad would be held in the Suez Canal until the unspeakable, while the magnate of the press W. Hearst gave the order to an envoy of his to acquire a ship to sink it in the place where it could impede the passage of the Spanish fleet. After the defeat in the naval battle of Santiago de Cuba, the return to the peninsula of the reserve squad was ordered, with Admiral Cámara arriving in Vigo aboard the Giralda.7 Once the war ended, in 1899 he transferred the remains of Christopher Columbus from Cádiz, where they had arrived on January 16, 1899 from Havana aboard the Conde de Venadito cruise ship, to Seville, where he arrived on January 19 and where They were buried in the Cathedral of Seville. Royal yacht On August 16, 1900, the Queen Regent María Cristina and hers, Alfonso XIII, María de las Mercedes and María Teresa, with the President of the Government, Francisco Silvela, boarded the Giralda in the Basque municipality of San Sebastián. That day they arrived in Bilbao. On August 18 they went to Gijón and on August 20 to Avilés, in Asturias. On August 22 they went to La Coruña, Galicia. On August 28 they visited the Galician municipalities of Muros, Villagarcía de Arosa, Marín and Vigo.11 On September 1 they visited the city of Ferrol. On September 8 they went to Santander, in Cantabria, and on September 10 they returned to San Sebastián. 12 13 14 15 Since then, these summer cruises of the royal family have been common. On May 2, 1904, Alfonso XIII18 went on the Giralda, accompanied by the battleship Cardenal Cisneros, 19 to Melilla. On May 3 they landed between the islands of Congreso and Isabel II, in Las Chafarinas, and the king went to visit the island of Isabel II in the royal felucca.20 That day they traveled to Ceuta. entity next to Extremadura and Pelayo the installation of a TSH Telefunken station. She sailed with the king on board from Castellón, escorted by the Cisneros and the Numancia on the afternoon of April 13, 1905, bound for Alicante, where the three ships would arrive on the morning of April 14. In June of that same year the king began a trip to France and Great Britain. She set out on the royal yacht Giralda to the French port of Cherbourg, escorted by the Cisneros and the Princess of Asturias. From there they set course for the British port of Portsmouth, finally arriving in Ferrol on the 19th. Despite the king's return to Spain a few days earlier, the ships remained in the English port on a courtesy visit. In April 1906 she transferred Alfonso XIII on the first trip of a monarch to the Canary Islands escorted by the Princess of Asturias. On July 30, she set sail escorted by the Princess of Asturias from San Sebastián to Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, on the visit that the kings made to this port. On August 1, the Spanish ships arrived at Cowes, and on August 13 they left for Southampton, where the kings will take a train that will take them to Scotland. On August 20, after visiting Scotland, the Giralda and the Princess set sail from Southampton bound for Cowes, where they arrived on the 21st, the 23rd the ships arrive in San Sebastian. On April 8, 1907, it was the scene of the royal summit held in the sea off Cartagena between King Alfonso XIII and the British Eduardo VII22. In addition to the Giralda, the coast guard battleship Numancia, Extremadura, Infanta anchored in the port of Cartagena. Isabel, the Lepanto, the Princess of Asturias and the torpedo boats Ordóñez and Acevedo. In June 1911 she sailed from Santander escorted by the Queen Regent, with King Alfonso XIII on board, bound for England where she participated in the Cowes regattas, returning in August. The king stayed at the Giralda during the celebration of the centenary of the 1812 constitution in Cádiz.23 Hydrographic vessel After passing through the shipyards to take a tour of the hull, in 1918, she was used as a training ship, going on in 1920 to play the roles of hydrograph ship of the Navy, a task in which she remained until 1934. forDischarge and scrapping Before the start of the civil war, an attempt was made to sell it for scrapping, which did not happen until 1940, the ship being scrapped in Seville. Anecdote The Giralda ship was supposed to appear on a stamp dedicated to vintage ships in Spanish issue of July 15, 1994, but surprisingly the ship that appeared on the stamp was another. entity next to Extremadura and Pelayo the installation of a TSH Telefunken station. She sailed with the king on board from Castellón, escorted by the Cisneros and the Numancia on the afternoon of April 13, 1905, bound for Alicante, where the three ships would arrive on the morning of April 14. In June of that same year the king began a trip to France and Great Britain. She set out on the royal yacht Giralda to the French port of Cherbourg, escorted by the Cisneros and the Princess of Asturias. From there they set course for the British port of Portsmouth, finally arriving in Ferrol on the 19th. Despite the king's return to Spain a few days earlier, the ships remained in the English port on a courtesy visit. In April 1906 she transferred Alfonso XIII on the first trip of a monarch to the Canary Islands escorted by the Princess of Asturias. On July 30, she set sail escorted by the Princess of Asturias from San Sebastián to Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, on the visit that the kings made to this port. On August 1, the Spanish ships arrived at Cowes, and on August 13 they left for Southampton, where the kings will take a train that will take them to Scotland. On August 20, after visiting Scotland, the Giralda and the Princess set sail from Southampton bound for Cowes, where they arrived on the 21st, the 23rd the ships arrive in San Sebastian. On April 8, 1907, it was the scene of the royal summit held in the sea off Cartagena between King Alfonso XIII and the British Eduardo VII22. In addition to the Giralda, the coast guard battleship Numancia, Extremadura, Infanta anchored in the port of Cartagena. Isabel, the Lepanto, the Princess of Asturias and the torpedo boats Ordóñez and Acevedo. In June 1911 she sailed from Santander escorted by the Queen Regent, with King Alfonso XIII on board, bound for England where she participated in the Cowes regattas, returning in August. The king stayed at the Giralda during the celebration of the centenary of the 1812 constitution in Cádiz.23 Hydrographic vessel After going through the shipyards to take a tour of the hull, in 1918, she was used as a training ship, going on to play the roles of hydrographer of the Navy in 1920, a task in which she remained until 1934. Down and scrapping Before the start of the civil war, an attempt was made to sell it for scrapping, which did not happen until 1940, the ship being scrapped in Seville. Anecdote The Giralda ship was supposed to appear on a stamp dedicated to vintage ships in Spanish issue of July 15, 1994, but surprisingly the ship that appeared on the stamp was another.
