ARM Guadaloupe

The Mexican fleet now possessed the paddle steam frigates Guadalupe and Montezuma.[8] About 40 of the crew of the Guadalupe were sick with yellow fever. The Texas Navy commander Moore hoped to encounter the Guadalupe separate from her escort Montezuma.[9][10] Austin and Wharton made for the Yucatán coast and encountered the Mexican squadron on 30 April 1843 between Lerma and Campeche. Montezuma and Guadalupe, along with four smaller vessels, comprised the Mexican fleet. The Texans were augmented by two Yucatecan ships and five small gunboats, but were clearly the smaller fleet. The Mexican shooting at first fell short and then went over the Texas ships. During the two-hour running battle the Austin was struck once in the fighting and lost some of her mizzen rigging and the Guadalupe had 7 dead and the Montezuma 13 dead. After a few hours, the Mexican sailing ships departed and only the two steamers remained. The result was that the Mexican blockade of the port of Campeche was lifted and the Texan ships put into the port for repairs.[11] This first attack was a draw and the fleets separated.

The next event on 16 May 1843 was orchestrated by Commodore Moore and his "Texians" who lured the Mexican Forces into a narrow roadstead, and hounded the Mexican ships away from the harbour firing most of Austin's ammunition as Wharton was not able to engage. The battle toll came out as; "Austin" 3 dead, "Wharton" 2 dead, "Montezuma" 40 dead including her captain and "Guadalupe" 47 dead. The Mexican Fleet was effectively incapacitated. This battle would represent the only time that steam-driven warships would be defeated by sail powered ships. [12] There were numerous falsehoods circulated about Moore’s battle with Guadalupe. These seem to be largely the confections of the press, egged on by politicians, and are not to be taken seriously. They include claims to have sunk her. [13]

Her Captain Commander Edward P Charlwood RN had his own description of the action. He noted that compared to a wooden ship her damage from shot was much less in part to the action being in warm waters. During the 4 to 5 weeks of the Yucatan campaign she was hit a total of 6 times by 18 or 24 pounder solid shot. [14] He described Guadalupe as a good gun platform and felt that they had hit the Texan sloop-of-war Austin about 12 times with 68 pounder shells causing her to withdraw from the action of 16 May 1843. [15]

Guadalupe remained in the Armada de Mexico until 1847, by which time the fate of Yucatan had been decided, when she and Montezuma were sold to raise money for the continuing land hostilities with the United States. Her new owners are described by the Armada de Mexico as ‘The Spaniards in Havana’. [16] The Spanish Navy Wikipedia entry states that "The first new steam-driven vessels were purchased from Mexico in 1846. These included two frigates, the Guadalupe and the Moctezuma, acquired from the UK in 1842, and a third vessel delivered in 1843. They were sold to Spanish authorities in Cuba by General Antonio López de Santa Anna, in order to raise funds for Mexico's defense from the U.S. invasion in 1846-1848. The Spanish christened the vessels Castilla for Montezuma and León for Guadelupe" Referenced the Wikipedia entry Spanish ship Castilla. [17] In 1849 the Castilla and León were used with two other Spanish steam ships to intervene in Italy along with French forces during the suppressing of the Roman Republic (1849). The steam ships transported 9,000 troops to Italy and provided logistical support for them for months. The resulting recognition from the Pope, Sardinia, Prussia and Austria strengthened the Spanish government versus its rival Carlist faction. [18]