CHOSEN
history file
by Reg Reynolds
A shocked King Alfonso XIII ordered Fuentes to make a public apology and then arranged for the Sultan’s Ambassador to be returned to Tangier in royal style aboard the Reina Regente
the 4,725-ton Reina Regente
slap in the face leaves 400 dead Reina Regente was a ship with a serious defect and her captain and crew knew it. They sailed only when necessary and generally in favourable conditions. An ill-judged slap in the face led to a forced voyage and the death of all hands in the Strait of Gibraltar. In the late 1880s Spain’s colonies, notably Cuba and the Phillipines, were under threat from rebellion and American interference. It was decided that a stronger navy was required in order to better protect Spanish interests around the world. Consequently it was determined that three heavily-armed protected (*see end of story) cruisers of the Esmerelda class should be added to the Spanish fleet. The cruisers, in accordance with Spanish naval doctrine of the time, were to have small displacement, heavy armament, and high speed. The first of the three was the 4,725-ton Reina
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incomplete and was a poor sailer. She did not see combat in the Spanish-American War and in fact never sailed outside Spanish waters. The third ship was never built and considering her eventual fate it would have been better if the Reina never had been either. The slap in the face that set the tragedy of the Reina Regente in motion was administered by one General Fuentes. The Moorish-Spanish War 1893-1895 had just ended and the Sultan sent an ambassador to Madrid to conclude the terms of the peace. General Fuentes insulted that a Muslim should have the effrontery to enter the capital of Spain struck him in the face. A shocked King Alfonso XIII ordered Fuentes to make a public apology and then arranged for the Sultan’s Ambassador to be returned to Tangier in royal style aboard the Reina Regente. All went well on the outward journey and the Reina Regente delivered her somewhat appeased cargo safely. But on the return voyage, on the night of 11th March, 1895, the Reina was caught in a fierce storm in the Strait of Gibraltar and disappeared. The Reina was reported overdue on 13th March and warships from Gibraltar, Spain and Morocco took part in a massive search. Several sightings were reported but all turned out to be false alarms. Despite this the Spanish Government continued to hold out hope. A newspaper article of 2nd April, 1895 read: “The Minister of Marine persists in the belief that there is yet a chance that the Reina Regente may be afloat, and that the wreck discovered by the Spanish cruiser Alfonso near the Strait of Gibraltar, may be that of a merchant vessel. A cruiser is still searching for the missing warship.” Debris, including flags and a compass box, washed up at Tarifa and then finally in late April the wreckage of the Reina was found. the Gibraltar Chronicle of 25th April reported: “The Spanish frigate Lala de Luzon has discovered the wreck of the missing cruiser Regina Regente, which was lost while bound from Tangier to Cadiz in March last. The wreck lies midway between Tarifa and Trafalgar in water 109 fathoms deep.” All 402 officers and crew had gone down with their ship. The reason for the loss of the Reina Regente was never officially given but one Spanish Naval officer found a report from the Captain of the Reina stating: “…the cruiser was not suited for heavy weather owing to her being overburdened by her armament.” n
Regente which was built by Thomson of Glasgow and launched in 1889. The Reina proved fast for her era with a top speed of 20 knots but her 244 mm guns were too heavy and she was unstable in heavy seas. The Reina was a prototype for the next two ships which were to be built in Spain. The Alfonso XIII, named for the reigning King, was the second ship completed. Modifications were made, including lowering the gun size to 200 but she too was unstable and could only man- * Author’s note: A ‘protected’ cruiser has armour age a slow 14 knots. Alfonso was laid down on her top deck as opposed to an ‘armoured’ cruiser in 1891 and launched in 1896 but she was still which has armour on her deck and her sides.
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2009
22/1/09 13:37:12