Battle of Curuzú
# Battle of Curuzú

vteParaguayan War :

Mato Grosso campaign

Marquês de Olinda

1st Corumbá

Fort Novo de Coimbra

Feio River

Dourados

Nioaque

Anhambaí

Fort Miranda

Coxim

Laguna

Apa River

2nd Corumbá

Alegre

Corrientes campaign

Corrientes

San Lorenzo River

Rio Grande do Sul

São Borja

Butuí

Uruguaiana

Riachuelo

Salto

Paso de Mercedes

Paso de Cuevas

Yatay

Pehuajó

Jaguarí

Humaitá campaign

Purutué Bank

Paso de Patria

Laguna Sirena

Itapirú

Estero Bellaco

Paso Cidra

1st Tuyutí

Yataytí Corá

Boquerón

Sauce

Palmar

Curuzú

Curupayty

Arroyo Hondo

Hacienda Laguna

Tuyú Cué

1st Passage of Curupayty

Pilar

Ombú

Estero Rojas

Perecué

Tatayibá

Potrero Obella

Humaitá

Passage

2nd Tuyutí

Paso Ipohy

2nd Passage of Curupayty

Laguna Cierva

Cabral and Lima Barros

1st Iasuií

2nd Iasuií

Poí Island

Barroso and Rio Grande

Acayuazá

Fortín Island

Pikysyry campaign

Yacaré

Paso de Tebicuarí

Surubí

Pikysyry

Dezembrada

Ytororó

Avay

Lomas Valentinas

Angostura

San Fernando

Asunción

Cordilleras campaign

Manduvirá River

Concepción

Ybytimí

Tupí-hú

Sapukái

Diarte

Piribebuy

Acosta Ñu

Piribebuy River

Hondo River

Itapytangua

Tacuaty

Curuguaty

Hucuratí

Loma Rugua

Caguijuru–Caraguataí

Iguatemi

Río Verde

Cambaceguá

Lomaruguá

Cerro Corá

Miranda :

The Battle of Curuzú occurred between September 1 and 3, 1866 during the Paraguayan War. After the first Battle of Tuyutí, won by the Allies on 24 May 1866, an Allied council of war decided to use their navy to bombard and capture the Paraguayan battery at $Curupayty.^{:60}$

## Battle

On September 1, five Brazilian ironclads, Bahia, Barroso, Lima Barros, Rio de Janeiro and Brasil began bombarding the batteries at Curuzú, 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 Manuel Marques de Sousa, then Viscount of Porto Alegre, attacked the Paraguayan batteries at Curuzú, south of the main stronghold of Humaitá on the shores of Paraguay $River.^{:61}$

On September 3, the fort, commanded by colonel Giménez, 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 $Curupayty.^{:61}$

The Brazilian ironclad Rio de Janeiro had a hole blown in her bottom by a contact mine, and sank almost immediately – the greater part of her crew, together with her captain, being drowned. This was the only ironclad sunk during the war.

## Aftermath

President Francisco Solano López decimated the 10th Infantry Battalion on 10 September 1866, killing 63 $men.^{:61}$

## Gallery

* Map of the part of the Paraguay River where took place the fight of the gunboat Ivaí with the Fortress of Curuzú
* Interior view of Curuzú.
* The Viscount of Porto Alegre leads the Brazilian forces in the Battle of Curuzú, 1866, by Victor Meirelles.
* Taking the battery of Curuzú (3 September) by the Brazilian 2nd Army Corps, under the command of lientenant-general Viscount of Porto Alegre (according to a sketch of Mr. Paranhos).
* Attack on Paraguayan Forts.
* Bombardment of Curuzú
* Bombardment of Curuzú (Edoardo De Martino).
* Rio de Janeiro sunk by a contact mine, painted by Adolfo Methfessel.
* Rio de Janeiro sunk by a contact mine in front of Curuzú.
* Naval Warfare in Paraguay: Destruction of the ironclad Rio de Janeiro by a mine.
* Passage of Curuzú.
* Brazilian (all blue uniform) and Argentine (blue and red uniform) troops landing in Curuzú
