''Paraguay'' is a

river gunboat A river gunboat is a type of gunboat adapted for river operations. River gunboats required shallow draft for river navigation. They would be armed with relatively small caliber cannons, or a mix of cannons and machine guns. If they carried more ...

of the

Paraguayan Navy The Paraguayan Navy () is the maritime force of the Armed Forces of Paraguay, in charge of the defense of Paraguay's waters despite not having direct access to the sea. It has gone to war on two occasions: the War of the Triple Alliance (18 ...

. Launched in 1930, it participated in the

Chaco War The Chaco War (, coups d'état. In 1972, it was withdrawn from the Armada Nacional as a combat ship and has since served as a training and representational

hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...

History of creation

President of Paraguay,

Eligio Ayala José Eligio Ayala (4 December 1879 – 24 October 1930) was President of Paraguay from 12 April 1923 to 17 March 1924 and again from 15 August 1924 until 15 August 1928. He was a member of the Liberal Party. Life Jose Eligio Ayala was born i ...

, decided in 1927 to expand the navy. The reason was the growing conflict with

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

over the

Gran Chaco The Gran Chaco or simply Chaco is a sparsely populated, hot and semiarid lowland tropical dry broadleaf forest natural region of the Río de la Plata basin, divided among eastern Bolivia, western Paraguay, northern Argentina, and a portion o ...

territories, which had been ongoing intermittently since 1887. The plan for the new units was prepared by Navy officer José Bozzano. The ships were designed to operate on rivers against both air and ground targets, emphasizing shallow draft and a significant number of deck guns at the expense of armor and mobility. Negotiations were conducted with

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. An agreement for the delivery of two gunboats, amounting to 1.25 million USD, was signed on 26 September 1928 with an Italian supplier.

Construction

The keel for the ship was laid on 21 April 1929 at the ''

Cantieri navali Odero ''Cantieri navali Odero'' ("Odero Shipyard") is a defunct Italian shipyard. Founded in 1846 by the Westerman brothers in Genoa-Sestri Ponente, the company was taken over by Nicolò Odero in 1872. Together with the Ansaldo-San Giorgio shipyard at ...

'' shipyard in

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

. It was built under the name ''Comodoro Meza''. The launch took place on 22 June 1930. The name of the gunboat was changed on 30 July 1930 to ''Paraguay''.

Description

Hull

The

displacement Displacement may refer to: Physical sciences Mathematics and physics *Displacement (geometry), is the difference between the final and initial position of a point trajectory (for instance, the center of mass of a moving object). The actual path ...

of the empty ship was 621 tons; after being equipped and supplied with 170 tons of fuel, the displacement increased to 835 tons. The vessel could additionally carry up to 215 tons of cargo. The gunboat had a length of 71.2 m and a width of 10.5 m. An important design feature was the shallow draft of the hull, which was 4.4 m high. When equipped, the vessel had a draft of 180 cm, which increased to 213 cm when fully loaded. The midsection of the ''Paraguay'' was protected by a 15-millimeter-thick belt, the command post had 20 mm, and the gun shields had 10 mm of armor.

Propulsion

The gunboat was powered by two Parsons-type steam turbines, each with a power output of 1,500 hp. Initially, the vessel was equipped with two

Thornycroft Thornycroft was an English vehicle manufacturer which built coaches, buses, and trucks from 1896 until 1977. History In 1896, naval engineer John Isaac Thornycroft formed the Thornycroft Steam Carriage and Van Company which built its f ...

-Shultz type boilers, which were later replaced with Yarrow boilers, both types having a working pressure of 18 kg/cm². The ship was propelled by two screws. The maximum speed it could achieve was 17

knots A knot is a fastening in rope or interwoven lines. Knot or knots may also refer to: Other common meanings * Knot (unit), of speed * Knot (wood), a timber imperfection Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Knots'' (film), a 2004 film * ''Kn ...

, with an economical speed of 12 knots. At maximum speed, the ''Paraguay'' could cover 2,822

nautical miles A nautical mile is a unit of length used in air, marine, and space navigation, and for the definition of territorial waters. Historically, it was defined as the meridian arc length corresponding to one minute ( of a degree) of latitude at the eq ...

Armament

The main deck artillery on the gunboat consisted of 4

Ansaldo Ansaldo Energia S.p.A. is an Italian power engineering company based in Genoa, Italy. The original parent company, Gio. Ansaldo & C., was founded in 1853, and merged with Finmeccanica in 1993 (now Leonardo S.p.A.). In 2024, the company's share ...

1926 model 120 mm guns mounted in pairs in two turrets, and three 76 mm guns (most likely Ansaldo 1917) manufactured by Odero-Terni in

La Spezia La Spezia (, or ; ; , in the local ) is the capital city of the province of La Spezia and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy. La Spezia is the second-largest city in the Liguria ...

. Anti-aircraft defense was provided by two QF 2-pounder naval guns produced under

Vickers Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells. The company went public in 18 ...

license. The vessel had one mine track and was typically armed with six Vickers ''H'' MK II naval mines. During the Chaco War, six heavy machine guns were additionally installed. In 1968, two 20 mm anti-aircraft guns were mounted on the

bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

but were later removed.

Comparison of ''Paraguays naval artillery specifications

Crew

The crew allocation on the ''Paraguay'' during the war was 15 officers, 18 non-commissioned officers, and 209 sailors. In peacetime, the number of non-commissioned officers and sailors was reduced to 12 and 124, respectively. The ship could additionally carry 900 equipped soldiers or 1,200 people without heavy equipment. As of 2010, the gunboat had a skeleton crew of 96 people.

Identification

Since the ''Humaitá'' and ''Paraguay'' were structurally identical, stripes on the funnel were used to distinguish the gunboats – ''Paraguay'' received two stripes (while ''Humaitá'' received one stripe). Additionally, the identification number ''C1'' was painted on the hull of the vessel.

Service

Beginning

The flag was raised on ''Paraguay'' and its sister ship

Humaitá Humaitá is a List of cities and towns in Paraguay, town and Districts of Paraguay, district on the Paraguay River in southern Paraguay. During the Paraguayan War, it served as the main Paraguayan stronghold from 1866 until its fall in August 186 ...

on 21 January 1931, and 23 days later, the ships set sail for their homeland with a mixed Paraguayan-Italian crew. ''Paraguay'' reached

Asunción Asunción (, ) is the capital and the largest city of Paraguay. The city stands on the eastern bank of the Paraguay River, almost at the confluence of this river with the Pilcomayo River. The Paraguay River and the Bay of Asunción in the north ...

on May 5 and officially joined the Armada Nacional as the flagship on May 13, based on Decree ''No. 40.178''. The gunboat was incorporated into the ''Flotilla de Guerra'' by Decree ''No. 40.220'' on 20 May 1931. Before the outbreak of the war, it only managed to make a trial voyage to

Puerto Casado Puerto Casado (formerly known as La Victoria) is one of the 4 districts in Alto Paraguay Department, Paraguay. It includes the town of La Victoria or Puerto La Victoria, which has a population of around 7,800. History and tourism Founded in 18 ...

, starting on 24 August 1931. On the return journey, ''Paraguay'' ran aground at Piquente Cambá, but it managed to free itself without damage after 28 days. At the outbreak of the war, ''Humaitá'' and ''Paraguay'' formed the modern core of the Paraguayan Navy.

Chaco War

The main task of the fleet during the war was troop transport. Ships departed from Asunción loaded with soldiers and equipment to Puerto Casado, from where reinforcements reached the front by trucks or continued their journey by river to

Bahía Negra Bahía Negra is a district in the department of Alto Paraguay, Paraguay. Located on the right bank of the Paraguay River its population count is estimated to be around 2537, as of 2023. Location Bahía Negra is located in the northeastern ex ...

. On the return trip, they transported wounded and Bolivian prisoners. ''Paraguay'' embarked on its first transport mission on 5 August 1932. In 4 months and 17 days, it made ten trips, transporting 10,301 soldiers and 160 tons of other cargo to the front and bringing 2,009 Paraguayans and 188 Bolivian prisoners to the capital. According to official data, the gunboat made a total of 81 trips on the

Paraguay River The Paraguay River (''Ysyry Paraguái'' in Guarani language, Guarani, ''Rio Paraguai'' in Portuguese language, Portuguese, ''Río Paraguay'' in Spanish language, Spanish) is a major river in south-central South America, running through Brazil, Bol ...

, transporting 51,867 soldiers to Puerto Casado. Ehlers states that it made 84 round trips, transporting about 267,000 people along with its sister ship. The gunboats also provided anti-aircraft cover for unarmed vessels and served as anti-aircraft batteries in Asunción and Puerto Casado between convoys.

Peacetime rebellions

The first rebellion involving ''Paraguay'' was the coup d'état by Colonel

Rafael Franco Rafael de la Cruz Franco Ojeda (October 22, 1896 – September 16, 1973) was a Paraguayan military officer, politician and statesman who served as President of Paraguay after the February Revolution, from February 20, 1936, to August 13, 1937 ...

on 17 February 1936. President

Eusebio Ayala Eusebio Ayala Bordenave (August 14, 1875 – June 4, 1942) was a Paraguayan politician who served as the 28th President of Paraguay from 7 November 1921 to 12 April 1923 and again from 15 August 1932 to 17 February 1936. A member of the Liberal ...

took refuge on board. Initially, the navy supported forces loyal to the president, but when the situation turned against him, the highest commanders declared Ayala their prisoner. The gunboat underwent a refit in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

in 1937 and another, combined with maneuvers, in 1941. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, due to a fuel shortage, the ship did not undertake significant activity. It was stationed at the

Sajonia Sajonia is a barrio (neighbourhood) of Asunción, the capital of Paraguay. It is located next to the Paraguay River and has a population of 14,873 people. This barrio is home to different social classes, but most predominantly middle- to upper-clas ...

base and only left during Fleet Week. In 1947, both gunboats underwent their third refit in Buenos Aires. During this time (March 7), another coup took place in Paraguay. The rebellion also spread to the ships stationed in

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

– on May 7, supporters of the '' Febreristas'' arrested government-loyal crew members on ''Paraguay'', resulting in 4 injuries. Since the ships had left for refit without combat equipment, they went to

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

, where they received modest armament. The ships began their journey to Paraguay via the

Paraná River The Paraná River ( ; ; ) is a river in south-central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina for some ."Parana River". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. ...

on July 5, crossing the Paraguayan border at

Paso de Patria Paso de Patria is a town at the Argentina–Paraguay border, in the Ñeembucú department of Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–P ...

five days later. ''Humaitá'' was hit by an aerial bomb the day before and ran aground near the Argentine city of Ituzaingó on July 12. ''Paraguay'' stayed with its sister gunboat, and both were attacked by government aircraft. Uninvolved ships ''Capitán Cabral'' and ''Mariscal Estigarribia'' and steamers ''Helen Gunther'' and ''Tirador'' arrived at the gunboats' location on July 15. Three days later, ''Humaitá'' was shelled from the land, the air attacks continued, and on July 24 and 25, the entrenched gunboat crews were attacked from land and water. Rising river levels allowed the gunboats to attempt a breakout, but it was thwarted by

Alfredo Stroessner Alfredo Stroessner Matiauda (; 3 November 1912 – 16 August 2006) was a Paraguayan politician, army general and Military dictatorship, military dictator who ruled as the 42nd president of Paraguay from 15 August 1954 until his overthrow in 19 ...

's forces. The gunboats found refuge in the Argentine Itá Ibaté, where they were interned until the end of the fighting. In September 1955, a military coup took place in Argentina, overthrowing president

Juan Perón Juan Domingo Perón (, , ; 8 October 1895 – 1 July 1974) was an Argentine military officer and Statesman (politician), statesman who served as the History of Argentina (1946-1955), 29th president of Argentina from 1946 to Revolución Libertad ...

. During this time, ''Paraguay'' was in Buenos Aires, and Perón took refuge on the Paraguayan gunboat until he was flown to Asunción on October 2. ''Paraguay'' underwent modernization in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

in 1968. The ship, equipped with radar and additional anti-aircraft artillery, suffered a bow boiler fire the same year. The fire also damaged the second boiler and turbines. Due to the damage, the ship was decommissioned as a combat vessel in 1972 and repurposed for representational and training functions as a stationary unit (

). It underwent repairs in 1975, 1980, and 1993.

Repairs and modernizations of ''Paraguay''

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Paraguay Ships of the Paraguayan Navy 1930 ships Ships built in Italy Ships built by Cantieri navali Odero Gunboats of the Paraguayan Navy