The life and death of Cosme Damian de Churruca and Elorsa
Childhood and youth
In the Basque Country, in the city of Motrico, in the same estate that was built by José Antonio de Gastagneta, in 1761 a boy was born named Cosme Damian de Churruka and Elors. His father was the urban alcalde, Francisco de Churruka and Iriondo, and his mother was Don Maria Teresa de Elors and Iturris. He was not the first child in the family - the boy had an older brother, Juan Baldomomero (1758-1838), who achieved great success in linguistics and jurisprudence, and also became one of the heroes of the Spanish War of Independence (as the war with France is called in Spain in 1808- 1815). Since childhood, Cosme Damian was a humble, restrained, kind and sympathetic person, and he managed to maintain these features throughout his life, because of which, if not all, the vast majority of people who met him during his life later spoke about him with great sympathy and respect. In addition, the boy was smart, very smart, which opened up great opportunities for him in the future. He received his first education at the cathedral gymnasium in Burgos, and then he almost embarked on the path of church life, intending to become ordained priests, but the sea did not let go of the descendant of the great Admiral Gastagneta. From childhood, he lived on stories about the admiral, naval battles and travels, and therefore was not indifferent to the fleet. But that was not the decisive factor - there, in Burgos, Cosmas met with the archbishop's nephew, a young officer of the Marine Corps, and a conversation with him finally convinced the young Basque that his future was connected exclusively with the Armada.
After the collegiate gymnasium, he entered school in Vergara, at the same time becoming a member of the Royal Basque Society of Friends of the Country, which he did not leave until his death. This was followed by a special military education - in the 1776 year he entered the Academy of Cadiz, and finished his studies already in Ferrol, in the 1778 year. At the same time, he is so successful in the study of the naval sciences that the leadership decides to distinguish him from his fellow students by upgrading the 16-year-old boy to the rank of midshipman frigate (alferez de fragata). At the end of the year, Churruca comes under the command of Francisco Gil de Tabado, one of the most prominent sailors of Spain at that time, and sets off on his first voyage aboard the ship San Vicente. Soon he happened to take part in the great war against Great Britain, which was waged together with the American separatists and the French allies. Here Churruka showed himself as a courageous and skillful sailor, easily plotting difficult courses, boldly behaved under enemy fire. In 1781, he was already aboard the Santa Barbara frigate, under the command of another famous Spanish sailor, Ignacio Maria de Alava, and took part in the general assault on the fortress of Gibraltar. And again he proved himself a competent, skillful and courageous officer, initiating a risky maneuver, as a result of which his frigate tried to help flaming floating batteries, which were under fire from the British fortress artillery. After the failure of the assault, "Santa Barbara" went to Montevideo, and again fate allowed Churruka to prove himself - the young officer found an error in the navigator’s calculus, as a result of which at the very last moment he managed to save the ship from landing on the rocks. They begin to talk about a young, but very talented officer, not only aboard Santa Barbara, but throughout the Armada. However, this was only the beginning.
Scientist, cartographer and combat officer
In 1783, the war ended, and Churruka returned to Spain in order to continue his education. He again entered the Ferrol Academy, and he was accepted despite the lack of free places in it - no one wanted to lose such promising shots because of such trifles. Churruka would not be himself if he had not proved himself in the best way again - starting from 1784, he begins not only to study himself, but also to teach, replacing absent professors, and so successfully that he repeatedly breaks the applause of students, including 1787 year, when he exemplarily organizes exams in mechanics, mathematics and astronomy. Many have already prophesied to him the fate of an outstanding teacher, specialist and theorist, when he received an order - he is preparing to sail on a long voyage. In 1788, an expedition was prepared in Cadiz to study the Strait of Magellan, as well as to conduct other scientific research and experiments in South America. Two ships were supposed to set sail - Santa Casilda and Santa Eulalia, under the command of Don Antonio de Cordoba. And don Antonio de Cordoba, a seasoned captain and sailor, asked his superiors to send him the 26-year-old Churruka, who by that time had been promoted to ship lieutenant (teniente de navio), so that he would head the astronomical and geographical part. The authorities gave a green light, and Churruka went on a heavy voyage to the Strait of Magellan, where he drew up an accurate map of the region, and also became the proud owner of his name bay on one of the islands. However, sailing was not easy - due to the not the best organization of crossings and food purchases, the crews of two ships were severely affected by scurvy, and Cosme Damian Churruka himself was among those who almost went to another world. In 1789, he returned home and was assigned to recover in a relatively calm environment in San Fernando, as an employee of the local observatory. But the ebullient nature of the Basque nobleman did not let him just sit still, and he again and again participated in various local projects that did not allow him to recover completely. Finally, in 1791, under pressure from friends, he goes on vacation to the province of Gipuzkoa, where his health finally comes in order, and he returns to duty, full of enthusiasm.
Just at that time, a new large-scale expedition to North America was preparing, the task of which was, among other things, compiling clear maps of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean islands and the coast of California. Churruka, of course, fell into the composition of this expedition, at the same time receiving a promotion to the rank of captain of a frigate (capitano de fragata). The whole enterprise was organized in a big way, Cosme Damian was given command of two ships at once - the brigantines Descubridor and Vihilante, and the personal task was to map the Antilles. The voyage lasted 28 months, and ended only in the 1795 year. Churruka managed to prove himself again in it - this time not only as a researcher, but also as a military officer, since soon after sailing a war broke out with the Revolutionary France, and more than once the Descubridor and Vihilanta had to shoot cannons at hostile ships and fortresses. He had to deliver important letters in the West Indies, to participate in the invasion of Martinique, to protect the merchant ships of the company from Gipuzkoa, in which he was a member, and which provided him with constant income. All these actions again undermined the health of Churruka, and he was forced to stay in Havana, where he began to recover little by little, and to consolidate all the results of his work. He returned home only in the 1798 year, and after this time less and less remained for science - there were continuous wars with the traditional adversary, Great Britain, and Spain had no time for research. However, Churruka still continued to work on the results of his voyage to the West Indies, and began to little by little publish the results. At the same time, a short cease-fire was established between Spain and Great Britain, and a Spanish researcher was sent to Paris on a scientific mission, where he happened to meet with the First Consul Napoleon. He was admired by Churruka, surrounded him with honor, helped to publish his works, in particular, very accurate maps of the Antilles, and presented a special gift - the so-called “Saber of Honor”, which actually signified the high recognition of the works of the Spanish officer, not only for his Fatherland, but and for France. Alas, at this Churruka’s peaceful activities actually ended, and there was only war ahead.
Cosma Damian returned home from Havana in the 1798 year aboard the battleship “Conquistador”. Immediately upon his return, he was promoted to the rank of captain of the ship (capitan de navio), and was appointed to command the same "Conquistador." The ship and crew were in a deplorable state, as witnessed by the freshly baked captain during his journey from America, and serious work was required to bring him into a more or less sensible form. But since his commander was called Cosme Damian de Churruk and Elors, he simply could not help but be brought into exemplary order. Here, the famous Basque proved to be both a talented organizer, and as a diplomat, and a politician - despite the fact that the team was a real rabble, he did not treat it like a rabble, and was able to instill a unified corporate spirit among sailors and officers. The matter also concerned the modernization of the ship itself - a number of improvements were made that increase the strength of the hull and maneuverability. The team gained iron discipline, and moreover, fanatical devotion to its commander. The combat effectiveness of the ship also increased, for which Churruka used every opportunity to chase his sailors in cables or engage in artillery exercises. As part of the squadron, which arrived in Brest in 1799 for action together with the French, his Conquistador was the best. Here he took up a slightly more familiar affair, having written a number of works concerning the maintenance of order and discipline in the Navy, after which this text was propagated in a local printing house and distributed throughout all Spanish ships. The techniques developed by Churruka proved to be very effective - on all ships suffering from poor order among the crew, the situation soon began to improve. The squadron commander, Federico Gravina, was delighted with the activities of his subordinate and friend. This was followed in 1802 by a trip to Paris, honor and respect, and, like a cold shower upon returning to Brest - news that, according to the agreements of Spain with France, Armada pledged to transfer 6 of her battleships to the French, and his Conquistador was among them. Usually calm Churruka was furious, but could not do anything. Returning home, he did not return to the fleet until the end of the 1803 year, doing business in his native Motrico, including taking the place of the alcalde who was freed after the death of his father.
But the Armada could not be scattered by such personnel, and Cosme Damian was returned to the fleet, making him responsible for putting in order the battleship Principe de Asturias. And again, worries about organizing a loose crew into an exemplary one followed, and again Churruka simultaneously began to actively engage in scientific work, albeit in the field of the navy. Together with Antonio Escagno, he wrote at the end of the 1803 of the year "Marine Dictionary", which will then be published in many European languages and will be used even at the beginning of the XX century, and at the beginning of the 1804 of the year he sharply criticized the artillery work of Armada. There was criticism, ranging from a relatively small caliber of guns (most of the battleships in Spain armed with a maximum of 24-pound guns, while the British in the hondeke had 32-pound guns), to frankly disgusting preparation of artillery calculations. The situation in which the Armada artillery was at that moment was awful - due to the war with Great Britain, unequal and predatory treaties with France and the frankly ineffective government, funding for the fleet was minimized, and there was not even enough money for exercises using old methods did not give the desired effect. In fact, Armada fired worse in 1804 than in 1740! Of course, a man like Churruka could not help but follow the principle of “criticize - offer”, and published a work entitled “Instrucciones sobre puntería para uso de los bajeles de SM”, which contained direct recommendations for the preparation of gun crews, signed programs exercises, established standards for rate of fire and accuracy, and created a clear system, following which could reduce the backlog from England in terms of artillery in a fairly short time. The work was replicated and distributed among the ships of Armada, but alas - only after Trafalgar. And Churruka himself, having put in order the “Principe de Asturias” as much as he could, but realizing that he would not be assigned to command the future flagship of the fleet, filed a rather unusual request - about the withdrawal from the reserve and transfer to him under the command of the battleship “San Juan Nepomuseno” ", With special privilege to change the ship the way he himself wants. Thanks to his authority, he achieved this privilege, and the former 74-gun battleship was re-equipped and somewhat modernized, becoming the 82-gun. The team was recruited and prepared according to the high standards of its Basque captain, and by 1805, it was undoubtedly one of the most combat-ready ships of the whole Armada.
Trafalgar
True, San Juan did not do without a fly in the ointment. Not all of San Juan Nepomuseno’s modernization was completed on time, as La Carraca’s arsenal did not have all the necessary resources, and in some cases the work was simply sabotaged by the land arsenal masters, whom the government had not paid salaries for many months. The team, recruited from just anyone, quickly learned the discipline, especially after Churruka ordered to convey to each individual the contents of his disciplinary code, which indicated specific misconduct and specific punishments for them. But alas, there were several people who quite freely interpreted the information received, and in 1805 there was a riot, which, however, did not spill over into the “hot phase”, and after eliminating the root cause (sailors who left their post during the military alert and stole the officer’s a drink, and when in response to the wine portion the whole team lost, who began to provoke a rebellion) the order on the ship was restored. "San Juan Nepomuseno" did not participate in the battle at Cape Finisterre, since his squadron was in Ferrol, and was not noted in any major events at the beginning of the year. Only in September did he reconnect with the main forces of Villeneuve and Gravina, and went to Cadiz, where the ships stood for several months. All this time he spent on combat training of the ship entrusted to him, restoration of crew discipline after the riot, and ... The wedding. Being at the age of 44, he did not marry for a long time, although he was considered an enviable groom until he met his chosen one - Maria de los Dolores Ruiz de Apodaca, daughter of Count de Venadito and sister of one of the junior officers of San Juan. This event was noted by all officers of the Armada in Cadiz - Churruka was a universal favorite, for him sincerely rejoiced and empathized with him. It seemed that he still had to do so much, enjoy his family life, take up the reform of the Armada, and put his artillery in order ... But then followed a fatal launch at sea, contrary to the opinion of Spanish officers and the Battle of Trafalgar. Shortly before him, on October 11, Churruka sent his brother the last letter describing the bitter situation the fleet faced - 8 months of non-payment of salaries, loss of morale, apology and gratitude for the fact that he took upon himself the contents of Cosma Damian’s wife, since he himself ran out of all means. This letter ends with gloomy words - "If you find out that my ship was captured, you know - I died."
From this moment begins the last magnificent act of the life of Cosme Damian de Churruca and Elorsa. When Villeneuve ordered the squadron to turn 180 degrees against the wind at the start of the battle, the captain of San Juan said: “The fleet is doomed. The French admiral does not know what he is doing. He destroyed us all. ” The line of the Franco-Spanish fleet mixed up, a gap formed in the center - where two columns of admirals Nelson and Collingwood rushed, crushing the Allied ships. But Churruka did not give up: skillfully maneuvering and snarling with well-aimed fire (almost the only Armada ship that day, shooting a little worse than the British), he clashed immediately with six English battleships: the 98-gun Dreadnought, the 74-gun Defense, and Achilles ”,“ Thunderrer ”and“ Bellerophon ”, and 80-gun“ Tonant ”. The captain of the Bellerophon died; the remaining ships suffered one or another loss, sometimes very heavy. But San Juan was not invulnerable: from 530 crew members 100 were killed during the battle and 150 people were injured, i.e. almost half of all who were on board. Churruka, standing under enemy fire on the upper deck, continued to command until the last, even when his leg was torn off by a shell, and, not wanting to leave the post and so as not to bleed, ordered the bloody stump to be placed in a bucket of flour. Already losing consciousness, the captain forbade his officers to surrender after his death, and ordered the fight to continue. In the last words spoken to his brother-in-law, Jose Ruiz de Apodake, Churruka recalled his wife, whom he continued to think about every moment of his life, and thanked the sailors and officers for their excellent service. Only when the losses reached colossal proportions, and the senior officer of the ship, Francisco de Moya, was killed by a direct hit of the nucleus, Lieutenant Joaquin Nunez Falcon decided to surrender the ship. "San Juan Nepomuseno" was one of the last Spanish ships to lower the flag in that battle. The British were anticipating how they would capture such a famous sailor as Churruk, but only found his cooling body and Nunyes crookedly smiling, who bluntly declared that if his captain were alive, the ship would never give up.
The San Juan was barely able to tow to Gibraltar, since it was quickly picking up water, and conditionally anchored at the fortress already in a half-flooded state. It was partially restored, but he never went to sea again, continuing to serve as a non-self-propelled floating battery and floating barracks. As a sign of respect to the ship, its crew and the commander, “San Juan Nepomuseno” never changed his name, and the captain’s cabin remained inaccessible forever — there was a sign on the door with the words “Cosme Damian Churruka” in gold letters. If someone still wanted to go into the cabin, then at the entrance he was obliged to take off his hat as a sign of respect for this great sailor, scientist and military officer, who left this world at a fairly young age in 44. Already posthumously he was promoted to the rank of admiral, and his nephew was given the title of Count Churruk. In addition, the state undertook financial obligations for the funeral of this prominent man, and even appointed a pension to his widow - but, apparently, they paid him irregularly, as there is information that Dolores had difficulties with money throughout her modest life, and relied more on the help of relatives. Cosme's eldest marriage, Juan Baldemero, recalled the deceased all his life, and in his courage he always took it as his model. Monuments to Churruka now stand in Motrico, his hometown, as well as Ferrol and San Fernando, where he studied and created; Streets in El Astillero and Barcelona, as well as the lead ship of a series of destroyers of the middle of the 20th century, are named after him. In the Pantheon of the illustrious marines in San Fernando, there is now a tombstone, under which Churruka himself is buried. José Ruiz de Apodac, brother-in-law of Cosme Damian, owns the words that can end the story of this glorious husband:
To be continued ...
- arturpraetor
- Humanist, engineer, scientist, sailor. Jorge Juan and Santisilia
Armada officers. Jose Antonio de Gastagneta
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