Passage of Humaitá

19 February 1868, Humaitá fortress, Paraguay River

Brazilian success

Humaitá's batteries and river chain had blocked the Paraguay River for nearly three years. On a high river, six Brazilian ironclads ran past at night in three pairs, each big ironclad lashed to a small river monitor, crossing over the submerged chain. The hidden Timbó battery upstream did as much damage as the fortress. All six got through, and Paraguay evacuated its capital, Asunción.

Imperial Brazilian Navy

8 ships, none lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
Barroso First pair	Ironclad	Survived
Rio Grande First pair	Monitor Pará class	Survived
Bahia Flagship; second pair; about 145 hits	Ironclad	Damaged
Alagoas Second pair; tow shot away, crossed again alone	Monitor Pará class	Survived
Tamandaré Third pair; about 110 hits	Ironclad	Survived
Pará Third pair	Monitor Pará class	Survived

Flotillas and other craft	Number	Lost
Covering ironclads Lima Barros and Silvado gave covering fire but did not pass.	2	0

Flotillas and other craft

Number

Lost

Covering ironclads

Lima Barros and Silvado gave covering fire but did not pass.

Paraguayan army

No ships engaged

Forts, batteries and aircraft	Strength	Outcome
Humaitá fortress Batteries along a sharp bend of the river, with a chain boom across it that the high water had sunk out of reach.	Not recorded	Passed
Timbó battery Hidden upstream of the fortress; it did as much damage as Humaitá itself.	Not recorded	Passed

Forts, batteries and aircraft

Strength

Outcome

Humaitá fortress

Batteries along a sharp bend of the river, with a chain boom across it that the high water had sunk out of reach.

Not recorded

Passed

Timbó battery

Hidden upstream of the fortress; it did as much damage as Humaitá itself.

Not recorded

Passed

Map

Ironclads steam on towards Asunción February 1868