Fuerzas sutiles
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fuerzas sutiles ("subtle forces") was an 18th century term, used in the Spanish Empire and its successor states, referring to the strategic usage of small vessels in naval warfare.[1][2] This included gunboats, xebecs and armed feluccas, originally used to defend ports before being re-purposed to offensive tactics, escorting convoys and operate in seas and rivers.[3]
The concept was popularized by captain Antonio Barceló, after which the Spanish Armada developed it extensively and with great efficacy, turning subtle forces into what has been described as "sea guerrillas".[4] This kind of naval warfare would be known in France as flotilles a l’espagnole ("Spanish-style flotillas").[1][2]
Traditional nomenclature in the Spanish Armada included four stages: buques de porte mayor ("major-sized ships" of over 34 guns, like ships of the line and frigates), buques de porte menor ("minor-sized ships" of 16 guns, like corvettes) and fuerzas sutiles (under 16 guns), complemented with the marina corsaria or privateers, including guarda costa.[5] Subtle forces therefore covered a wide variety of vessels and boats, like gunboats, feluccas, xebecs, pontoons, barges, brigantines, fireships, skiffs, pataches, tartanes, zumacas and the increasingly rare galleys and galiots.[1][6] Due to their small size, their number is often absent from historical records of battles or fleets, but they are conversely recorded to be an instrumental part of the Hispanic naval strategies.[7]
Their main advantages were their speed, lightness, versatility and manoeuvrability, for which they mixed Lateen rigs with rowing and hulls of little draught, allowing them to move with little to no wind, go unnoticed easily and move through paths impassable for larger ships.[1][2] They were characteristically equipped with a very prominent firepower for their size, with large caliber cannons and howitzers often employing incendiary ammunition. They were also sometimes armored, with recurved armor which along with its small size turned them extremely hard to hit by enemy artillery.[1][2] The main disadvantage of subtle forces was their vulnerability to bad weather, which could make their usage dangerous or even impossible.[2] In the late 19th century, they were sometimes fitted with steam engines.[2]
Subtle forces were sometimes deployed from either ship, while other times they worked autonomously or were tied to land jurisdiction.[8] They were predominantly used to protect supply lines, attacking bigger ships, conducting night combat and serving as mobile naval artillery.[3]
