Descripción
A Rochefort: Chez Goulard, 1827. 16mo, 72 p., original 1/4 leather over marbled boards. First and only edition of this exceptionally scarce military work. Cosme Damien de Churruca y Elorza (1761-1805) was a Basque nobleman, admiral of the Spanish Armada, and commander of the ship San Juan Nepomuceno, which he defended to his death during the Battle of Trafalgar. 'Under the command of Churruca, the San Juan Nepomuceno demonstrated military precision, daring and efficiency, despite finding itself alone against six English ships, including HMS Defiance, HMS Tonnant, HMS Bellerophon and HMS Dreadnought. After being reached by a cannonball which tore his leg, Churruca died with the admiration of his enemies, who displayed his vessel in Gibraltar to visitors with his name written in golden letters above the cabin, and advising those who would enter to remove their covers, as if don Cosme Damián de Churruca y Elorza was still present. His officers kept their word, and only lowered the colours after his death. Unable to break the circle of fire and in order to prevent the vessel sinking with all wounded trapped below, the San Juan yielded with over 100 dead and 150 wounded on board.' The present work is de Churucca's only book, a short treatise on artillery, and is the copy of noted US officer John Adolf Dahlgren (1809-1870), who founded the US Navy's ordnance department and who was responsible for significant advances in naval gunnery during his lifetime, including the creation of the eponymous Dahlgren gun. This copy features Dahlgren's signature on verso of fep and a short biography (taped upside down) to the rear endpaper. This is a VG copy, with inner hinges taped, wear and heavy chafing to spine leather, light soiling internally, with tearing to errata leaf, but in all a sound copy of a rare and important work relating to ordnance and naval gunnery. OCLC locates just two copies worldwide (Strasbourg and Paris). N° de ref. del artículo ABE-1681583082988
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