The War of the Pacific, also known as the Saltpeter War and by multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought over Chilean claims on coastal Bolivian territory in the Atacama Desert, the war ended with a Chilean victory, which gained for the country a significant amount of resource-rich territory from Peru and Bolivia. The Chilean Army took Bolivia's nitrate-rich coastal region, and Peru was defeated by the Chilean Navy.
Callao is a seaside city and region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area. Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Callao municipality consists of the whole Callao Region, which is also coterminous with the Province of Callao. Founded in 1537 by the Spanish, the city has a long naval history as one of the main ports in Latin America and the Pacific, as it was one of vital Spanish towns during the colonial era. Central Callao is about 15 km (9.3 mi) west of the Historic Centre of Lima.
The Peruvian Navy is an executive body of the Ministry of Defense, a branch of the Armed Forces and, as such, it takes part of the Joint Command of the Peruvian Armed Forces.
Mejillones is a Chilean port city and commune in Antofagasta Province in the Antofagasta Region. Its name is the plural form of the Spanish mejillón meaning "mussel", referring to a particularly abundant species and preferred staple food of its indigenous inhabitants. It is situated in the northern side of the Mejillones Peninsula, 60 km north of the city of Antofagasta. To the west, in the northern part of peninsula, is Punta Angamos, the site of the naval combat of the same name, fought during the War of the Pacific (1879-1883).
Antofagasta is a port city in northern Chile, about 1,100 kilometres (700 mi) north of Santiago. It is the capital of Antofagasta Province and Antofagasta Region. According to the 2015 census, the city has a population of 402,669.
USS Dealey (DE-1006), the lead ship of her class of destroyer escort, was a ship of the United States Navy in commission from 1954 to 1972 and named for Commander Samuel D. Dealey (1906-1944), who was awarded the Medal of Honor as commanding officer of the famous World War II submarine USS Harder (SS-257).
La Punta is a district of the Constitutional Province of Callao in Peru, and one of the seven districts that make up the port city of Callao. It is located in a peninsula in the western part of the province and is almost entirely surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, except on its northeastern side, where it is bordered by downtown Callao.
The Battle of Callao occurred on May 2, 1866 between a Spanish fleet under the command of Admiral Casto Méndez Núñez and the fortified battery emplacements of the Peruvian port city of Callao during the Chincha Islands War. The Spanish fleet bombarded the port of Callao, and eventually withdrew without any notable damage to the city structures, according to the Peruvian and American sources; or after having silenced almost all the guns of the coastal defenses, according to the Spanish accounts and French observers. This proved to be the final battle of the war between Spanish and Peruvian forces.
BAPAlmirante Grau(CLM-81) is a De Zeven Provinciën-class cruiser that served in the Royal Netherlands and Peruvian navies. Completed for the Dutch in 1953 as HNLMS De Ruyter (C801), she was acquired by Peru in 1973 and served as fleet flagship. Almirante Grau underwent a major modernization program between 1985 and 1988 during which she was fitted with new weapons and electronics. She was the last gun cruiser in service in any navy before being decommissioned on 26 September 2017. In 2019, it was announced that she would be preserved as a museum ship.
The Battle of Punta Gruesa was a naval action that took place on May 21, 1879, during the War of the Pacific between Chile and Peru. This may be labelled as the second part of the Naval Battle of Iquique, although it is described in many sources as a separate battle.
BAPIslay(SS-35) is one of two Type 209/1100 submarines ordered by the Peruvian Navy on 24 June 1970. She was built by the German shipbuilder Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft AG at its shipyard in Kiel. She is named after the Battle of Islay which took place between naval forces of Peru and Chile on 12 January 1838. Following sea trials in the North Sea, she arrived to its homeport of Callao in 1974. After almost a decade in service she was overhauled in Kiel in 1983 for further use.
BAPArica(SS-36) is one of two Type 209/1100 submarines ordered by the Peruvian Navy on 24 June 1970. She was built by the German shipbuilder Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft AG at its shipyard in Kiel. She is named after the naval battle of Arica, an engagement between naval forces of Peru and Chile on 7 June 1880. Following sea trials in the North Sea, she arrived to its homeport of Callao in 1975. After almost a decade in service she was overhauled in Kiel between 1983 and 1984 for further use.
BAP Angamos (SS-31) is one of two Type 209/1200 submarines ordered by the Peruvian Navy on August 12, 1976. She was built by the German shipbuilder Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft AG at its shipyard in Kiel. She was originally named Casma after a battle which took place between naval forces of Peru and Chile on January 12, 1839. Following sea trials in the North Sea, she arrived to its homeport of Callao in 1981. After a major overhaul by Servicio Industrial de la Marina at Callao in 1998, she was renamed Angamos after the battle of the same name which took place on October 8, 1879.
BAPPisagua(SS-33) is one of two Type 209/1200 submarines ordered by the Peruvian Navy on 21 March 1977. It was built by the German shipbuilder Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft AG at its shipyard in Kiel. It is named after the battle of Pisagua which took place between Chilean warships and Peruvian coastal artillery on 2 November 1879. While undergoing sea trials in the North Sea, it collided with a Soviet ship on 8 April 1982 and suffered damage which delayed its commissioning. It eventually arrived to its homeport of Callao in 1983.
BAPChipana(SS-34) is one of two Type 209/1200 submarines ordered by the Peruvian Navy on March 21, 1977. She was built by the German shipbuilder Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft AG at its shipyard in Kiel.
San Lorenzo Island is the largest island of Peru. The island is in the Pacific Ocean near the port of Callao and measures 16.5 square kilometres (6.4 sq mi).
The Naval campaign of the War of the Pacific or Saltpeter war was a naval campaign that took place from 1879 to 1884 involving Peru, and Chile undertaken in order to support land forces in the Atacama Desert. Due to the rough terrain and few transport methods it was imperitive to have control of the ports in order to have a good supply source in the region. It resulted in a successful campaign by Chile, and the success of their land campaigns leading to the loss of Bolivia's access to the ocean.
The corvette Abtao was a wooden ship built in Scotland during 1864 of 1.600 tons and 800 IHP. She fought in the War of the Pacific and was in service for the Chilean Navy until 1922.
The Battle of Iquique was a naval engagement that occurred between a Chilean corvette under the command of Arturo Prat and a Peruvian ironclad under the command of Miguel Grau Seminario on 21 May 1879, during the naval stage of the War of the Pacific, and resulted in a Peruvian victory. The War of the Pacific was a conflict that pitted Chile against Peru and Bolivia. The battle took place off the then-Peruvian port of Iquique. The Peruvian ironclad Huáscar, commanded by Miguel Grau Seminario, sank the Esmeralda, a Chilean wooden corvette captained by Arturo Prat Chacón, after four hours of combat.
Aquiles was a brigantine, originally Spanish, that later served in the Chilean Navy. It was driven ashore and wrecked at Callao, Peru on 24 July 1839.
Peru