Naval campaign of the War of the Pacific | |||||||
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Part of War of the Pacific | |||||||
Capture of the ironclad Huáscar, oil painting by Thomas Somerscales. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Chile | Peru | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Juan Williams Galvarino Riveros Juan José Latorre | Miguel Grau † José María García |
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 (as well as Bolivia), and Chile, undertaken in order to support land forces in the Atacama Desert. Although the conflict lasted until 1884, the primary naval engagements occurred between 1879 and 1880. Due to the rough terrain and few transport methods it was imperative to have control of the ports in order to have a good supply source in the region. [1] It resulted in a successful campaign by Chile, and the success of their land campaigns eventually led to a Chilean victory, which cut off Bolivia's access to the coast.
In 1879 Bolivia did not possess any ships, but on March 26, 1879, Bolivian President Hilarion Daza Groselle formally offered letters of marque to any ships willing to go to combat for Bolivia. [2] Bolivia had not signed the Paris Declaration Respecting Maritime Law but the United States, Britain and France stood by the treaty and refused to accept the legality of Bolivia's act. Since Bolivia did not have any ports because Chile had occupied them, and because Peru discouraged the use of Letters of Marque, the naval conflict was left to be resolved between Chile and Peru.
The power of the Chilean navy was based on the twin central-battery ironclad frigates, Cochrane and Blanco Encalada. The rest of the fleet was formed by the corvettes O'Higgins , Chacabuco , Abtao , and Esmeralda , the gunboat Magallanes , and the schooner Covadonga .
The Peruvian navy based its power on the broadside ironclad frigate Independencia and the monitor Huáscar. The rest of the fleet was completed by the corvette Unión , the gunboat Pilcomayo, and the coastal monitors Atahualpa and Manco Cápac, purchased from the United States at the end of the Civil War. The coastal monitors cannot be classed among the seagoing ships of Perú as they were permanently stationed, one at Callao and the other at Arica. [3] Although both the Chilean and Peruvian ironclads seemed evenly matched, the Chilean ironclads had twice the armor and held a greater range and hitting power
Warship | tons (L.ton) | Horse- power | Speed (Knots) | Armour (Inch) | Main Artillery | Built Year | Warship | tons (L.ton) | Horse- power | Speed (Knots) | Armour | Main Artillery | Built Year |
Ironclad Capital ships | |||||||||||||
Cochrane | 3,560 | 2,000 | 9–12.8 | up to 9 | 6 × 9-inch guns 2 × 50-pound guns 1 × 20-pound gun 1 × 9-pound gun 1 × Nordenfelt gun | 1874 | Huascar | 1,130 | 1,200 | 10–11 | 4+1⁄2 | 2 × 300-pound guns 2 × 40-pound guns | 1865 |
Blanco Encalada | 3,560 | 3,000 | 9–12.8 | up to 9 | 6 × 9-inch guns 2 × 50-pound guns 1 × 20-pound gun 1 9-pound gun 2 × Nordenfelt guns | 1875 | Independencia | 2,004 | 1,500 | 12–13 | 4+1⁄2 | 2 × 150-pound guns 12 × 70-pound guns 4 × 32-pound guns | 1865 |
Ironclad Coastal monitors | |||||||||||||
Manco Cápac | 1,034 | 320 | 6 | 10 | 2 × 500 pound guns | 1864 | |||||||
Atahualpa | 1,034 | 320 | 6 | 10 | 2 × 500-pound guns | 1864 | |||||||
Wooden ships | |||||||||||||
O'Higgins | 1,670 | 1,200 | 12 | 3 × 115-pound guns 2 × 70-pound guns 4 × 40-pound guns | 1866 | Unión | 1.150 | 450 | 12–13 | 12 × 70-pound guns 1 × 12-pound gun | 1864 | ||
Chacabuco | 1,670 | 1,200 | 8-10 | 3 × 115-pound guns 2 × 70-pound guns 4 × 40-pound guns | 1866 | Pilcomayo | 600 | 180 | 10–11 | 2 × 70-pound guns 4 × 40-pound guns 4 × 12-pound guns | 1874 | ||
Abtao | 1,05 | 300 | 6 | 3 × 150-pound guns 3–4 × 40-pound guns | 1864 | Limeña | 1,163 | 450 | 12 | 2 × 40-pound guns | 1860 | ||
Magallanes | 950 | 1,200 | 11 | 1 × 115-pound gun 1 × 64-pound gun 2 × 20-pound guns | 1872 | Oroya | 1,159 | 400 | 12 | 2 × 40-pound guns | 1873 | ||
Covadonga | 412 | 140 | 5 | 2 × 70-pound guns 2 × 9-pound guns | 1858 | Chalaco | 1,000 | 300 | 12–14 | 4 × 70-pound guns 2 × 12-pound guns | 1893 | ||
Esmeralda | 850 | 200 | 3 | 12 × 40-pound guns | 1854 | Talismán | 310 | 90 | 10–11 | 1871 | |||
Amazonas | 1,970 | 2,400 | 11 | 1 × 6-inch gun | 1874 | Mayro | 671 | 250 | 5–6 | 2 × 12-pound guns | 1861 | ||
Angamos | 1,180 | 480 | 14 | 1 × 8-inch gun | 1875 | ||||||||
Toltén | 240 | 240 | 270 | 1875 | |||||||||
Torpedo boats | |||||||||||||
Colo Colo | 30 | 60 | 12.5 | 2 × Hotchkiss guns 2 × 14-inch Spar torpedoes | 1880 | Republica, Allay | 100 | 16 | 2 × Spar torpedoes | ||||
Tupacel | 30 | 60 | 12.5 | 2 × Hotchkiss guns 2 × 14-inch Spar torpedoes | 1880 |
In one of the first naval tactical moves of the war, the Peruvian port of Iquique was blocked by of the Chilean Navy. In the Battle of Iquique, which took place on May 21 of 1879, the Huáscar sank the Chilean corvette Esmeralda . At around the same time, the Peruvian frigate Independencia chased the Chilean schooner Covadonga through shallow coastal zones until the heavier Independencia rammed against a rock and ran aground in Punta Gruesa. The strategic result of the naval battles of Iquique and Punta Gruesa were to lift of the blockade of the port of Iquique.
The outgunned Huáscar managed to avoid engagement with the superior battleships of the Chilean navy for six months. Among the actions of these "Excursions of the Huáscar" are the Battle of Antofagasta (May 26, 1879) and the Second Battle Antofagasta (August 28, 1879). The most successful of the excursions was the capture of the steamship Rímac on July 23, 1879. Not only was the ship captured, but the cavalry regiment Carabineros de Yungay which was on board was also captured, making this the largest loss of the Chilean army so far. This caused a crisis in the Chilean government [5] : 78 which in turn caused the resignation of Admiral Juan Williams Rebolledo commander of the Chilean fleet, who was replaced by Commodore Galvarino Riveros Cárdenas, who devised a plan to catch the Huáscar.
Due to their successes, the Huáscar, and her captain Miguel Grau Seminario, became the primary target for the Chilean navy. In September 1879, the decision was made to launch a land invasion of Peru with the intention of sectioning off Callao and Arica. The navy was split into two parts, under the control of Admiral Galvarino Riveros Cárdenas, and planned to blockade Callao and Arica. In order to be successful, Grau and the Huáscar needed to be eliminated. The battle took place on October 9, 1879, it involved the Chilean ironclads Cochrane and the Blanco Encalada , and the Peruvian ironclad Huáscar and wooden Unión . Admiral Grau believed he could evade the Cochrane due to his perceived speed advantage, [6] but he was unaware of the upgrades to the ironclad that elevated its speed to 12 knots, which equaled the Huáscar. After falling into the Chilean trap, the Huáscar had no choice but to engage the Cochrane. [7] At 9:25 AM, the Huáscar fired on the Cochrane, which prompted the ironclad to move close to the Huáscar. After getting closer to the Huáscar, the Cochrane opened fire, striking the Huáscar multiple times. [7] At 9:45 AM, one of the shots hit the conning tower of the Huáscar, which was occupied by Admiral Grau, killing him instantly. [6] By 10:10 AM, the Blanco Encalada arrived, and by 10:55 AM, the battle was essentially over. After failing to intentionally sink the ship, the remaining crew of the Huáscar were captured and the ship was added to the Chilean fleet. By eliminating the most formidable Peruvian ship and Admiral Grau, the Chilean gained control of the sea, which they would retain for the remainder of the conflict. [7] This was the last engagement at sea between the two navies. The Chilean navy began to focus on blockades, and used their weaponry to support land troops, and bombarded cities. [8]
The blockade of Arica was conducted by the Chilean navy's ships Cochrane, Covadonga, and an unnamed armed transport, all three having arrived by December 7, 1879. The town of Arica was relatively well defended, with four batteries including one on a bluff, the other three built of sand and turf. Several foreign ships observed during the blockade, including corvettes from the US, France, and the UK. They also observed, on the 13th, an allied army of mixed armament, about 2,000 strong, augmenting the garrison to around 8,000. Many were native Amerindians from the mountains.
Arica was later taken by Chile in the Battle of Arica, on June 7, 1800, after the town had been weakened by the blockade, which prevented supply from the sea.
Callao was the primary port in Peru, located only eight miles (13 kilometers) from the capital city, Lima. The blockade began on April 10, 1880, and would last until January 17, 1881. Lima was captured by Chilean land forces on December 17, 1880, and when the Peruvian navy got word of this, they scuttled all the ships that were still in Callao's port. The city would be taken a month after Lima on January 17, 1881, which led to the eventual Chilean victory. [9]
Huáscar is an ironclad turret ship owned by the Chilean Navy built in 1865 for the Peruvian government. It is named after the 16th-century Inca emperor, Huáscar. She was the flagship of the Peruvian Navy and participated in the Battle of Pacocha and the War of the Pacific of 1879–1883. At the Battle of Angamos, Huáscar, captained by renowned Peruvian naval officer Miguel Grau Seminario, was captured by the Chilean fleet and commissioned into the Chilean Navy.
The Battle of Angamos was a naval encounter of the War of the Pacific fought between the navies of Chile and Perú at Punta Angamos, on 8 October 1879. The battle was the culminating point of a naval campaign that lasted about five months in which the Chilean Navy had the sole mission of eliminating its Peruvian counterpart. In the struggle, two armored frigates, led by Commodore Galvarino Riveros Cárdenas and Navy Captain Juan José Latorre battered and later captured the Peruvian monitor Huáscar, under Rear Admiral Miguel Grau Seminario.
Miguel María Grau Seminario was the most renowned Peruvian naval officer and hero of the naval battle of Angamos during the War of the Pacific (1879–1884). He was known as el Caballero de los Mares for his kind and chivalrous treatment of defeated enemies and is esteemed by both Peruvians and Chileans. He is an iconic figure for the Peruvian Navy, and one of the most famous merchant marine and naval military leaders of the Americas.
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.
Juan José Latorre Benavente Chilean Vice Admiral, one of the principal actors of the War of the Pacific, and hero of the Battle of Angamos.
The schooner Virgen de Covadonga was a ship that participated in the Chincha Islands War and the War of the Pacific, under Spanish and Chilean flags. She was launched in 1859. Covadonga hit a floating mine and sank off Chancay in 1880.
Juan Guillermo Moore Ruiz was a British Peruvian navy officer. He was killed during the Battle of Arica.
Almirante Cochrane was a central battery ship of the Chilean Navy in the late nineteenth century. She was built, like her twin, Blanco Encalada, in the UK in 1875. She participated in the War of the Pacific, with her most prominent action being her victory over the Peruvian turret ram Huáscar in the Angamos naval battle. Almirante Cochrane was part of the forces that defeated President José Manuel Balmaceda in the Chilean Civil War of 1891.
Carlos Arnaldo Condell De La Haza was a Chilean naval officer and hero of the Battle of Punta Gruesa during the start of the War of the Pacific.
Blanco Encalada was a central battery ship built by Earle's Shipbuilding Co. in England for the Chilean Navy in 1875. She was nicknamed El Blanco. She participated actively in the War of the Pacific, her most important action being the capture of the Peruvian monitor Huáscar during the Battle of Angamos.
The Battle of Iquique was a naval engagement on 21 May 1879, during the War of the Pacific, where a Chilean corvette commanded by Arturo Prat Chacón faced a Peruvian ironclad under Miguel Grau Seminario. The battle occurred off the port of Iquique, Peru, and ended with the sinking of the Chilean wooden corvette Esmeralda by the Peruvian ironclad Huáscar after four hours of combat, marking a victory for Peru.
The Tarapacá campaign was a short stage of the War of the Pacific in the last months of 1879, after the Chileans won definitive naval superiority at Angamos. It took its name from the region where it was fought.
Juan Bravo was a Chilean Navy sailor of Mapuche origin, hero of the naval Battle of Punta Gruesa during the War of the Pacific. Juan Bravo distinguished himself in the Battle of Punta Gruesa where he, while on board the schooner Covadonga, sniped down numerous Peruvians on board the ironclad Independencia.
The Naval Battle of Arica was a naval battle which took place on 27 February 1880 during the Blockade of Arica as part of the War of the Pacific.
BAP Unión was a corvette of the Peruvian Navy, originally ordered by the government of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. Built in France it was bought by the Peruvian Navy and during its service participated in the Chincha Islands War and in the War of the Pacific in which it was scuttled following the Blockade of Callao to prevent it falling into Chilean hands.
The Pilcomayo was originally a Peruvian gunboat involved in several actions during the War of the Pacific. Captured by the Chilean navy on November 18, 1879, it was repaired and participated in the blockade of the Peruvian ports. After the war it was used for hydrographic research, then as a training ship. In service until 1909, it was finally used as a pontoon at Talcahuano.
The Raids of the Huáscar were a series of raids that occurred by the Peruvian ironclad Huáscar under the command of Miguel Grau Seminario during the War of the Pacific. The actions kept the Chilean government in check for nearly five months which ended after the Battle of Angamos.
The Second Battle of Iquique was a naval battle of the War of the Pacific that occurred on July 10, 1879. During the battle, the Huáscar faced the 2nd Chilean Naval Squadron which was blockading the port which lead to both forces to face each other.
Carlos de los Heros Aguilar (1850-1878) was a Peruvian sailor and war hero of the War of the Pacific. He was known for his death during the Second Battle of Antofagasta and was the only Peruvian death in the battle.
The Rupture of the Blockade of Arica was a naval battle of the War of the Pacific during the Blockade of Arica. The rupture was carried out by Manuel Villavicencio who commanded the BAP Unión of the Peruvian Navy. The Unión broke the Chilean blockade of the port twice in less than 8 hours on March 17, 1880.