Battle of Papudo
Encyclopedia
The Naval Battle of Papudo was a naval engagement fought between Spanish
and Chile
an forces on November 26, 1865, during the Chincha Islands War
. It was fought 55 miles north of Valparaiso
, Chile
, near the coastal town of Papudo.
, Peru was subsequently galvanized into action against Spain.
Familiar with Spanish naval movements, the Chilean corvette Esmeralda
, under the command of Juan Williams Rebolledo
, and whose crew included Arturo Prat
, Juan José Latorre
and Carlos Condell
, waited for any Spanish ships to appear between Coquimbo and Valparaíso.
The Chileans hoisted a British flag on their ship and maneuvered themselves close to the Spanish ship Virgen de Covadonga
, under the command of Luis Fery (or Ferry), who thought that the ship may have been one of the similarly built British vessels Shearwater, Colombina, or Mutine. The Esmeralda opened fire on the Covadonga, which returned fire, but the Chilean gunners proved more skillful. After the Covadonga received severe hits that incapacitated its crew, the Spaniards attempted to escape, but it was too late. The Esmeralda followed her, continuing to fire. Fery called out his surrender to Williams Rebolledo, who ordered Manuel Thomson to take possession of the Spanish ship. Chilean engineers then worked to save the captured vessel. All in all, the battle lasted only half an hour.
In addition to Commander Fery, six Spanish officers, and 115 sailors were taken as prisoners. The Chileans also captured the correspondence of Spanish Admiral Juan Manuel Pareja
. This action, together with the general failure of Spanish operations during the Chincha Islands War
, led to Pareja committing suicide on board his flagship a few days later.
Covadonga, now a vessel in the Chilean Navy, later saw combat in the Battle of Iquique
during the War of the Pacific
.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an forces on November 26, 1865, during the Chincha Islands War
Chincha Islands War
The Chincha Islands War was a series of coastal and naval battles between Spain and its former colonies of Peru and Chile from 1864 to 1866, that began with Spain's seizure of the guano-rich Chincha Islands, part of a series of attempts by Isabel II of Spain to reassert her country's lost...
. It was fought 55 miles north of Valparaiso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, near the coastal town of Papudo.
Background
Until November 1865, Chile had been the only country firm in its declaration of war against Spain, which desired to recapture its lost South American colonies. Through the efforts of its president, Mariano Ignacio PradoMariano Ignacio Prado
Mariano Ignacio Prado Ochoa was twice the President of Peru, from 1865 to 1868 and 1876 to 1879).-Biography:Born in Huánuco in 1826, he entered the army at an early age and served in the provinces of Southern Peru....
, Peru was subsequently galvanized into action against Spain.
Familiar with Spanish naval movements, the Chilean corvette Esmeralda
Esmeralda (1855)
The Esmeralda launched in 1855, was a wooden steam corvette sunk during the War of the Pacific as was set against superior forces, fought until sunk with colors flying on 21 May 1879 at the Battle of Iquique...
, under the command of Juan Williams Rebolledo
Juan Williams Rebolledo
Juan Williams Rebolledo was a Chilean rear admiral who was the organizer and commander-in-chief of the Chilean navy at the beginning of the War of the Pacific.-Early life:...
, and whose crew included Arturo Prat
Arturo Prat
Agustín Arturo Prat Chacón was a Chilean navy officer. He was killed shortly after boarding the Peruvian armored monitor Huáscar at the Naval Battle of Iquique after the ship under his command, the Esmeralda, was rammed by the Peruvian monitor...
, Juan José Latorre
Juan José Latorre
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.-Early life:...
and Carlos Condell
Carlos Condell
Carlos Arnaldo Condell De La Haza was a prominent Chilean naval officer and hero of the Battle of Punta Gruesa during the start of the War of the Pacific....
, waited for any Spanish ships to appear between Coquimbo and Valparaíso.
The Chileans hoisted a British flag on their ship and maneuvered themselves close to the Spanish ship Virgen de Covadonga
Covadonga (ship)
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...
, under the command of Luis Fery (or Ferry), who thought that the ship may have been one of the similarly built British vessels Shearwater, Colombina, or Mutine. The Esmeralda opened fire on the Covadonga, which returned fire, but the Chilean gunners proved more skillful. After the Covadonga received severe hits that incapacitated its crew, the Spaniards attempted to escape, but it was too late. The Esmeralda followed her, continuing to fire. Fery called out his surrender to Williams Rebolledo, who ordered Manuel Thomson to take possession of the Spanish ship. Chilean engineers then worked to save the captured vessel. All in all, the battle lasted only half an hour.
In addition to Commander Fery, six Spanish officers, and 115 sailors were taken as prisoners. The Chileans also captured the correspondence of Spanish Admiral Juan Manuel Pareja
Juan Manuel Pareja
Vice Admiral José Manuel de Pareja y Septien was a Spanish naval officer, who commanded the Spanish forces during the Chincha Islands War .-Youth and early career:...
. This action, together with the general failure of Spanish operations during the Chincha Islands War
Chincha Islands War
The Chincha Islands War was a series of coastal and naval battles between Spain and its former colonies of Peru and Chile from 1864 to 1866, that began with Spain's seizure of the guano-rich Chincha Islands, part of a series of attempts by Isabel II of Spain to reassert her country's lost...
, led to Pareja committing suicide on board his flagship a few days later.
Covadonga, now a vessel in the Chilean Navy, later saw combat in the Battle of Iquique
Battle of Iquique
The Battle of Iquique was a confrontation that occurred on May 21, 1879, during the naval stage of the War of the Pacific, a conflict between Chile and Peru and Bolivia. The battle took place off the, by then, Peruvian port of Iquique...
during the War of the Pacific
War of the Pacific
The War of the Pacific took place in western South America from 1879 through 1883. Chile fought against Bolivia and Peru. Despite cooperation among the three nations in the war against Spain, disputes soon arose over the mineral-rich Peruvian provinces of Tarapaca, Tacna, and Arica, and the...
.