# Naval Battle of Arica

vteWar of the Pacific :
Naval campaign
1st Iquique
Chipana
Pisagua
1st Callao
2nd Iquique
Punta Gruesa
Huáscar
1st Antofagasta
3rd Iquique
Rímac
2nd Antofagasta
Punta Arenas
Angamos
Pilcomayo
Arica
Naval Battle
Rupture
2nd Callao
Land campaigns
Loa Line and Altiplano campaign
Calama
Río Grande
Quillagua
Tambillo
Tarapacá campaign
Pisagua
Pampa Germania
San Francisco
Tarapacá
Tacna and Arica campaign
Ilo and Pacocha
Moquegua
Mollendo
Los Ángeles
Locumba
Buenavista
Tacna
Arica
Palca
Tarata
Lynch Expedition
Lima campaign
Chilca
Yerba Buena
Bujama
Humay
El Manzano
Rinconada de Ate
San Juan and Chorrillos
Miraflores
Lima
Chilean occupation of Peru
Breña campaign
1881
San Jerónimo
Letelier Expedition
Sángrar
Verrugas
1st Purhuay
Calientes
1st Pachía
Cieneguilla
Motupe
Guadalupe
1882
1st La Oroya
1st Pucará
Acuchimay
Comas
1st Pazos
2nd Pazos
Sierralumi
Huaripampa
Huancaní
Caratupampa
Llocllapampa
Sicaya
Chupaca
Acostambo
Ñahuimpuquio
2nd La Oroya
2nd Pucará
La Concepción
San Pablo
Tarmatambo
San Juan Cruz
1st Tambo de Mora
1st Sunampe
1st Chincha
2nd Tambo de Mora
1883
Cañete
2nd Sunampe
2nd Chincha
Larán
Conta
Ungatá
Toprará
2nd Purhuay
Huamantanga
Pampa Blanca
Crossing of the Andes
Huamachuco
Izcuchaca
2nd Pachía
Coarí
Mirave
Arequipa
Titicaca Lake :
The Naval Battle of Arica (Spanish: Combate naval de 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.

## Background

The blockade of Arica was conducted by the Chilean navy's ships Cochrane, Covadonga, and an unnamed armed transport, all three having arrived by the 7th of December, 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.
On 27 February, the Chilean Navy began bombarding the city's ground defenses. These defenses had a range of 3.5 km, providing a large covering zone for the remaining Peruvian ironclad, the Manco Cápac. The now Chilean warship Huáscar, after its capture at the Battle of Angamos, had been sent for repairs and fitted with two 40 lb Armstrong type guns, with a firing range between 6 and 7 km. The ironclad was put under the command of Captain Manuel Thomson. The Huáscar arrived in Arica on 25 February in order to take the place of the warship Almirante Cochrane in the port blockade as the Cochrane was needed to escort transports. Later the Magallanes, led by Captain Carlos Condell arrived to join the Huáscar in the operation.

## Battle

The battle itself consists of three separate engagements all taking place on the same day.

### Initial Engagement

At 8:30 am , the Huáscar approached the coast, near the island of Alacrán, to reconnoitre the state of the forts that defended the port of Arica. As a result of this approach, the Peruvian defences of the Morro de Arica, under the command of Colonel Arnaldo Panizo, opened fire on the Huáscar, joined by the monitor Manco Cápac. On the Chilean side, the Magallanes gunboat is also involved, which at the beginning of the engagement was 6 miles north of the port, producing an exchange of fire that lasts until 9:20 a.m. As a result of this cannonade, the Huáscar receives 3 hits without consequences.

### Attack on supply train

At 11:00 a.m., the lookouts of the Chilean ships spot a train coming from Tacna heading to Arica, so for the second time the Huáscar and the Magallanes approach the coast to cannonade the train. Again, combat was engaged with the Peruvian defences, including the batteries located on the beach. The Huáscar receives a direct hit that exploded next to the cannon of the port fortress , killing 8 servants and injuring 12 others. Among the fatal casualties, were the aspirant Eulogio Goycolea and the sailor Luis Segundo Ugarte, who was one of the sailors on the Esmeralda that tried to board the Huáscar in the combat on May 21 in Iquique. Huáscar's second commander, 1st Lieutenant Emilio Valverde, and 2nd Lieutenant Tomás Pérez, were wounded. Another strong grenade hit the forearm, causing severe damage. The Huascar retired and together with the Magallanes, took their usual position in the lock.

### Naval battle

At around 1:00 pm , the monitor Manco Cápac, commanded by the frigate captain José Sánchez Lagomarsino, lifts pressure and leaves the bay at 1:15 pm in the direction of Huáscar. Among the crew of the Peruvian monitor, was captain Juan Guillermo More, who came as a volunteer.
An hour later, Commander Manuel Thomson orders an attack on the Peruvian monitor without initial consequences given the distance of 3,200m. At 2:30 pm, when the Manco Cápac was at 1800m, it opened fire but is weakened because one of its two guns got struck. During the combat the Huascar engine fails and the ship is immobilised. The Peruvians noticed this and concentrated fire on the immobile ship. A projectile from the Manco Cápac hits the chest of Commander Thomson who was on the poop deck, killing him instantly. The shot also knocked over a mast and destroyed the signal code. In the meantime, the engineers managed to get the engine back into operation, so Lieutenant Valverde removed the ship from the line of fire and Captain José Sánchez Lagomarsino ordered the return of Manco Cápac to the port at 3:30 pm, where it anchored at 4:30 pm.
Captain Condell assumed command of Huáscar and the command of the blockade, and sent Magallanes to Ilo to notify Commander General of the Squadron, Rear Admiral Galvarino Riveros Cárdenas and the Minister of War and Navy Rafael Sotomayor of Thomson's death.

## Aftermath

Arica was later taken by Chile in the Battle of Arica, in June, after the town had been weakened by the blockade, which prevented supply from the sea; important in the desert region.