Battle of Los Ángeles The Battle of Los Ángeles was a military action fought on March 22 , 1880 between the Chilean and Peruvian armies during the Tacna and Arica Campaign of the War of the Pacific . The Chilean forces under the command of Manuel Baquedano assaulted and defeated an Allied force led by Andres Gamarra garrisoned at Los Angeles hill top . Preliminary moves . After a successful scout mission to acknowledging the Allied strength in the area , a massive landing took place at Ilo between February 18 and 25 , unshipping 9 , 500 men divided into three divisions , while another one stood in Pisagua waiting the convoy to return . Expedition to Mollendo . The Chilean command decides to launch a second operation against Mollendo , so the 8 were shipped the 3rd Line Regiment , the Navales and Zapadores battalions , 10 engineers and 30 riders , all under the command of Col . Orozimbo Barboza . The goal was to fix the Peruvian 1st Division keeping it from aiding the second one which were to be attacked by Baquedano ’ s main force and destroy the docking facilities of Mollendo to obviate the need in the future for blockading the port . Along with Barboza , the engineer Federico Stuven was sent to repair the rail road broke by Zapata on February . Performing this task a fierce skirmish was held by soldiers of the “ Buin ” 1st Line Regiment and the Peruvian Gendarmes . Whilst a Navales Regiment detachment was unshipped on Islay , taking Mollendo on the 9 without any resistance . The Peruvians reacted quickly concentrating troops in order to attack the invading force . Barboza took Mejia on the 10 , disabling the rail road and several freight wagons . When he returned to Mollendo saw that great part of his army was looting and burning the port committing abuses against the population . Barbosa re - embarked his troops and left Mollendo on the 13 . This event caused considerable embarrassment to the administration in Santiago and to the army ; according to private Letters of lituenant Rafael Torreblanca some soldiers were condemned to capital punishment . Expedition to Moquegua . In the meantime , on March 12 , under the command of General Cavalry Commander Gen . Manuel Baquedano , the 2nd Division were ordered to march over Mollendo . This force was formed by the “ Buin ” 1st Line and Santiago regiments , the Atacama and Bulnes battalions , two artillery batteries and the Cazadores a Caballo and Granaderos a Caballo cavalry regiments . At 03 : 00 hrs , Baquedano marched with 800 riders and a company of the 1st Line Regiment , only to rest the next day on the Ilo river valley , abundant in food and water . Here was to wait for the rest of the division , which started to move on the 15 . The operations line extended alongside the rail road from Ilo to Moquegua The region was extremely arid , so in order to supply the men with water , a train was set with a water wagon . Baquedano reached Hospicio , were in a lack of calculation , the entire water supply were consumed . When the rest of the division reached Hospicio and found no water , a discipline issue arose but it was quickly resolved with another water cargo sent by train . Meanwhile , Baquedano continued his march to Conde , reaching Moquegua on the 20 . Meanwhile , acknowledging he was outnumbered , Col . Andres Gamarra with the 1st Division of Montero ' s Southern Army withdrew to the defensive position at Los Angeles hill . Following him , Baquedano marched over Los Angeles on March 20 . Chilean Army . The Chilean task force led by Manuel Baquedano was formed by the 2nd Line and Santiago regiments , the Atacama and Bulnes battalions , two artillery batteries and 300 riders from the Granaderos and Cazadores cavalry regiments ; in total about 4 , 500 men . Chilean strategy . Baquedano made several scout missions to the Peruvian positions , thinking a bold plan to take them . Colonel Muñoz with twelve companies of the 2nd Line and Santiago regiments , an artillery battery and 300 riders was commissioned to attack the Peruvian left flank sited at El Pulpito . On the night of the 21 , Juan Martinez ' Atacama Battalion would outflank the Peruvian positions marching along the Torata river ’ s creek and later to climb the Guaneros slope covered by the darkness . Baquedano with three companies of the Santiago and the Bulnes Battalion and two batteries were to frontally charge the Peruvians . Peruvian Army . Col . Gamarra had the Grau , Cazadores de Cuzco , Canas and Canchis infantry battalions , under the command of Col . Julio Chocano , Col . Manuel Gamarra , Col . Martin Alvarez and Col . Manuel Velasco , plus a column of Gendarmes of Moquegua led by Col . Manuel Jimenez , gathering up around 1 , 400 soldiers . Peruvian strategy . Gamarra ’ s plan was to use the terrain to his advantage , and to wait the Chilean assault on Los Angeles hill summit , considered by that time as unbeatable , due to its location over a hill that could only be assaulted on the front of the same name slope , and has to be taken with an assail in ascension and under fire , enhancing the attacking difficulties . The only weak spot was the Tumilaca river creek , but it was very easy to defend from El Pulpito . On the Pampa del Arrastrado , on the upper Los Angeles plateau , must be attacked by climbing huge and very even rocks forming a vertical stone wall . The Grau Battalion were stationed on Los Angeles summit in front of Tarmolambo , covering the road to Alto de la Villa , and the Granaderos de Cuzco Battalion was set on the Quilin Quilin heights with two companies forwarded to El Pulpito . The right flank was not defended with any unit since it was believed it was impossible to climb . On the rear , on the Pampa del Arrastrado were placed the Canchis and Canas battalions , as a reserve . These two were to relieve the other two units every 24 hours . The battle . On the night of the 21 , 20 soldiers of the Grau Battalion led by Col . Chocano attacked the positions of the Cazadores a Caballo Regiment , killing three soldiers and capturing four horses . On their retreat , Chocano ' s men were engaged by the Atacama Battalion rearguard . Despite being their movements discovered , Baquedano ordered Martinez to proceed as planned . In the meantime , Muñoz ’ column began to march in a narrow path formed by the Tumilaca river ' s creek , with a company of the 2nd Line and a Santiago battalion on the vanguard . Baquedano ’ s force forwarded whilst the Chilean wings were deploying , assuming positions in the front line . By 04 : 00 hrs of March 22 , the battle started when Muñoz ’ troops were sighted by the soldiers at El Pulpito , being engaged by a company of the Granaderos de Cuzco Battalion immediately , reinforced later by another one of the Canchis Battalion . These two companies successfully detained Muñoz advance since his men were trapped in the narrow corridor and shot from the heights . Also , the troops at Tambolambo were contained by the Peruvian fire . Gamarra sent the Granaderos de Cuzco and Canas battalions to reinforce the position on his left flank , but the Atacama Battalion reached the summit , assailing the astonished Peruvian soldiers and routing their lines with a bayonet charge . Ending . With the terrain advantage lost , the rest of Gamarra ' s soldiers began to refold . On Quilin Quilin , the 2nd Line Regiment successfully extracted one company out of the gorge , and set one cannon on the heights in front of the Peruvians . With this support , the Chileans made out of the entrapment and threw the defenders out of their positions . The rest of the Allied forces realized the magnitude of the defeat and joined the bulk of the army marching to Torata . On the site , the notice of the Chilean persecution reached them , and a company of the Granaderos de Cuzco was left to cover the retreat , until the rest of the army reached Chuculay , meanwhile Laiseca ’ s men retreated to Carumas . Aftermath . The Chilean Army lost 50 men , while the Peruvian lost around 145 men . The victory raise Chilean morale , since the position was considered unbeatable . For this action , the Atacama Battalion won a commendation and Baquedano was promoted to Commander in Chief of the Chilean Operations Army , replacing Erasmo Escala after the latter resigned . Bibliography . < div class = " references - small " > < / div class = " references - small " >