Torpedo boats in the War of the Pacific
The introduction of fast torpedo boats in the late 19th century was a serious concern to navies of an era that saw a number of innovations in naval warfare, including the first torpedo boats, which carried spar torpedoes, steam propulsion and steel ships. Clements Robert Markham, later president of the Royal Geographical Society, an English eyewitness of the War of the Pacific stated: Chilean torpedo boats. With the exception of "Vedette", all boat names are of Mapudungun provenance. Torpedo boat "Vedette". "Vedette" was built in Yarrow of Poplar (Yard nr. 495) and  arrived to Valparaíso on 17 October 1879 on board of "Belle of Cork". She was assembled in Valparaíso and in 1893 she was still listed by the navy. The name seems to be the name of the boat class rather than the proper name of a boat. Torpedo boats built 1880. Yet 1880 were delivered to Chile two torpedo boats bought from Yarrow of Poplar shipyard., (Yard nr. 476) and "Tucapel" (Yard nr. 475): They could be stowed in the major ships of the navy and "Colo Colo" was brought by railway to Puno and then to the Titicaca Lake  (elevation of ) in order to impede guerrilla activities in the zone. Torpedo boats built 1880–82. During the War of the Pacific the Chilean Navy bought ten torpedo boats from the Yarrow of Poplar shipyard. Peruvian torpedo boats. 1879 the Peruvian Government bought three torpedo boats: "Alay", "Alianza" and "República" from the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, Bristol, Rhode Island, United States, although R. V. Simpson states that the third boat was never delivered to Perú. "República" and "Alianza" arrived in Perú in August and September 1879. Both boats were scuttled "Alianza" aftermath the Battle of Arica in June 1880 and "República" in  January 1881, to prevent their capture by the Chilean forces. "Alay" was transported by ship to Colon, Panama in the Caribbean Sea. From Colon she was transported by rail to Panama City, on the Pacific Ocean. On 2 December "Alay" sailed, bound for Perú but on 24 December the Chilean gunned transport "Amazonas" captured the boat in the Ecuadorian port Ballenita. In Chile she was renamed "Guacolda" and commissioned into the navy.