Blockade of Callao

This article is about bombardment of Callao during the War of the Pacific. For other ensiegements, see Blockades of Callao.

The Blockade of Callao was a military operation that occurred during the War of the Pacific or the Salitre War and that consisted of the Chilean squadron preventing the entry of ships to the port of Callao and the neighboring coves between 10 April 1880 and 17 January 1881.

Blockade

Commencing on April 10, 1880, the Chilean Navy fleet began a light blockade of the Peruvian port of Callao. The Chilean fleet would slowly grow as additional ships became available from other regions of the campaign. Likewise, the Peruvian Navy would arm local vessels as equipment allowed.

Several times over the year that the blockade was effected, the Chilean fleet would sortie and bombard the city. This was frequently in response to a Peruvian attack, such as the repeated successful deployment of disguised floating bombs.

Scuttling of the Peruvian fleet

After the successful attacks on the Lima suburbs of San Juan and Miraflores it became apparent that the city was going to fall to the advancing Chilean army. During the night of January 16, 1881, after the defeat of the Peruvian Army in the battles of San Juan and Miraflores, the Secretary of the Navy, Captain Manuel Villar, ordered the destruction of port defences and the remaining ships of the Peruvian Navy to prevent their capture by Chilean troops. This order was executed by the captains Germán Astete and Manuel Villavisencio during the dawn of January 17, 1881. Among the ships scuttled were the last Peruvian ironclad, the monitor Atahualpa, the corvette Union, the training ship Apurímac, as well as Peru's first submarine, Toro Submarino.

Ships scuttled

The Peruvian ships scuttled by its tripulation before they could being captured, included:

Name	Type	Fate
Apurímac	pontoon (ex-frigate)
Atahualpa	monitor	Salvaged 1881
Chalaco	steamship transport
Limeña	steamship transport
Loa	training ship
Oroya	steamship transport
República	torpedo boat
Rímac	steamship transport	Salvaged June 1881
Talismán	steamship transport
Toro Submarino	submarine
Unión	corvette

Surrender

Callao surrendered on January 18, 1881, the day after the fleet was scuttled.

References

• navsource.org: USS Catawba
• hazegray.org: USS Catawba
• (in Spanish) Yábar Acuña, Francisco (2001). Las Fuerzas Sútiles y la defensa de costa en la Guerra del Pacífico, Fondo de Publicaciones Dirección de Intereses Marítimos.

External links

• War of the Pacific