Action of 17 November 1865 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Action of 17 November 1865
Part of Chincha Islands War
The frigate Lealtad, twin of the frigate Resolución, to which the captured gunboat belonged
Date 17 November 1865 Location Off Tomé, Concepción Bay, Chile 36°37′10″S 72°58′17″W / 36.61944°S 72.97139°W / -36.61944; -72.97139 Result Chilean victory
Belligerents
Spain	Chile
Strength
1 gunboat (2 guns)	1 tugboat (no guns)
Casualties and losses
Around 50 prisoners 1 gunboat captured	None

The Action of November 17, 1865 was a small but important sea battle. It happened near Tomé, a town in Chile, during the Chincha Islands War. In this event, a Chilean tugboat named Independencia managed to capture a Spanish gunboat. This Spanish gunboat was part of the larger warship Resolución.

What Happened on November 17, 1865?

Why Did This Conflict Start?

The Chincha Islands War was a conflict between Spain and Peru, later joined by Chile and other South American countries. On September 24, 1865, Spanish Admiral José Manuel Pareja announced that Spain would start fighting Chile. This was because Chile would not agree to Spain's demands. The very next day, Chile's government declared war on Spain in response.

Admiral Pareja wanted to block all of Chile's ports with his warships. However, Chile's coast was too long for his ships to cover completely. So, he focused on blocking important ports like Valparaíso, Caldera, Coquimbo, and those in the bay of Concepción, including Tomé and Talcahuano. The Spanish frigate Resolución was in charge of blocking the ports in the Concepción Bay.

The Surprise Attack

To make the blockade in Concepción Bay more effective, the Spanish from the Resolución prepared a small boat. They armed it with two guns. The goal of this gunboat was to stop smaller Chilean ships from moving between Talcahuano, Penco, and Tomé.

On November 17, near Tomé, the Chilean tugboat Independencia sailed very close to the Spanish gunboat. The Spanish gunboat immediately started firing its guns at the Independencia. The Chilean ship then pretended to give up. It turned off its lights and stopped its engine, making it look like it was surrendering.

The Spanish sailors approached the tugboat, planning to board it and capture it. But as they got on board, they were completely surprised! At least one hundred armed Chilean soldiers were hiding on the Independencia. The Spanish sailors had no choice but to surrender, and their gunboat was captured. The captured Spanish gunboat was then sent by the Chileans to the port of Constitución.

What Happened Next?

News of this small naval victory was reported by newspapers. The Chilean newspaper El Mercurio wrote about it on November 25, 1865. The American newspaper The New York Times also shared the story on January 1, 1866. A Spanish newspaper, La Época, reported the event on January 19 of that year.

This event was one of several setbacks for the Spanish fleet. Their plan to block Chilean ports was not working well. This failure, along with other losses like the battle of Papudo on November 26, led the Spanish to stop blocking most Chilean ports by early 1866. Only Valparaíso remained under blockade for a while longer.

See also

In Spanish: Acción militar del 17 de noviembre de 1865 para niños