Battle of Papudo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Papudo
Part of the Chincha Islands War
The Naval Battle of Papudo.
Date November 26, 1865 Location Pacific Ocean, near Valparaiso, Chile 32°29′56.34″S 71°26′47.53″W / 32.4989833°S 71.4465361°W / -32.4989833; -71.4465361 Result Chilean victory
Belligerents
Spain	Chile
Commanders and leaders
Luis Fery Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "{".Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "{".Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "{".	Juan Rebolledo
Strength
1 schooner 3 guns	1 corvette 18 guns
Casualties and losses
4 dead 22 wounded 122 captured 1 schooner captured	None

The Naval Battle of Papudo was an important sea fight. It happened on November 26, 1865. This battle was part of the Chincha Islands War. It took place in the Pacific Ocean, near the town of Papudo in Chile. In this battle, Chilean forces fought against Spanish forces. Chile won this battle.

Why the Battle Happened

Before November 1865, Chile was the only country openly at war with Spain. Spain wanted to get back its old colonies in South America. Then, the president of Peru, Mariano Ignacio Prado, helped convince Peru to join the fight against Spain.

Chilean Ship Prepares

The Chilean navy knew how Spanish ships moved. So, the Chilean ship Esmeralda waited for Spanish ships. The Esmeralda was a corvette, a type of warship. It was led by Commander Juan Williams Rebolledo. Famous Chilean sailors like Arturo Prat were also part of its crew. They waited between the cities of Coquimbo and Valparaíso.

The Clever Trick

The Chilean ship Esmeralda used a clever trick. They raised a British flag on their ship. This made them look like a British vessel. They sailed close to the Spanish ship Virgen de Covadonga. The Spanish commander, Luis Fery, thought the Esmeralda was a friendly British ship.

The Battle Begins

Suddenly, the Esmeralda opened fire on the Covadonga. The Spanish ship fired back, but the Chilean gunners were much better. The Covadonga was hit many times. Its crew was badly hurt and could not fight well.

Spanish Surrender

The Spanish ship tried to get away, but it was too late. The Esmeralda kept following and firing. Commander Fery of the Covadonga called out that he surrendered. Commander Williams Rebolledo ordered his officer, Manuel Thomson, to take control of the Spanish ship. Chilean engineers then worked to save the captured vessel. The whole battle lasted only about half an hour.

After the Battle

The Chileans captured Commander Fery and six other Spanish officers. They also took 115 Spanish sailors as prisoners. The Chileans also found important letters from the Spanish Admiral Juan Manuel Pareja.

The Covadonga then became part of the Chilean Navy. It later fought in another important battle. This was the Battle of Iquique during the War of the Pacific.

Images for kids

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  The Naval Battle of Papudo.

See also