Battle of Penco facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Penco
Part of Arauco War
Date March 12, 1550 Location Vicinity of Penco Result Spanish Victory
Belligerents
Spanish Empire	Mapuche
Commanders and leaders
Pedro de Valdivia	Toqui Ainavillo
Strength
200 Spanish soldiers: 100 cavalry 100 infantry Many natives 300 Mapochoes "Indios amigos" of Michimalonco	60,000-80,000 warriors, considered exaggerated, modern estimates 15,000-20,000
Casualties and losses
some wounded	4,000 killed 200 captured

The Battle of Penco took place on March 12, 1550. It was a major fight between the Mapuche people and Spanish soldiers. The Mapuche were led by their chief, called a toqui, Ainavillo. The Spanish forces were commanded by Pedro de Valdivia. This battle was an important part of the Arauco War, a long conflict in what is now Chile.

Building a New Fort

After a previous defeat, the Mapuche toqui Ainavillo gathered a very large army. He brought together thousands of warriors from the Arauco and Tucapel regions. His goal was to attack Valdivia's new settlement at Penco.

Meanwhile, Valdivia's Spanish forces were busy building a strong fort. It took them eight days to complete it. The fort had a large wall made of tree trunks driven into the ground. Around the wall, there was a deep ditch, about 12 feet deep and wide. The dirt from the ditch was used to make the wall even stronger. The fort also had three gates with well-built towers for defense.

After finishing the fort, Valdivia officially founded a new city there. He named it Concepción del Nuevo Extremo on March 3, 1550. He also sent out his cavalry, or horse soldiers, to tell the local Mapuche people to accept Spanish rule. He wanted them to provide food and help to the Spanish settlers.

The Mapuche Attack

On March 12, Ainavillo's huge army advanced towards the fort at Penco. The army was divided into three main groups. About 5,000 skirmishers, or light fighters, moved ahead of the main army.

When the Mapuche arrived, they surrounded the fort from all sides. However, they were not prepared to cross the deep ditch or climb the tall walls. They could only shoot arrows and throw stones at the fort. They also shouted threats, but the Spanish soldiers inside were safe.

Inside the fort, some of the Spanish soldiers felt uneasy. They were used to fighting in open fields where their cavalry had an advantage. They worried that by staying inside, the Mapuche might think the Spanish were afraid.

The Spanish Counterattack

The Spanish soldiers recognized Ainavillo's group, which they had defeated before. They also noticed that the Mapuche groups were spread out. This made it hard for them to help each other quickly.

A Spanish captain named Jerónimo de Alderete decided to act without Valdivia's full permission. He led his cavalry in a strong charge against Ainavillo's group. However, the Mapuche had learned from past battles. They closed their ranks tightly and held up their pikes, which were long spears with copper tips. This stopped the Spanish charge, hurting some of their horses but leaving the Mapuche unharmed.

Valdivia realized that Alderete's action had forced his hand. He sent out Pedro de Villagra with the rest of the cavalry. Valdivia ordered his soldiers to soften up Ainavillo's group first. They fired their firearms and artillery, causing confusion among the Mapuche.

Then, Jerónimo de Alderete and Pedro de Villagra led another charge. This time, they broke through Ainavillo's disorganized group right away. The Mapuche soldiers fled, and the Spanish chased after them. The other two Mapuche groups also ran away when they saw what was happening.

In places where the cavalry could not follow, the Spanish foot soldiers and Michimalonco's native allies continued the pursuit. Many Mapuche warriors were killed. The battlefield was covered with discarded weapons. According to reports, about 4,000 Mapuche were killed in total, and 200 were captured. Many of the captured were important leaders.

Valdivia sent the captured leaders back to their people with a strong message. He wanted the Mapuche to understand that they should now accept Spanish rule. Soon after, many Mapuche leaders came to submit to the Spanish.

See also

In Spanish: Batalla de Penco para niños