Juan José Latorre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Juan José Latorre
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Photography by Latorre.
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| Born | March 24, 1846 Santiago, Chile |
| Died | July 9, 1912 (aged 66) Viña del Mar, Chile |
| Buried |
General Cemetery of Santiago
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| Allegiance |  Chile |
| Service/ |
Chilean Navy |
| Years of service | 1861–1891;1897 |
| Rank | Vice Admiral |
| Commands held | Commander of the squad (1882) Commander in Chief of the Chilean Navy (1886-1887) |
| Battles/wars |
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| Spouse(s) | Julia Moreno Zuleta |
| Children | Arturo, Juan José, Mercedes, María Luisa and Marta |
| Relations | Elías Latorre (father) Nicomedia Benavente (mother) |
| Other work | Politician |
Juan José Latorre Benavente (born in Santiago, Chile, on March 24, 1846 – died on July 9, 1912) was a brave Chilean Vice Admiral. He played a very important role in the War of the Pacific. He is remembered as a hero, especially for his actions in the Battle of Angamos.
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Juan José Latorre was the oldest of eight children. His parents were Elías Latorre and Nicomedia Benavente. After his father passed away early, three of his younger brothers went to live with their father's family in Peru. One of these brothers even fought in the War of the Pacific, but on the Peruvian side.
When Juan José was nine years old, in 1855, he earned a special scholarship. This allowed him to attend the Naval Academy. He became a midshipman, a junior officer, on July 15, 1861. He served on a ship called the Esmeralda during the Chincha Islands War. He also took part in two important battles: the Battle of Papudo, where a Spanish ship called Covadonga was captured, and the Battle of Abtao.
On February 12, 1873, he was promoted to first lieutenant. This meant he was given command of his own ships. First, he commanded the Toltén, and later the Magallanes. It was on the Magallanes that he became known as a very skilled naval commander. While patrolling the southern parts of Chile, he had to deal with some tricky situations. He captured foreign ships that were operating in Chilean waters without permission. He also helped rescue his friend, Governor Diego Dublé Almeida, during a rebellion in Punta Arenas.
Key Battles in the War of the Pacific
While commanding the Magallanes, Latorre was the first to encounter the Peruvian navy in the Battle of Chipana. This happened on April 12, 1879. He came across two Peruvian warships, the Unión and the Pilcomayo. They tried to capture his ship. Latorre's ship was smaller and less powerful, so he decided to escape. During the chase, he noticed something important. The two Peruvian ships had very different speeds. The Pilcomayo was falling far behind.
Once the Peruvian Unión was alone, Latorre quickly turned his ship around. He then opened fire. The battle began. The Peruvian sailors were not well-trained, so their aim was poor. The Chilean aim was only a little better. At one point, white smoke came from the Unión. This made the Peruvian captain think his ship was badly damaged. He gave up the chase, allowing the Magallanes to get away safely. It turned out the smoke was just from an overheated boiler.
After the Peruvian navy lost many ships in the First Naval Battle of Iquique, the Peruvian president ordered Admiral Grau to attack Chilean ships. Admiral Grau, on his ship the Huáscar, decided to attack the port of Iquique at night. He arrived on July 9, but could not find his target ship. So, he decided to go after a transport ship called Matías Cousiño.
Latorre, who was commanding the Magallanes, decided to defend the port. This was a very brave decision because his ship was much smaller and weaker. The Magallanes weighed 260 tons, while the Huáscar weighed 1130 tons. Admiral Grau tried three times to sink the smaller ship using his ram. But Latorre was very skilled. He managed to keep the Huáscar away long enough for the powerful Chilean ironclad Cochrane to arrive. Once the Cochrane appeared, the Huáscar decided to retreat back to Arica.
On September 6, 1879, Latorre was promoted. He became the commander of the ironclad Cochrane. This was the strongest ship in the Chilean fleet. Latorre was so famous that his entire crew from the Magallanes followed him to his new ship. His first mission was to deal with the Huáscar. This Peruvian ship was the only thing stopping Chile from invading the Peruvian coast.
On the night of October 7, Latorre learned that the Huáscar had been seen near the port of Huasco. It was moving north. The Chilean navy set a trap. The fleet was split into two groups. The first group was led by Commander Galvarino Riveros. It included the Blanco Encalada, the Covadonga, and the coal ship Matías Cousiño. This group would try to push Admiral Grau towards the second group, which would be waiting further north.
In the early morning of October 8, the plan began. When the Huáscar and the Unión saw the Chilean ships blocking their way south, they turned back north. A few hours later, they met the Cochrane, which was waiting exactly as planned. Admiral Grau was forced to fight in the Battle of Angamos. The Unión managed to escape.
The Cochrane kept moving towards the Huáscar without firing. This was to keep its speed up. When it finally attacked, the attack was very powerful. The second shot hit the Huáscar's command tower. This killed Admiral Grau and left the ship without a rudder. The fight continued for another hour. But then the Blanco Encalada arrived with the rest of the Chilean fleet. At that point, fighting was hopeless. The Huáscar was captured and later became part of the Chilean fleet.
Later Years and Public Service
After returning to Chile, Juan José Latorre married Julia Moreno Zuleta in 1882. They met at one of the many parties held in his honor after the war. They had three children together. On June 5, 1884, he was promoted to Rear-Admiral. In 1886, he became the Commander General of the Navy.
President José Manuel Balmaceda sent him to Europe. His job was to oversee the building of new ships for the Chilean navy. While he was in England, the 1891 Chilean Civil War broke out in Chile. Latorre chose to remain loyal to President Balmaceda. Because of this, he was removed from his position after the opposing side won the war. He stayed in Europe until 1894.
After he returned to Chile, he was elected as a senator twice. He served from 1894 to 1900 and again from 1900 to 1906. He was also brought back into the navy. In 1897, President Federico Errázuriz Echaurren appointed him as a member of the Council of State. In 1898, he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs. A few years before he passed away, he was promoted to Vice Admiral. He also received a special honor from France, becoming a Commander of the French Legion of Honor.
See also
In Spanish: Juan José Latorre para niños
- See Chilean ship Almirante Latorre for the ships named in honor of Juan José Latorre.
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Raimundo Silva |
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cult and Colonization 1898-1899 |
Succeeded by Ventura Blanco |
| Military offices
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| Preceded by Domingo Toro |
Navy General Commander 1886-1887 |
Succeeded by Luis Uribe |
