Los Andes vs Prueba facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Los Andes vs Prueba
Part of the Spanish American Wars of Independence
Date Chilean historiography: May 12 and 13, 1820 Spanish historiography: May 14 and 15, 1820 Location At the height of the Esmeraldas River / Cape Manglares and the island of Gorgona, Viceroyalty of New Granada (present-day Ecuador and Colombia) Result Indecisive
Belligerents
Republic of Chile	Spanish Monarchy Viceroyalty of Peru
Commanders and leaders
Juan Illingworth (WIA)	Antonio Vacaro
Strength
1 corvette (24 guns)	1 frigate (48 guns)
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The naval battle of Los Andes vs Prueba happened in 1820. It was a fight between two ships during the Spanish American Wars of Independence.

The battle involved the corvette Los Andes and the frigate Prueba. Los Andes was a Chilean privateer ship, meaning it was a private ship allowed to attack enemy ships. Prueba was a ship of the Spanish Navy. The battle lasted two days and took place in two different locations. Historians from Chile and Spain have different ideas about the exact dates, starting points, and outcomes of this naval action.

Why the Ships Fought

The Los Andes on a Mission

On April 25, 1819, the ship Los Andes left Valparaiso, Chile. Its goal was to bother the Spanish forces, called royalists, in the Pacific Ocean. Captain Juan Illingworth, a British sailor working for Chile, commanded the ship. From May to September, he sailed along the coasts from Peru to Panama.

During this time, Los Andes captured some enemy ships and attacked towns along the coast. It also successfully fought off warships that tried to catch it. From October 1819 to March 1820, the ship focused on the Pacific coast of New Granada. This was to help General Simón Bolívar gain control of the area. Los Andes attacked towns in the Popayán coast and the Cauca valley. It defeated royalist groups and helped bring the territory under revolutionary control.

The Prueba Heads to Guayaquil

The main Spanish naval power in the Pacific was in Callao, Peru. At this time, the Chilean Navy was very strong at sea. This made it hard for the Spanish to defend their areas. Chile was planning a big invasion of Peru, which made the situation even more urgent for the Spanish.

Because of this, on April 22, 1820, a group of Spanish ships left Callao for Guayaquil. This group was led by Commodore Antonio Vacaro. They were bringing soldiers to help defend Guayaquil. The group included the frigate Prueba (the main ship), the brig Maypú, and the transport ship Javiera. On May 1, they arrived in Guayaquil. Vacaro then heard about the Chilean ship, Los Andes, being in those waters.

Before the Battle Started

On May 6, Vacaro left Guayaquil with the Prueba and the Maypú. Both were warships, and they sailed towards Panama to find the privateer Los Andes. For the first few days, they found no sign of it. A week later, the brig Maypú had to go back to Guayaquil because of a problem with its sails.

Vacaro continued alone with his frigate. He sailed past Santa Elena, Montecristi, and the entrance of the Esmeraldas River looking for news of Los Andes. Meanwhile, Los Andes had left the New Granada coast after helping the revolutionaries. Captain Illingworth planned to carry out more attacks against the Spanish.

The Ships and Their Power

Chilean Privateer: Los Andes

When Los Andes first left Valparaíso, it had about 270 men. But during its long journey, the crew size went down. At the time of the battle, it only had 151 men, and 35 of them were sick. Also, out of the 36 guns it started with, only 30 remained. Only 24 of these could be used because there weren't enough crew members.

Spanish Ship: Prueba

Besides its regular crew, the frigate Prueba also had a company of soldiers from the Numancia battalion. These soldiers boarded the ship when it left Guayaquil.

The Battle Unfolds

The battle happened in two different places. Because Chilean and Spanish historians tell different stories, we will look at both versions separately.

Near the Esmeraldas River / Cape Manglares

• (Chilean History):* On May 12, Los Andes was sailing near the Esmeraldas River. Suddenly, it saw the Prueba to the northwest. Captain Illingworth soon realized it was the Spanish frigate. He moved closer, hoping to attack by boarding the enemy ship. However, the Spanish ship was faster and had cannons that could shoot farther. It managed to avoid a close fight for two hours. This was dangerous for the smaller corvette, so Los Andes decided to retreat towards the coast of New Granada, which was controlled by revolutionaries. Illingworth knew the frigate would follow.

• (Spanish History):* At noon on May 14, near Cape Manglares, the Prueba spotted the Chilean corvette. Both ships approached each other to see who the other was. At three in the afternoon, about a league away, the Chilean ship turned around. It then changed its flag from British to Chilean. This let Vacaro know who his opponent was. He chased Los Andes until nightfall, when he lost sight of it in the dark.

Off the Island of Gorgona

• (Chilean History):* The Spanish frigate followed Los Andes during the night. On May 13, late in the afternoon, they met again. The Spanish ship continued to attack from a distance. But a mistake in maneuvering brought it too close to the Chilean ship. This gave Los Andes a better chance to succeed. After two hours of fighting, Illingworth was able to get into a good position to board the Spanish ship, just as he wanted. However, he was wounded and had to leave his command post. Because of this, Los Andes lost its good attack position. The Spanish ship took advantage of this setback and escaped. But not before Los Andes fired two powerful shots at it, hitting it directly. This caused serious damage to the frigate's deck, ending the battle.

• (Spanish History):* At dawn on May 15, the Spanish frigate found the Chilean corvette five leagues away. It chased Los Andes until nightfall, when the battle started again near Gorgona Island. The frigate got close enough to fire at Los Andes with double ammunition. This naval fight lasted for more than an hour. The corvette thought the Spanish ship might be stuck on the seabed. It tried to get behind the frigate to stop it from sinking and capture it. But the Spanish ship was not stuck. When the frigate's cannons were ready, it fired directly at Los Andes because they were so close. The corvette was so badly damaged that it retreated without firing another shot. Its commander was even thought to be dead. Vacaro could not chase Los Andes because his ship was too close to the reefs of Gorgona. It was also dark and raining.

What Happened Next

There are also different stories about how the battle ended.

Spanish historians say that at dawn on May 16, Vacaro explored the anchorages of Gorgona with the Prueba. He didn't find Los Andes. So, he went to Popayán, where he saw his enemy entering the mouth of the Iscuandé river. He tried to follow, but the shallow water stopped him. He sent three boats to explore, but they didn't find the corvette. He claimed its crew was on land. Finally, Vacaro gave up the chase and returned to Gorgona to resupply before sailing to Peru.

Chilean historians do not mention the Spanish frigate chasing Los Andes. Captain Illingworth's official report, written on May 30 aboard the corvette, does not say he was pursued. Later, when the Chilean ship left the Iscuandé river to return to Chile, it ran aground at the river's entrance and could not be refloated.

See also

In Spanish: Combate naval de Cabo Manglares para niños