The Naval Combat of Angamos was a important struggle in the War of the Pacific. The Peruvian ironclad Huáscar was surrounded and captured by the Chilean Navy in October 8, 1879. The captain of the ironclad, Peruvian Admiral Miguel Grau , was killed in the combat. After this battle, The Peruvian Navy was unable to prevent the invasion of its territory. The seas were cleared for the invasion of Peru and Bolivia.

Context

After the Iquique Naval Combat, the peruvian ironclad Huascar made several incursions challenging the Chilean naval dominion, attacking ports along its entire coast and capturing transports.

This sole ship was preventing Chile from invading Bolivian and Peruvian territory, and did so successfully for nearly 6 months. No attempt to disembark troops could be made, because the Huáscar was preventing the entire Chilean Navy from taking control of the sea.

Because Chile's plan was to achieve naval supremacy, prior to invading Bolivian and/or Peruvian territory, the Huascar had to be eliminated along with Admiral Grau.

Several efforts were made in order to capture or sink Huascar, but none succeeded. Finally, nearly 6 months after the naval combat of Iquique, the opportunity came for the Chilean Navy.

The Struggle

6 Chilean ships -- the Blanco Encalada and Cochrane casemate battleships among them -- were directed with the sole purpose of sinking or capturing the Peruvian vessel. An ambush had been set up, carefully planned by dividing the Fleet in 2: One near the Bolivian coast and the other part waiting for instructions.

It was October 8, 1879. Near Punta de Angamos, the first part of the Fleet; led by the Cochrane; recognized the Huáscar and the corvette Unión. Admiral Grau, after ordering the Union to look for a safe port, prepared his ship for the battle. The persecution started.

The ironclad made the first shot at a distance of nearly 1000 meters. None were capable of damaging the Cochrane. From a distance of 200 meters Cochrane fired its first discharge of the battle: it hit Huascar directly in the Command Tower, killing Admiral Grau and part of his Mayor Staff. The same shot cut an important part of the combat wheel, leaving the ship without control. Several members of the surviving staff (Elías Aguirre , Melitón Carvajal and Diego Garezón ) led the ironclad until the end of the battle, until it was clear that the ship would be captured.

Nearly 2 hours after the beginning of combat, the remaining crew of the ironclad made the decision to scuttle it rather than surrender it. The ship was eventually captured and prevented from sinking. It was the end of the War of the Pacific sea campaign. The Chilean navy then used the Huascar as one of its own ships.