On May 1, 1880, a serious explosion took place at the torpedo manufactory at Ancon. (Mason, 1885) On May 10, RearAdmiral Riveros ordered the bombardment of Callao. One of the "school ships" was sunk. It lasted four and a half hours.
The Chileans added two torpedo boats, fitted with outrigger torpedos, to their squadron, the Janequeo and the Fresia. They were armed with Hotchkiss machine guns. In addition three smaller boats, the Guacolda, Colo-colo and Tucapel were used to watch the harbor at night. (Markham, 1892)
On May 25th, a dark night, the Janequeo and the Guacaldo found themselves close to a Peruvian launch, the Independencia, commanded by Lieutenant José Gálvez, son of the late minister of war. Gálvez threw a hundred pound case of powder onto the deck of the Janequeo and exploded the powder by firing his revolver. [Other versions of the story say this was a torpedo.] The Janequeo sank. His boat sank also and Gálvez was taken prisoner with his men by the Chileans of the Guacaldo. The Peruvians also blew up a Chilean armed transport and the gun boat, Covadonga. (Markham, 1892).
Resources:
Markham, Clements R. 1892. A history of Peru. Reprinted 1968. New York: Greenwood, 556 p.
Mason, Theodorus B. M. 1885. The War of the Pacific Coast of South America Between Chile and the Allied Republics of Peru and Bolivia. 1879-'81. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.
1880 May
The Blockade of Callao
On April 9, 1880 a Chilean squadron, under the command of Rear-Admiral Riveros, consisting of the Blanco Encalada, the previously captured Huascar, the wooden corvettes, the Angamos and Pilcomayo, the transport Mathias Cousino, and the torpedo-boats Guacolda and Janequeo, steamed towards Callao. At 3 p.m. the torpedo-boats, convoyed by the Huascar, were pushed ahead. The Guacolda, commanded by Lieutenant Goni, broke down and became separated from her convoy.
The Guacolda met the fleet at about 8 p. m., and was repaired and again pushed ahead alone, arriving off San Lorenzo Island at 1 a. m. After waiting for the Janequeo (which it afterwards learned had missed the port by about ten miles to the northward) for about an hour, Goni ran in toward the vessels. Approaching the usual man-of-war anchorage from the south, he identified the neutral men-of-war. Shortly afterwards, in the dark, he ran into and sank a fishing-boat, from which his crew pulled three men. The Chileans forced the men to point out the position of the Peruvian corvette, the Union, which, with the Atahualpa, Chalaco, and Oroya, were at anchor outside of the Muelle D'Arsena.
At daylight on April 10, the Chilean fleet sent a torpedo launch against the Union. The captain of the Union had surrounded his vessel with a strong torpedo-boom. When Goni collided with the fishing boat, one of his bow-spars was carried away. When he attacked the Union', his torpedo exploded harmlessly against the floating palisade. Before exploding, the torpedo ran dangerously close to the United States steamer Alaska and the Italian frigate Garibaldi. The Union's crew returned a heavy small-arm and machine gun fire, firing with the ship's Gatling guns. The Guacolda promptly retired. (Mason, 1883, pg 56-57)
The Blanco Encalada appeared off Callao. At 10 am a launch was sent off from the Blanco with a flag of truce and was received by a boat from the Union. The Chileans announced the blockade. All neutral ships were given eight days to depart from the port. The Diplomatic corps in Lima requested that the time be extended to fifteen days.
Resources
Mason, Theodorus B. M. 1883. The War of the Pacific Coast of South America Between Chile and the Allied Republics of Peru and Bolivia. 1879-'81. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.
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