Battle of Iquique

Speaking of ironclads, on May 21, 1879, off the coast of Iquique, Peru, the Peruvian ironclad Huacar engaged the Chilean corvette Esmeralda. Captain Arturo Prat's Esmeralda was one of the oldest ships in the Chilean navy and was only brought into action because Chile needed to blockade the Peruvian-Bolivian alliance. Commander Miguel Seminaro's ship was a completely new ship with armament that shot 300-pound rounds.

The Huacar's crew started firing almost immediately, and their bullets ripped straight through the Esmeralda while the corvette's bullets simply bounced off the iron armor. In order to prevent the Peruvians from firing for fear that they may miss and shell the town, Prat then effectively held the town of Iquique hostage by floating the Esmeralda between the Huacar and the settlement. This attempt to utilize the town as a human shield was unsuccessful when Iquique artillery crews opened fire on the wood ship. After slamming the Esmeralda, Seminaro opened fire at point blank range. The Huacar had to repeatedly ram the Esmeralda until it sank because its crew was obstinately refused to capitulate. Captain Prat's dead body was left on the ironclad during the attempted boarding.

Esmeralda's defeat was utterly one-sided, but Prat's bravery inspired the Chilean people, and the day was declared a national holiday. Additionally, the Chilean navy was more powerful and altogether larger than the Peruvian-Bolivian navy. A squadron of six Chilean warships, including two ironclads, destroyed the Huacar on October 9, 1879, after which it was surrendered. But Seminaro did manage to secure one straightforward triumph.

Date: May 21, 1879
Location: Off Iquique, Pacific Ocean
Result: Peruvian victory