Blockade of Callao
Part of theWar of the Pacific
An image published on 30 January 1881 byLa Ilustración Española y Americana shows Civilians leaving the port before the shelling. Several US flags have been raised to mark neutral soil.
Date 10 April 1880 – 18 January 1881 Location Port ofCallao 12°3′S77°8′W / 12.050°S 77.133°W /-12.050; -77.133 Result Chilean victory
Belligerents
Chile	Peru
Commanders and leaders
Manuel Baquedano	Germán Astete
Strength
1 ironclad 2 torpedo boats 3 gunboats 1 transport	1 monitor 2 torpedo boats 1 armed tugboat 1 training ship 1 submarine
Casualties and losses
1 torpedo boat 1 gunboat 1 transport	1 monitor 2 torpedo boats 1 armed tugboat 1 training ship 1 submarine
class=notpageimage| Location within Lima Show map of Lima Blockade of Callao (Peru) Show map of Peru Blockade of Callao (South America) Show map of South America

TheBlockade of Callao was a military operation that occurred during theWar of the Pacific or the Salitre War and that consisted of the Chilean squadron preventing the entry of ships to the port ofCallao and the neighboring coves between 10 April 1880 and 17 January 1881.

Commencing on 10 April 1880, theChilean Navy fleet began a lightblockade of thePeruvian port ofCallao. The Chilean fleet would slowly grow as additional ships became available from other regions of the campaign. Likewise, thePeruvian Navy would arm local vessels as equipment allowed.

Several times over the year that the blockade was effected, the Chilean fleet would sortie and bombard the city. This was frequently in response to a Peruvian attack, such as the repeated successful deployment of disguised floating bombs.

After the successful attacks on theLimasuburbs ofSan Juan andMiraflores, it became apparent that the city was going to fall to the advancingChilean Army. During the night of 16 January 1881, after the defeat of the Peruvian Army in the battles of San Juan and Miraflores, the Secretary of the Navy, Captain Manuel Villar, ordered the destruction of port defences and the remaining ships of the Peruvian Navy^[1] to prevent their capture by Chilean troops. This order was executed by the captainsGermán Astete and Manuel Villavisencio during the dawn of 17 January 1881. Among the shipsscuttled were the last Peruvianironclad, themonitorAtahualpa, the corvetteUnión, the training shipApurímac, as well as Peru's firstsubmarine,Toro Submarino.

The Peruvian ships scuttled by their crew to prevent their capture, included:

Callao surrendered on 18 January 1881, the day after the fleet was scuttled.

• NavSource: USSCatawba
• hazegray.org: USSCatawba
• (in Spanish) Yábar Acuña, Francisco (2001).Las Fuerzas Sútiles y la defensa de costa en la Guerra del Pacífico, Fondo de Publicaciones Dirección de Intereses Marítimos.

• War of the Pacific

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