View source for Battle of Chipana

{{Infobox Military Conflict
|conflict      = Battle of Chipana
|image         = Magallanes1.jpg
|image_size    = 300px
|caption       = Chilean corvette ''Magallanes''
|partof        = the [[War of the Pacific]]
|date          = 12 April 1879
|place         = Near [[Huanillos]], [[Bolivia]]<br>(present day [[Chile]])
|result        = Indecisive, Chileans completed only part of their mission.
|combatant1    = {{Flag|Chile}}
|combatant2    = {{Flag|Peru|1825}}
|commander1    = {{Flagicon|Chile}} [[Juan José Latorre]]
|commander2    = {{Flagicon|Peru|1825}} [[Aurelio García y García|A. García y García]]
|strength1     = 1 corvette
|strength2     = 1 corvette<br>1 gunboat
|casualties1   =
|casualties2   =
}}
{{Campaignbox War of the Pacific}}
The '''Battle of Chipana''' took place on 12 April 1879, during the [[War of the Pacific]] between [[Chile]] and [[Peru]]. It was the first naval engagement between both navies and took place in front of [[Huanillos]], off the (then) Bolivian coast, as the Peruvian corvette [[BAP Unión (1865)|Unión]] and gunboat {{ship|Peruvian gunboat|Pilcomayo||2}} found the [[Chilean corvette Magallanes (1873)|Chilean corvette ''Magallanes'']] on its way to [[Iquique]].

For a while, the ''Unión'' was subjected to cross fire, then the ''Pilcomayo'' suffered boiler trouble, and dropped out of the battle. After a two-hour running artillery duel, ''Unión'' suffered engine problems, the pursuit was called off. ''Magallanes'' escaped with minor damage and had completed part of its mission, delivering commissioned papers to Iquique, but could not complete its [[reconnaissance]] mission of finding if any [[guano]] ships were still trading in the zone.<ref name=":0" />

There were no injuries on either side.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Sater |first=William F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=etT0iVZW73MC |title=Andean Tragedy: Fighting the War of the Pacific, 1879-1884 |date=2007-01-01 |publisher=U of Nebraska Press |isbn=978-0-8032-0759-2 |page=122 |language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Naval battle of Chipana.jpg |alt=Map of the Battle of Chipana]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{War of the Pacific}}

{{coord missing|Chile}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chipana, Battle Of}}
[[Category:History of South America]]
[[Category:Naval battles involving Chile]]
[[Category:Naval battles involving Peru]]
[[Category:Naval battles of the War of the Pacific]]
[[Category:Battles in 1879]]
[[Category:1879 in Chile]]
[[Category:Battles and conflicts without fatalities]]
[[Category:History of Antofagasta Region|Battle of Chipana]]
[[Category:April 1879]]


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