Chilean War of Independence
1810–1826
After San Martín's victory at Maipú in April 1818 made Chile independent in fact, Spain still held the sea and the Viceroyalty of Peru. Chile bought old East Indiamen and American-built corvettes to make a navy, and in October 1818 its first squadron, under Manuel Blanco Encalada, took the Spanish frigate Reina María Isabel and most of the troop convoy she was escorting. Lord Cochrane, dismissed from the Royal Navy after the Stock Exchange fraud, arrived at the end of that year to take command. He raided Callao twice in 1819, stormed the fortress of Valdivia in February 1820, carried San Martín's army to Peru later that year, and in November cut out the frigate Esmeralda from under the guns of Callao. Spain's last foothold, Chiloé, fell in 1826.
How the fleets moved
Click a route to see which ships made it, or a battle for its summary. Routes are approximate.
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Chilean movement
Spanish movement
Battle (size: ships engaged)
Routes are approximate.
Battles
In date order.
28 October 1818
Capture of the Reina María IsabelTalcahuano, Bay of Concepción
Chilean victory; the frigate and several transports captured
2
vs
1 (1 lost)
3–4 February 1820
Capture of ValdiviaCorral Bay, Valdivia
Chilean victory; the forts of Valdivia taken
3 (1 lost)
vs
1 (1 lost)
5–6 November 1820
Capture of the EsmeraldaCallao, Peru
Chilean victory; the Spanish flagship cut out
14
vs
4 (1 lost)
Fleets
Each navy's ships in the war, from its biggest down.