Battle of Arica

Battle of Arica
Part of the War of the Pacific
The Battle of Arica by Juan Lepiani depicts Bolognesi's final moments. Oil on canvas, Lima, Peru.
Date June 7, 1880 Location Morro de Arica, Peru (present-day Chile) Result Chilean victory
Combatants
Chile	Peru
Commanders
Pedro Lagos	Francisco Bolognesi †
Strength
4,000	2,000
Casualties
474 dead or wounded	~1,000 dead or wounded 1 monitor lost

The Battle of Arica or the assault and capture of the Morro de Arica (Arica Cape), took place on June 7, 1880, between the forces of Chile and Peru. The Chileans were led by Coronel Pedro Lagos, while the defending Peruvian forces were under the command of Coronel Francisco Bolognesi.

Naval Bombardment

On February 27 the Chilean Navy began bombarding the city's defenses in preparation for the ground attack. The Chilean Huáscar fought an ongoing and inconclusive duel with the remaining Peruvian ironclad, the Manco Cápac. Though outclassed, the Peruvian monitor managed to hold the Chilean fleet at bay for 4 months, until the Chilean Army closed in on the city from the rear.

The Battle

After the Battle of Tacna, Coronel Lagos had been given orders by the Chilean high command and by General Manuel Baquedano to take the Peruvian port of Arica at any cost. He was left to decide on his own the way to do it, so Lagos decided on a frontal assault with only 4,000 infantry, divided into three groups. The targets were the 3 main defenses of the city: the East fort, the Ciudadela (Citadel) fort and finally the Cape fort. The Peruvian defenders at these first two forts, caught by surprise by an early morning raid, were very quickly defeated. The Peruvian defenders then retreated towards their main defense, up the cape, bravely fighting back and trying to reorganize their lines. At that point, Lagos' idea was to wait for reinforcements before finally storming the Cape fort. Nevertheless an unidentified soldier shouted "¡Al morro muchachos!" ("To the Cape, boys!"), causing the mass assault. Chilean infantry had to run up the hill facing the allied men commanded by Colonel Bolognesi. The final Chilean assault was directed by Major Juan Jose San Martín (who died in battle) and Sergeant Major Felipe Solo de Zaldívar who was the first to reach the summit.

Aftermath

Chileans taking possession of Arica Cape after the battle

The Chileans won the battle and Coronel Bolognesi was killed. Some other high ranking Peruvian officers who also perished were Colonel Alfonso Ugarte (who purportedly jumped on his horse off the cliff down into the underlying Pacific ocean to prevent the capture of the Peruvian flag by Chilean forces), and Colonel Mariano Bustamante, his Chief of Detail. These three Peruvian officers belonged to the group that on the eve of the battle had gallantly rejected an offer to surrender the garrison to the Chilean army, and prompted Colonel Bolognesi to vow to the Chilean emissary that he was to defend the garrison to the last shot. Another very high ranking officer who survived the battle and its aftermath was Lieutenant Coronel Roque Saenz Peña, a volunteer officer of the Peruvian Army, who later went on to become President of Argentina. The feat of capturing the port was heroic, but it was marred by the lack of Chilean control over the assaulting troops, that led to a widespread killing of the surviving and surrendered Peruvian soldiers and the citizens of the already captured city, which was looted.

Looking down from the cape

With the fall of the city, the ironclad Manco Cápac found herself short on supplies and with the nearest friendly port four days away at Callao. Faced with an impossible trip she was scuttled to prevent her capture by the Chilean military.

Since the Morro de Arica was the last bulwark of defence for the allied troops standing in the city, its occupation by Chile has been of utmost historical relevance for both countries. The city to this day remains part of Chile, and is a constant symbol of friction with his neighboors Peru and Bolivia (whose main port remains to date.)

See also

• War of the Pacific

References

• navsource.org: USS Oneota