The decline of the Peruvian naval power
The conflict with Spain led the government seeks to increase the Peruvian naval power, although not always successfully, as was the case of the acquisition of Manco Capac and Atahualpa monitors. Purchased in the United States, both ships were towed from New Orleans to Callao on an epic journey that took more than one year (January 1869-May 1870) which was not without its difficulties.
In the early 1870s, Peru started to feel the effects of a deep fiscal crisis, accelerated by excessive spending that had been incurred on the basis of compromise guano revenues. It was why he could not react strongly to the growth of the Chilean naval power, with the construction of two armored Cochrane and Blanco Encalada, he happened to have the most powerful fleet in the South American Pacific. In response the Peru could only add to the squad to small gunboats Chanchamayo and Pilcomayo, the first of which was lost in 1876 against False Punta Aguja. Another notable loss of those years was the America corvette, stranding following the tsunami that hit the port of Arica, on August 13, 1868. He died in this tragic accident the commander of the ship, captain of the corvette Mariano Saavedra Reyes.
The Naval battle of Pacocha (1877)
On May 6, 1877, a group of supporters of Nicolas de Pierola on board the Huáscar in Callao, rising up against the government of President Mariano Ignacio Prado. He reacted by declaring the ship outside the law and offering rewards to whoever would capture or destroy them. Under the command of Captain German Astete, the Huascar went to sea heading south to the leader board. On that journey he stopped several British ships, violating international law. The latter prompted the Admiral Alghernon M. De Horsey, commander of the British Naval Station in the Pacific, to intervene in the matter.
With the Shah frigate and corvette Amethyst, he sought to monitor Huáscar and found the May 29, 1877, against Pacocha. The English admiral intimated surrender to Peruvian Luis Germán Astete commander, who refused to surrender his ship and prepared to fight affirming the Peruvian flag. The action was held for several hours, when British ships despite their great artillery advantage could not perform to the monitor, which returned fire and maneuvered with skill, evading not only enemy fire, but also a self-propelled torpedo the British made use for the first time in the history of the torpedo. Having failed in their attempt, the British ships were removed from the scene, while the Huáscar gave national authorities the next day.
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