Early 20th Century
In the years before the Great War, Peru had to face several conflicts with its neighbors around international boundaries that had not yet been defined. To the border disputes that had arisen in the Amazon region with Colombia and Ecuador, the Peruvian government again invest in the acquisition of some river units. The most notable was the American gunboat, built in England in 1904. During his service participated in the conflict with Colombia in 1911 and 1932, being particularly meritorious his performance in the first, when the command of Lieutenant Manuel Clavero acted in combination with the troops of Colonel Oscar R. Benavides and defeated the Colombian forces in La Pedrera, on the Putumayo river, in a bout that took place on 11 and 12 July 1911.
Many of these problems were the scenario of the Amazon, but the truth is that had to make significant efforts to address this area of Peru's territorial heritage. As part of these efforts, and in the context of the conflict with Colombia, the newly acquired Lieutenant Rodriguez was sent from France to the Amazon, once the crisis is over, the vessel had to join the fleet in the Pacific, becoming the first vessel war to cross the Panama Canal in 1914. During the Great War, the logistical difficulties affected the state of the units. This was particularly critical in the case of submersibles, whose life was cut significantly.
In 1919, during the second government of Leguia, there was still a need to continue the process of improving the institution, contacts to have advice from the United States Navy were made, and the result of this was the hiring of the American Naval Mission, whose work led to a total reform of the administrative system of the Navy, reorganizing the Fleet, the naval Academy as well as most of the existing units, taking as a model the US naval organization.
One of the important achievements in this period was the creation of the Ministry of the Navy by Law No. 4003 of October 13, 1920, separating it from the Ministry of War and Navy, dating from 1821, thereby achieving independence and handling more adequacy of its resources. Also in the same year had created the Corps aviators of the Navy, remote antecedent of the current Air Force, which because of its importance, determined that in 1929, the Ministry of Marine and Aviation was created, remaining fused both portfolios until 1941, when the Ministry of Aviation was created.
From 1922 the general reorganization of the services of the Navy regarding the administration took place and what personal concerns, with the full and comprehensive change. In 1923 one officer corps was formed, leaving overcome the old division between the engine cover and mutually ignorant of the respective functions. On the other hand, in order to give more experience and opportunity in the performance of different positions to officers, a rotating system and command posts was established. In the same year, the American Commander Charles Gordon Davy, considered the contemporary manager Naval Academy, made the full reorganization of the Alma Mater.
The changes were not limited to the part of education, but also the practices at sea and training on board units of the fleet, and it was performed for the first time since 1921 the so-called summer cruises involving the cadets of the Naval Academy. In the field of communications, the Naval Academy was first installed a radio reception and transmission equipment, under the correct leadership of Lieutenant Manuel R. Nieto.
Harnessing the Isla San Lorenzo for naval facilities resulted in the construction of a Naval Station as a basis for submarines that had ordered to be built in the United States, which in its facilities had a dock for careening repair and medium-sized vessels. Other improvements of the time, were the creation of the School of Naval Apprentices in 1925, predecessor of the current School Recruits; and the creation in 1930 of the Naval War College, which opened under the direction of Rear Admiral William S. Pye USN.
One of the most important works in this period was the construction of a dam and naval arsenal in the northern port of Callao, which would lead to the definitive establishment of the Callao Naval Base, thereby achieving achieve an institutional vacuum many years, for the benefit of the squadron and the same marina.
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