«Navy forces should strike before the ground forces, making decisive strikes at the enemy. We must dominate in the Pacific forever. This should be Chile's objective now and hopefully, forever.» Diego Portales, 1832
Chapter Five: Skirmishes and Reactions
June 20, 1885, off Panama City...
Captain Alejandro Suárez of the Colombian Navy was in command of gunboat Boyacá. Just a few weeks ago, he had disembarked 5,000 men on Panama. Now, he was on his way to Ecuador. He had been sailing for five hours. The Chilean squadron of ships(minus Angamos and Chacabuco) were to sail after them, but he hadn't seen them so far. General Montoya had reinforced General Reyes. The men on Panama City now numbered 12,000. 7,500 Colombian, 4,500 Chilean.
"Steam to the north! Four columns of steam to the northwest!" Seaman Nuñez screamed.
"Helmsman! Turn to the south! We are not fighting four ships with a gunboat!" Suárez shouted.
For five hours, the Boyacá was chased by USS Iroquois, USS Essex, USS Alliance and USS Mohican.
Every time some ship approached the Boyacá, they were rejected by the Boyacá's cannons, or its sailors, armed with rifles.
"Hold on, lads! We'll outrun them or they'll find themselves between us and our allies!" Suárez yelled.
Iroquois was forced to disengage by a certere cannon shell by the two hour mark. Captain Mahan would continue to elude the Chilean Navy in their hunt for USS Iroquois.
The battle of La Palma was the first battle on sea of the war. The confrontation between Esmeralda against Tennessee, Shenandoah and Galena had happened berore war happened.
It would also go down in history as the first time the navies of the Allies would fight together.
"Captain, to the North, it's the Chileans!" Sargeant Ruiz shouted.
It was the Chilean squadron, with Blanco Encalada at the front.
Mohican disengaged and sailed away, heading to the north, pursued by Magallanes. Mohican would escape with moderate damage.
Pilcomayo and Amazonas engaged Essex. Its crew scuttled her to avoid capture. Its crew would be rescued by Pilcomayo. The wreck would be found on 1976 on a severe state of decomposition by French investigator Paul Blanc. Several items were either rescued or looted afterwards. The wreck collapsed on itself between 1997 and 2004, as shown by the expedition by Colombian Navy captain Rodrigo Martínez Suárez(descendant of Captain Suárez) and the collaboration of the Colombian Navy with the Chilean Geographic and Military Institute.
Blanco engaged Alliance. Blanco, commanded by survivor of the Battle of Iquique, Captain Francisco Sánchez, was outmaneuvered by Alliance, who focused its weapons on the Chilean ironclad. The shots failed to penetrate the Blanco, doing almost no damage. Alliance was boarded by Boyacá and assisted by Blanco. Alliance was captured and served in the Colombian Navy, with the name of Medellín, serving on active duty for twenty seven years. It would become a museum ship on 1935. Its condition was deteriorated and was restored in 1971. It is arguably, one of the best mantained ships of the Colombian Navy. Offers by the United States to recover the ships have been rejected since 1905.
The result was another defeat for the United States. Four ships of the United States against a Colombian gunboat. Two escaped, one scuttled and one captured. 83 dead, 38 wounded. The Boyacá suffered 34 dead and 29 wounded. The Chilean convoy suffered 9 dead and 17 wounded. Despite the fact that Blanco Encalada had to face most of the fighting in the Chilean convoy, it only had one death, Artillery soldier Próspero Fonseca.
The convoy(with Boyacá and Medellín) entered Guayaquil on June 23. Blanco(escorting the convoy) would return to Valparaíso on July 16. Cochrane(with Condell in command) would replace Blanco on Panama. The strategy was simple. Esmeralda and an ironclad in the north. Huáscar and another ironclad guarding the Chilean coasts.
The world's reactions were late as usual. The battle off Panama City of April 30 was known in Europe a month after.
Spain had one of the biggest interests in this war. Its former colonies standing up to the wannabe-world power. If the United States were defeated, Spain could rule the Caribbean, bypassing the Monroe Doctrine. Support was mixed. One half wanted to support the United States and make the former colonies weak, ripe for retaking. The others wanted to see the Americans defeated and do as they pleased on the Atlantic, (as long as that pesky Britain stayed out of it) leading to heated discussions. Spain decided to mantain neutrality. The Spanish Crown, however, had a good impression of Chile from the envoy to Spain, now named Admiral, Patricio Lynch. Spain played as the intermediary to buy weapons(for both countries, but Chile was heavily favored) and made a good amount of money from the war.
Britain was a whole other thing. US-Britain relations were never the best. Chile-Britain relations, on the other hand, were pretty good, with Britain warning Spain about interfering on the War of the Pacific. Britain watched with an interested eye, as the interests of British capital in Northern Chile were very important. John Thomas North, the King of Nitrates advocated for intervention favorable to Chile and was shot down very quickly. This wasn't a matter to shed blood for. After the war, Britain built the Chilean battleship Capitán Prat and the protected cruisers Chipana, Casma and Loa.
Germany was also somewhat interested, as the Chilean Army was undergoing a process of Prussianization. So far, Chile had a hybrid of French and Prussian doctrine. Krupp also benefited, as it was Chile's main provider of artillery.
However, all countries were worried about the power the South American alliance could wield in the seas. The alliance was a threat. If Argentina decided to use it to take the Falklands, Britain would evidently have a hard time keeping an overseas colony against the might of half of South America. Portugal saw with worry how Brazil could overpower it. Portugal started plans for a modernized Navy, plans that were finished in 1897. At the time, Portugal could have fended off almost every Navy in the world. This Portugal naval modernization led to a Spain-Portugal arms race. The Cabo Verde incident of 1904 rose tension to the maximum degree possible without war. It is said that the Portuguese and Spanish navies were minutes away of entering the other's gun range, narrowly avoiding all-out war. Mediation by France allowed the Iberic countries to stop its arms race. For seven years. After that, both countries had started a dreadnought-race, which included France and Germany to build that type of ships.
The United States saw in worry how its contingent of marines was surrounded by hostile ships and soldiers. Any reinforcements would have to pass the blockade that the Esmeralda had started on the isthmus of Panama. The Esmeralda's greater speed made it impossible for ships to break the blockade. Records say of at least 12 men with small boats, trying to pass in the darkest hour of the night, only to be captured by Esmeralda. Torpedo attempts failed repeatedly, leading the United States to give up on that method.
A worry that the public opinion shared with the Government of the United States was equipment. The marines had standard equipment. Uniform, rifle, a regular amount of supplies and ammunition. Chile(and Colombia, thanks to shared weaponry brought on Itata) had their uniform, Comblain rifles and several kilos(reports say from as low as 2 and as high as 14. Modern estimates place it at 5~8 kilos.) of supplies and ammunition, including a small curved knife, a corvo(which is now a traditional weapon in both Colombia and Chile), as well as the feared Chupilca del Diablo(Devil's chupilca.) Claimed to be a mix of schnapps and gunpowder, local tradition suggests that soldiers would go berserk when drinking it. The most remembered use of this mix(which is now thought to be merely a placebo) was in 1880, in Arica. However, the moral effect of this drink on the enemy was devastating. Researchers compare this effect to the Jolly Roger, the infamous pirate flag. Results have been very similar.
The United States citizens were outraged. Their navy was failing miserably at fighting what was refered to as the navy of just a little South American country. The war had started to protect American interests in a country most of them hadn't heard unless it involved a scam. President Grover Cleveland used Rear Admiral Jouett's declarations to inspire his people. Recruitment did go up, but not like he expected. Many wondered if fighting half of South America for just a tiny piece of land was even worth it.
The public of the United States saw as their soldiers couldn't reach Panama by ship, forced to land dozens of miles away just to arrive at Balboa or Vacamonte as Brazil had the cruiser Almirante Barroso on patrol near Colón to avoid ressuply from the Atlantic. Later, Almirante Barroso was joined by Brazilian ironclad Riachuelo, and Argentinian monitor La Plata. Privateers who claimed to fight for the United States were either sunk or captured. Thankfully, Brazil's records on the amount of ships have proven reliable. Four old brigantines, one steam frigate, three sloops of war and five frigates. All brigantines were sunk, the steam frigate was captured(known later as ARA Mendoza), two sloops of war sunk, the other one was captured and sold for scrap. Two frigates would be captured(ARA Pueyrredón and Amazonas(Chilean ship is refered to as Transport Amazonas and Brazilian ship is Frigate Amazonas.)) and the other ones would be sunk.
Ecuador decided to support mostly on land forces, sending a small force of 3,500 soldiers.
Brazil and Argentina supported the war on Panama. Brazil sending 7,000 soldiers and Argentina 6,000.
By August 11, forces in Panama numbered 28,500. The number increased the next day with the arrival of Chilean 7th Regiment of the Line 'Esmeralda' commanded by Colonel Adolfo Holley and fresh off retirement, one-armed General, Santiago Amengual on board Huanay. 31,000 men on Panama City.
Of course, the United States weren't inactive. The soldiers on Panama numbered 22,000. Several of those sick. Modern estimates place the combatants at barely over 20,000.
In August 18, we see a minor skirmish.
2,000 American soldiers, during the night, tried to sneak to free the American marines, who numbered 2,500. 500 prisoners escaped that night, including Captain James O'Kane of Galena, with two thousand men being captured after being encircled by the Ecuadorian force for the US. The alliance had many wounded, but just 51 dead. Both sides claim victory. The United States claim victory on the grounds that prisoners were freed behind the backs of the Alliance. The Alliance claimed victory as the rescue was a failure, leaving the American soldiers with the same number as before.
It took three days for the Allies to strike back.
The first order of business afterwards was order of battle. The Chileans had seen how a disorganized battle plan can destroy planning. The lack of communication between Bolivian and Peruvian forces were their downfall at Tacna. Although begrudgingly, Amengual(commander of the Allied army, due to seniority. The only member in the high command who was alive when Amengual was fighting, was Peixoto, who was a newborn while Amengual fought the Peruvian-Bolivian Confederation.) The one armed general, who had a bullet hit his arm(sources do not agree on which) in the Battle of Loncomilla in the 1851 Revolution, veteran of eleven battles, victor in all of them accepted former enemy(who had fought for Peru in the War of the Pacific) Roque Saenz Peña as Chief of Staff.
On the other side, the United States had gone for experience as well. General Philip Sheridan. A veteran of many wars as well. General Sheridan had prepared in the city of Balboa, expecting an assault like the one in Pisagua in 1879. An amphibian attack supported by the Navy from afar. He wasn't entirely wrong.
Chile had 7,000 men in Panama. Ecuador, 3,500. Colombia, 7,500. Argentina, 6,000 and Brazil, 7,000. The Alliance had the support of the Esmeralda, Cochrane, Chacabuco and Angamos.
Commanders:
Allied Commander-General Santiago Amengual(Chile)
Chief of staff-Colonel Roque Saenz Peña(Argentina)
Left wing commander-Colonel Adolfo Holley(Chile)
Vanguard commander-General Rafael Reyes(Colombia)
Right wing commander-General Floriano Peixoto(Brazil)
Reserve commander-General Nicolás Levalle(Argentina)
Naval commander-Rear Admiral Juan José Latorre(Chile)
US Army Commander-General Philip Sheridan
Chief of Staff-Colonel Richard Williamson
Balboa defense batteries commander-Captain James O'Kane
Expecting the Navy to attack from afar like in Pisagua(General Sheridan is reported to have analyzed the possible attacks, with reports of the Battle of Pisagua being studied by the General, who judged that as the most likely attempt.) General Sheridan ordered his men to reject by means of many rifles, any amphibian attack.
What went wrong was Angamos. Its long range cannon had been aimed towards the location of the United States forces. Captain O'Kane was powerless to stop the weaponized transport from shooting past them, causing havoc in the back line.
Nevertheless, a fierce resistance was organized. The first wave of Allies had been rejected.
The landing ocurred on the second wave. If reports are believable, first man on the beach was Lieutenant Miguel Yañez, of the Colombian Army.
The vanguard had breached the defenses, while the left wing was being pushed back and the right wing was at a stalemate.
Needing to defend more efficiently, General Sheridan ordered to push from the sides. It would have worked if the Colombian Army hadn't plunged through the defenses. The Americans retreated back, keeping the Allies out. Bombardment by Angamos forced them to spread out. Esmeralda and Chacabuco had dealt with the batteries. Captain O'Kane would be severely wounded by shrapnel, dying on August 26, 1885.
The Americans retreated in good order, managing to make their way to Vacamonte, the temporal headquarters of the United States Panama Army.
The Battle of Balboa was a notorious success for the alliance, but wasn't such a catastrophic hit on the United States. The glorious one armed General, as Amengual was refered to by the Chilean division had another victory to add to his record. Twelve battles and all won.
The Alliance suffered from over 4,000 casualties, between dead and wounded.
The United States lost 1,500 soldiers to diseases after the battle, adding to their 7,000 battle casualties.
This led to the destitution of Secretary of War Endicott, who was blamed for the defeats at Panama, La Palma and Balboa, Endicott's replacement was Rear Admiral James Edward Jouett.
(First chapter that gives some information about the future. Next chapter should go back to usual style. If you want, you're still in time to guess the mystery character of last chapter, so...there's that.)
