Battle of Huamachuco

Battle of Huamachuco

The long way to the Battle of Huamachuco
DateJuly 10, 1883
Locationnear Huamachuco, Peru
Result Decisive Chilean victory
Belligerents
 Chile  Peru
Commanders and leaders
Chile Alejandro Gorostiaga Peru Andrés Avelino Cáceres
Strength
1.500[1] 1.440 plus hundreds of montoneras
Casualties and losses
68 dead
96 wounded[2]		 800 dead and 300 captured

The Battle of Huamachuco was fought on July 10, 1883, and it was the last major battle of the War of the Pacific. The Chilean soldiers led by Colonel Alejandro Gorostiaga decisively defeated the Peruvian army commanded by General Andrés Avelino Cáceres near the town of Huamachuco. This Chilean victory effectively eliminated Cáceres' Ejército de la Breña, ending any real threat or resistance in the Peruvian Andes. The Peruvian defeat paved the way for the Treaty of Ancon that finally put an end to the war. Also, one of Peru's greatest heroes, Colonel Leoncio Prado, died as a consequence of this battle.

Background

The defeats suffered by the Chilean Army at Marcavalle, Pucará and Concepcion, in addition to the decimation of their troops due to poor sanitation, convinced the Chilean High Command of the need to completely abandon the Central Andes. This retreat was made possible by the Chilean victory at Tarma Tambo on July 15, 1882. By that time, the occupation troops had been reduced to about half their original size. Peruvian General Andrés Cáceres controlled the Mantaro valley and had even briefly possessed the city of Huancayo. He established his command in Tarma and busied himself reorganizing his army. By January 1883, Cáceres had raised his troops to 3,200 well-armed and equipped men, and commanded central Peru.

Faced with this threat to the peace negotiations, Admiral Patricio Lynch, the Chilean Commander-in-Chief, decided to send a new force against General Cáceres. This new army comprised three divisions, under the command of Colonels García, del Canto and Arriagada. The Chilean army was well armed, and had learned the lessons of previous forays into the high Andes. Their plan was to surround and corner the Peruvians to force them into a conventional battle. Soon after they captured the strategic city of Jauja and on May 5 they reunited the forces in the city of Chiqlla. Faced with this grave threat, the Peruvian army retreated north.

On May 30 the Peruvian army arrived at Cerro de Pasco, with the Chilean divisions under Colonels del Canto and García in close pursuit. Under those circumstances, the Peruvians continued to retreat into the high Andes. By the third week of June the Peruvians were in critical condition. The Chileans had almost cornered them. On June 22 General Cáceres ordered a retreat via the Llankanuku pass, located at an altitude of over 6,000 meters. Thanks to this risky maneuver he managed to evade the main Chilean force. After many more hardships, on July 5 the Peruvian army arrived to Tulpo, near Huamachuco. There, general Cáceres learned that the Chilean Colonel Alejandro Gorostiaga was occupying that town, isolated from the main body of the Chilean army. Another enemy group was advancing from the rear to reinforce him in the town and to help push the Peruvians towards Cajamarca. Besides, this second group carried an ammunition supply for Gorostiaga.

Cáceres decided to try to destroy this reinforcement before it could reach Gorostiaga's division, but Chilean scouts were on the alert and the surprise failed. At that point, the Peruvian general called a war council and the decision was taken to stop retreating and try to destroy the Chilean forces occupying the town.

The battle

(This article needs revision and clear sources)

Forces deployment

On July 8, 1883, the Peruvian forces - about 1,440 soldiers, plus a few hundreds of Indian guerrillas called montoneras - took positions on Cuyulga hill and on the facing Purrubamba hill, both overlooking the city. The Peruvians were armed with Peabody and Remington rifles, but didn't have much ammunition or bayonets. Originally General Cáceres divided his troops, with half on the Cuyulga hill and the rest on the left of it, to try to cut the enemy from behind. Colonel Gorostiaga as soon as he saw the Peruvians on the top of the hills, immediately gathered all his troops and evacuated the city, taking position in the Sazón hill, a perfect defensive position, steep and with a very difficult access facing the Cuyulga, that sported some Inca ruins that were to be used as parapets.

Engagement

When the Peruvians saw that Gorostiaga had moved out, they moved into the town and took control of it, effectively cutting off the Chilean escape route. Later, on the 8th and all through 9 July there were a few artillery exchanges, but the final Peruvian assault was reserved for the early hours of 10 July. Cáceres' plan was to initiate the attack by destroying his enemy's most vulnerable position, southeast of Sazón hill. As the Chileans noticed the Peruvian advance, rapidly moved their vanguard down the hill to try to contain the menace and counter-attacked the right enemy flank on Cuyulga hill. Two companies of the Chilean Zapadores Regiment managed to get down the Sazón heading for the Peruvian positions on Santa Bárbara hill.

Cáceres responded by sending two companies of his Junín and Jauja regiments. These troops found fierce opposition and got stuck in the area. He also sent forward a few companies of the Cazadores de Concepción and Marcavalle regiments seeking to surround the Chilean troops, by then in retreat. Col. Gorostiaga tried to stop this evolving movement by sending a company of the Concepción Battalion, under Lieutenant Luis Dell'Orto, to face the attack of the Peruvian Colonel Germán Astete division. One after another the Chilean companies entered into battle at the same rate the Peruvian regiments did.[1] For a moment both armies were on equal footing, while the Chilean right wing was defended by one company of the Talca Battalion[3] facing the troops of General Manuel Cáceres.

Outnumbered, the Chilean forces were forced to retreat to their own lines under heavy Peruvian attack. Little by little the Peruvians started to push the full enemy line back up onto the Sazón summit. The Chilean artillery was silenced and regrouped on the left of the Chilean lines,[4] protected by the cavalry and the Zapadores Regiment, plus troops of the Concepción and Talca units. The Peruvians almost got to the top of the hill.

After four hours of fighting, Cáceres could almost taste victory. Gorostiaga's forces were reduced to defending themselves on their parapets at the very top of the Sazón. It was at that moment that the Peruvians started to run out of ammunition. Facing this fact, Cáceres made a fatal mistake: he ordered his artillery to relocate to the valley facing the hill in order to provide the final coup. Gorostiaga saw this tactical error and ordered a cavalry charge by a squadron of the Cazadores a Caballo Cav. Regiment led by Sergeant Major Sofanor Parra.[5] The defenseless artillery was completely annihilated - the Peruvians lost seven cannons in the process - while the artillerymen were dispersed and killed[1]

Chilean counter-attack

Meanwhile, the Chileans quickly reorganized themselves and launched a massive bayonet counter-attack against the outnumbering Peruvian lines. The Peruvians soldiers, who lacked bayonets, and with almost no ammunition by then, could only defend themselves with the butts of their rifles, as the montoneras had spears to do so. The Chilean downhill counter-attack broke the Peruvian lines as the troops collapsed and started to flee[1] from the battlefield. With this last attack the Chileans achieved the victory and a few moments later, their infantry supported by two cannons took the Peruvian basecamp at Cuyulga hill, ending the battle.

Aftermath

The Peruvians lost 800 men - almost one third of their forces - including a great part of the officers. Among the dead were General Pedro Silva, Chief of Staff Colonel Manuel Tafur, and the four divisional chiefs: Germán Astete, Manuel Cáceres, Juan Gastó and Máximo Tafur. Many more died or were executed after the battle, among them one of Peru's greatest heroes, Colonel Leoncio Prado, due to failing to keep his word to stay out of the war. General Cáceres, injured, was able to escape and evade capture. The battle effectively ended all further Peruvian resistance and the Treaty of Ancón, putting an end to the war, was signed just three months later, on October 20, 1883.

Order of battle

Peruvian Army

Chilean Army

Additional information

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Official report of Alejandro Gorostiaga. Commandant of the Chilean forces at Huamachuco
  2. ↑ According to Chilean surgery chief Carlos Vargas Clark Recopilación de Partes y Documentos de Ahumada Moreno, pág. 225
  3. ↑ Official report of Alejandro Cruz, Commandant of the "Talca" regiment
  4. ↑ Official report of G. Fontecilla, Commander of the Nº 2 Artillery Brigade
  5. ↑ Official report of Alberto Novoa Gormaz, Commandant of the Cazadores a Caballo Cavalry Regiment.

Bibliography

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