The Battle at Tacna was an engagement during the War of the Pacific (1879–1883) between Chile and the Allied Forces of Peru and Bolivia. It was fought on May 20, 1880, with the forces aligned as follows:
Chilean North Operations Army Commanding General: Manuel Baquedano González Chief of Staff: Col. Velásquez
Infantry I Division Col. Santiago Amengual Strength: 2,547 men Esmeralda Infantry Regiment (Col. Santiago Amengual) (8 companies) Navales Infantry Battalion (Col. Martiniano Urriola) (4 companies) Chillán Infantry Battalion (Juan Vargas Pinochet) (4 companies) Valparaíso Infantry Battalion (Jacinto Niño) (3 companies) II Division Lt. Col. Francisco Barceló Strength: 2,130 men 2nd Line Infantry Regiment (Col. Estanislao del Canto) Santiago Infantry Regiment (Lt. Col. Francisco Barceló) Atacama Infantry Regiment (Lt. Col. Juan Martínez) III Division Col. José Domingo Amunátegui Strength: 1,858 men Artillería de Marina Infantry Regiment Coquimbo Infantry Battalion Chacabuco Infantry Battalion IV Division Col. Orozimbo Barbosa Strength: 2,285 men Lautaro Infantry Battalion Cazadores del Desierto Infantry Battalion Zapadores Infantry Battalion (Lt. Col. Ricardo Santa Cruz) Reserve Col. Mauricio Muñoz Strength: 2,335 men "Buin" 1st Line Infantry Regiment (Col. Juan León García) 3rd Line Infantry Regiment (Col. Ricardo Castro) 4th Line Infantry Regiment (Col. Luis Solo de Zaldívar)
Cavalry Granaderos Regiment (Horse Grenadiers) Cazadores Regiment (Light Cavalry) Carabineros de Yungay Regiment (Light Cavalry-Carabiners)
Artillery 37 cannons and 4 machine guns from the 1st Artillery Regiment
Allies Commanding General: Narciso Campero, Bolivian Army Strength: 13,650 men
I Southern Peruvian Army I Division Col. Justo Pastor Dávila Lima Nº 11 Battalion Cazadores de Cuzco Battalion II Division Col. Andrés Avelino Cáceres Zepita Battalion Cazadores de Misti Battalion III Division Col. Belisario Suárez Arica Battalion Pisagua Battalion IV Division Col. Jacinto Mendoza Victoria Battalion Huáscar Battalion V Division Col. Alejandro Herrera Ayacucho Battalion Arequipa Battalion VI Division César Canevaro Lima Nº 21 Battalion Cazadores del Rímac Battalion (Col. Víctor Fajardo) Nacionales Division Col. del Solar Formed by civilians and policemen of Tacna (the latter from the Peruvian Civil Guard) Cavalry Húsares de Junín Squadron Gendarmes de Tacna Squadron Guías Squadron Flanqueadores de Tacna Squadron Artillery 10 cannons and 3 machine guns
Bolivian Army I Division Col. Severino Zapata Viedma Battalion Padilla Battalion Sucre Battalion II Division Col. Claudio Acosta Tarija Battalion Chorolque Battalion Grau Battalion Loa Battalion III Division Col. Idelfonso Murgia Murillo Battalion Alianza Battalion IV Division Col. Alfonso González Aroma Battalion Cavalry Húsares Squadron Coraceros Squadron Artillery 6 cannons and 4 machine guns
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