BAP Independencia was a broadside ironclad built in England for the Peruvian Navy during the mid-1860s. During the War of the Pacific of 1879–83, Independencia ran aground while pursuing the Chilean schooner Covadonga during the Battle of Punta Gruesa on 21 May 1879. The survivors were rescued by Huáscar and the wreck destroyed to prevent its capture.
Context In the 1860s, Spain tried to reassert its influence over parts of South America. This would eventually lead to the Chincha Islands War, in which Peru declared war on Spain January 14, 1866. Before that, the Spanish fleet had seized the Peruvian Chincha Islands on April 14, 1864. The Spanish threat led to the orders for Independencia, Huáscar, and other vessels.
Description Independencia was long between perpendiculars, had a beam of and a draft of . The ship displaced . She had one trunk steam engine that drove her single propeller. The engine produced which gave the ship a speed of .Silverstone, p. 353 For long-distance travel, Independencia was fitted with three masts"Some South American Ironclads", p. 204 and barque rigged. She had a crew of 250 officers and crewmen.Gardiner, p. 418
The ship was armed with four Armstrong , twelve and four 30-pounder rifled, muzzle-loading guns. The 7-inch guns were on pivot mountings on the spar deck. She was a central-battery ironclad with the armament concentrated amidships. Independencia was equipped with a ram at her bow and her hull was divided into three watertight compartments. The ship had a complete waterline armor belt thick. Her battery was protected by armor plates equally as thick.
Construction Independencia was built by Samuda Brothers at their shipyard in Poplar, London. She was laid down in 1864 and launched on 8 August 1865.Silverstone, p. 392
After Peru declared war on Spain on 14 January 1866, continuing construction of Independencia in the United Kingdom would mean a breach of neutrality. Meanwhile there were already Peruvian officers present at the shipyard. These then arranged for the tugboat Union to tow her to the Scheldt. On 28 January 1866, the couple passed Vlissingen, to continue to the harbor of Terneuzen. This meant that the ship anchored before the town, not in its port.
The Dutch government had to react to preserve neutrality. The screw frigate Adolf van Nassau was sent and passed Vlissingen on 2 February. It was to observe Independencia and to prevent her from taking on supplies that it should not. The Dutch also ordered the ironclad De Ruyter to move to Terneuzen and ordered the coastal batteries to be armed. However, the Dutch authorities could do little against Independencia. It was said that they ordered Independencia to leave, but that commandant Garcia flatly refused. After taking on coal, Independencia anchored before Vlissingen on 17 February and set sail on the 18th.
Moving Independencia to the Netherlands to finish was part of a bigger plan. On 17 January, the smaller ironclad Huáscar had left Liverpool. On 23 January, this vessel arrived in Brest. The French government reacted by sending the ironclad Flandre from Cherbourg. Like Independencia, Huáscar was not ready, its crew was not complete. The British three-mast ship Thames then came to supply ammunition, but her captain was arrested. Independencia arrived in Brest on 22 February. On 27 February both ships left Brest for open sea, escorted by Flandre. It was said that the supplies from Thames were transloaded there.
Service
Independencia had her boilers replaced in 1878. In February 1879, her armament was reinforced by a rifled, muzzle-loading pivot gun in the bow and a 150-pounder Parrott gun in the stern, also on a pivoting mount.
On 21 May 1879, she was in pursuit of Covadonga after the Battle of Iquique and attempted to ram the Chilean ship as Independencia had only hit her opponent once thus far. The smaller Covadonga was hugging the coastline and one of her sharpshooters shot Independencias helmsman just as the ship began to turn. Without anyone at the wheel, Independencia ran aground. Covadonga turned around and came up aft of Independencias stern and raked her, forcing her surrender, until Huáscar drove off the Chilean ship. Independencias casualties were four dead and eleven wounded; the ship was a total loss and only two 7-inch guns could be salvaged.Greene & Massignani, pp. 307–08 Huáscar loaded Independencias crew aboard and blew up the wreck and set it on fire to prevent her capture.
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