Battle of Iquique
1879 CE · Iquique, Chile/Peru
The Battle of Iquique was fought in 1879 CE in Iquique, Chile/Peru between Peru vs Chile; Peruvian victory; the Chilean corvette Esmeralda was sunk and Prat killed boarding the Huáscar.
Battle of Iquique: quick facts
- Date
- 1879 CE
- Location
- Iquique, Chile/Peru
- Belligerents
- Peru vs Chile
- Commanders
- Miguel Grau vs Arturo Prat
- Result
- Peruvian victory; the Chilean corvette Esmeralda was sunk and Prat killed boarding the Huáscar.
- Era
- 🌎 Latin American Wars
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Iquique?
During the War of the Pacific, the Chilean wooden corvette Esmeralda engaged the powerful Peruvian ironclad Huascar off Iquique. Captain Arturo Prat led a boarding attempt against the ironclad and was killed on its deck. Though the Esmeralda was sunk, Prat's sacrifice became the defining heroic moment of Chilean national identity.
Did you know?
Captain Arturo Prat's last words before boarding the Huascar are debated, but the most famous version has him crying 'Board her, boys!' His sacrifice at Iquique is commemorated as Chilean Navy Day every May 21st.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Iquique on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.