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59-548: Luis Alberto Pardo Villalón (20 September 1882 – 21 February 1935) was a Chilean Navy officer who, in August ;1916, commanded the steam tug Yelcho to rescue the 22 stranded crewmen of Sir Ernest Shackleton 's ship, Endurance , part of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition . The crewmen were stranded on Elephant Island , an ice-covered mountainous island off the coast of Antarctica in

118-591: A tender ship to support them, all based in Talcahuano. The navy also provides access to services for residents of Chile's Pacific and Southern island regions, thus integrating its disjointed geography. The transport of passengers, especially during the school year or in cases of emergency, together with the supply of provisions and fuel, are of key importance to the inhabitants of these insular zones. The institution regularly carries out civil operations whereby navy professionals provide social assistance and health care to

177-482: A defensive square around the Chacabuco Ranch. O’Higgins charged the center of the royalist position, while Soler moved into position behind the royalists, cutting off any chance of retreat. O’Higgins and his men overwhelmed the royalist troops, and when the royalists attempted to flee, Soler's forces cut them off and pushed toward the ranch. Hand-to-hand combat ensued in and around the ranch until every royalist soldier

236-628: A key figure in the war against loyalist forces in Peru, and was instrumental in taking control of the fortresses of Valdivia , though he failed in his attempt to conquer Chiloé Island . In March 1824, the Chilean Navy and Army undertook an expedition to expel the Spanish from Chiloé Archipelago . An expedition was dispatched to Chiloé Island , but it ended in failure when the Chilean Army led by Jorge Beauchef

295-475: A military conference called by Royal Governor Field Marshal Casimiro Marcó del Pont on February 8, Maroto's strategy was adopted. However, the following morning, the Captain General reversed the decision, ordering Maroto to prepare for battle at Chacabuco. The night before the battle, Antonio de Quintanilla , who would later distinguish himself in the defense of Chiloé , privately expressed his doubts about

354-447: A narrow path that proved long and arduous, taking longer than expected. General O’Higgins, supposedly overcome with passion upon seeing his homeland, abandoned the planned attack and charged ahead with his 1,500 men. What exactly transpired during this part of the battle is fiercely debated. O’Higgins claimed the royalists had stopped retreating and began advancing toward his troops. He argued that if he had ordered his men to retreat back up

413-459: A plan. Their primary objective was to capture the Chacabuco Ranch, the royalist headquarters located at the foot of the hills. San Martín decided to divide his 2,000 troops into two groups, sending them down two separate roads on either side of the mountain. The right contingent was led by Miguel Estanislao Soler , and the left by O’Higgins. The plan was for Soler to attack the royalist flanks while simultaneously surrounding their rear guard to prevent

472-406: A retreat. San Martín anticipated that both leaders would launch their attacks simultaneously, forcing the royalists to fight on two fronts.. San Martín sent his troops down the mountain starting at midnight on the 11th to prepare for an attack at dawn. By dawn, his troops were much closer to the royalists than anticipated, but they fought hard and heroically. Meanwhile, Soler's troops had to descend

531-517: A small enclave, forming what was essentially a mini Spanish Chile. They were reinforced by sea and continued to pose a threat to the Chilean nation until they were ultimately forced to withdraw by sea to Lima. Interim governor Francisco Ruiz-Tagle presided over an assembly that initially designated San Martín as governor. However, San Martín declined the position, calling for a new assembly, which appointed O'Higgins as Supreme Director of Chile. This marked

590-592: Is celebrated every year as a public holiday called Día de las Glorias Navales . Prat is also considered to be one of the co-founders of the Naval Seaman Training School in 1868, which began operating a year later, and was one of the Naval Academy's finest graduate officers that in 1943 it became the National Naval School "Arturo Prat" in his honor. The navy further distinguished itself during

649-637: The 1973 Chilean coup d'etat , together with the Army, the Air Force, and the Carabiniers, the navy, led by Admiral Jose Toribio Merino , became part of the government junta led by army commander in chief Augusto Pinochet . Upon the latter's resignation from the junta leadership in 1981, Adm. Merino became its chairman until March 1990, presiding over its sessions and those of the Legislative Commission. He

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708-574: The Battle of Pisagua in 1879, led by both the Navy and the Marine Artillery Groups and Marine Infantry, the world's first modern military landing operation, that resulted in Chilean victories in other parts of Peru's Tarapacá region, and resulted to its annexation by Chile. After navy visits to Easter Island in 1875 and 1887, Chilean navy officer Policarpo Toro managed to negotiate an incorporation of

767-673: The Chincha Islands War (1864–1866), and the War of the Pacific (1879–1883). The founding of Fuerte Bulnes in the Strait of Magellan marked the starting point of a series of Chilean Navy explorations, led by navy hydrographers, such as Francisco Vidal Gormaz and Francisco Hudson , in the unknown zone between the Strait of Magellan and Chiloé. To deal with this new area of activity, the navy founded in 1874

826-476: The Hydrographic Office , whose first director was Francisco Vidal Gormaz . Chilean war hero and martyr Arturo Prat is regarded as the ultimate example of the commitment of the navy to its country, after his death while leading a boarding party onto the enemy ironclad Huáscar at the naval battle of Iquique on 21 May 1879, during the War against Peru and Bolivia . The anniversary of this battle

885-628: The MV ; Explorer in 1972 and 2007. The Navy's most recognizable sailing-school ship, the Esmeralda , began operations in 1952. It since has made various trips around the world with selected cadet officers and NCOs on board trained in ship handling and operations, as a requirement for graduation. Prior to the Esmeralda , another sailing ship, the General Baquedano , fulfilled the same functions. In

944-526: The Patagonian channels aimed to improve navigation, and explored the river basins of Patagonia. A German geographer, Hans Steffen , led navy explorations to western Patagonia, laying the groundwork for colonization of what would be Aisén Region years later. The navy occasionally collaborated with European naturalists such as Carl Skottsberg in their surveys of Chilean territory. In 1904, Brazil ordered two Minas Gerais -class dreadnoughts to be built by

1003-611: The Strait of Magellan . By now the Antarctic winter was at its height and ice conditions were difficult as the Yelcho neared Elephant Island, and on 30 August, the 22 men were rescued. They arrived back in Punta Arenas on 3 September to a hero's welcome. Pardo was immediately promoted to pilot first class and given several civilian medals and naval honours, and credit for ten years of service for his rescue feat. Pardo retired from

1062-620: The external debt by the "millionaires". The mutineers had their ships located at Coquimbo and Talcahuano 's naval base, which they controlled. Chilean government responded by sending the Chilean Air Force to bombard the ships in Coquimbo and charging Talcahuano's naval base. After the quelling of the rebellion, the navy was purged, although the mutiny had its origin among the lower ranks. These economic and political factors, along with Chile's neutrality for much of World War II , meant that

1121-457: The 1890s, were totally outdated by the time the Great Depression forced their retirements without replacements. In 1931, the navy once more made headlines in Chilean politics when large portions of it (26 ships) began a mutiny that demanded the president to rescind a salary reduction. The demands were later expanded to include an agrarian reform, industrial "solidarity", and the payment of

1180-563: The 1950s, the Chilean Navy became involved in a series of incidents with the Argentine Navy and Argentine civilians in the disputed areas of the Beagle Channel and Cape Horn . These incidents took the form of incursions into Chilean waters by Argentine fishing ships, and provocations, such as the shelling of a Chilean lighthouse by the Argentine Navy during the Snipe incident of 1958. During

1239-755: The Academy for Young Midshipmen, which was the predecessor of the current Naval Academy, were founded, as well as the Marine Corps and the Supply Commissary. The first commander of the Chilean Navy was Manuel Blanco Encalada . Famous British naval commander Lord Cochrane , who formerly had been a captain in the British royal navy, was hired by Chileans to organize and command their Navy. Cochrane recruited an almost all- anglophone complement of officers and midshipmen and crews of British, Irish, and American seamen. He became

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1298-773: The Andes , from the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata and led by Captain–General José de San Martín , defeated a Spanish force commanded by Rafael Maroto . This victory was a significant defeat for the Captaincy General of Chile , the royalist government established after the division of the Viceroyalty of Peru . In 1814, after helping establish a popularly elected congress in Argentina, José de San Martín began considering how to expel

1357-805: The Atlantic zone: Strait of Magellan and Tierra del Fuego : Punta Arenas , in the Beagle Channel, Cape Horn and Drake Passage : Puerto Williams , and in Antarctica : Captain Arturo Prat Base . These are now spread into five naval zones. The Chilean Marines or (Infanteria de Marina de Chile) are the land/amphibious attack force of the Chilean Navy. The 5,000 man force combines special training and tactics with state-of-the-art equipment. The Servicio Hidrográfico y Oceanográfico de la Armada de Chile (SHOA, Spanish for Hydrological and Oceanographic Service of

1416-978: The British Royal Navy , the French Navy and the German Navy . Officers, WOs and NCOs of the Marines add the Infante de Marina (Marine Soldier) title to their ranks from Seaman onward, as the Marines are part of the Navy. All officers, active or reserve, study at the Arturo Prat Naval Academy and later in the Naval Polytechnic Academy and the Naval War Academy receive improved training and education to be promoted as well as training in his/her specialty field while all active and reserve NCOs (known in

1475-420: The Chilean Navy date back to 1817, when General Bernardo O'Higgins prophetically declared after the Chilean victory at the Battle of Chacabuco that a hundred such victories would count for nothing if Chile did not gain control of the sea. This led to the development of the Chilean Navy, and the first legal resolutions outlining the organization of the institution were created. Chile's First National Fleet and

1534-492: The Chilean Navy) is an agency of the Chilean Navy managing situations dealing with hydrology and oceanography including tides and tsunamis . SHOA is also the official Chilean government timekeeper. Ranks and rates are shown on the sleeves of all Chilean Navy summer uniforms (and on the shoulder boards on winter or summer service uniforms as well for officers and WOs only). Shoulder and sleeve ranks are inspired by those in

1593-611: The Chilean armed forces, while the bulk of navy sided with the congress side, the majority of the Chilean Army remained loyal to José Manuel Balmaceda . When the majority of the national congress broke relations with the government, Jorge Montt took control of the fleet at Valparaíso and with notable politicians, such as Ramón Barros Luco , on board, the fleet sailed north to the nitrate-rich Tarapacá area, which Chile had seized from Peru 10 years earlier. Tarapacá was, by that time, Chile's richest region in terms of natural resources and

1652-456: The Chilean government decided to modernize its navy. The modernization plan included the ordering of two cruisers and two torpedo boat destroyers , and the modernization of two armoured ships in English docks. A new predreadnought battleship, Capitán Prat , was ordered under the new construction program in 1889. The advent of the 1891 Chilean Civil War had a breach between the two branches of

1711-644: The Island of South Georgia , leaving the remaining 22 men behind on Elephant Island while he sought help to rescue them. After three futile attempts using the ships Southern Sky (loaned by the English Whaling Co, 23–31 May 1916), the ship Instituto de Pesca N°1 (loaned by the Government of Uruguay, 10–16 June 1916) and Emma (a sealer, funded by the British Club, Punta Arenas, 12 July – 8 August 1916) to rescue

1770-719: The Las Salinas Naval Base in Viña del Mar . One of its schools, the Naval Seaman Training School, became the Seamen's School of the Navy "Captain Alejandro Navarrete Cisterna" in the same year as its centenary, in honor of the first naval seaman to rise through the ranks to become a naval officer. The NSSS soon became the Naval Polytechnic Academy in 1995, through a merger of all its component schools, with some of these schools staying as independent constituent academies. After

1829-454: The Navy in 1919. The British government authorized a large monetary award, which he turned down, stating that he was simply fulfilling a mission assigned to him by the Chilean Navy . In 1930, he was appointed Chilean consul at Liverpool , where he served until 1934. He died of bronchopneumonia on 21 February 1935 , aged 52. Pardo Ridge , the highest portion of Elephant Island,

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1888-530: The Navy through the general term Men of the Sea ) study at the Seamen's School of the Navy "Alejandro Navarette Cisnerna" and later in the Naval Polytechnic Academy and its attached and independent colleges for later specialty training. Battle of Chacabuco 1,400 –2,450 Infantry 5 artillery The Battle of Chacabuco , fought during the Chilean War of Independence , took place on February 12, 1817. The Army of

1947-527: The South Atlantic. Both countries were distracted in the next few years by Argentina's internal military operations against natives and Chile's War of the Pacific against Bolivia and Peru, but by 1890, a full-fledged naval arms race was underway between the two. The Boundary treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina had been a major success in laying the groundwork for nearly all of Chile and Argentina's 5,600 kilometres (3,500 mi) of shared borders, but

2006-435: The Spanish royalists from South America entirely. He recognized that the first step would be to drive them out of Chile, and with this in mind, he began recruiting and equipping an army. In under two years, he had assembled a force of approximately 6,000 men, 1,200 horses, and 22 cannons. On January 17, 1817, San Martín set out with this force and commenced the challenging crossing of the Andes . Thanks to his careful planning,

2065-800: The United Kingdom. In response, Argentina ordered two Rivadavia -class dreadnoughts with an option for a third from the United States. They also ordered 12 destroyers from three nations in Europe. With its major rival acquiring so many modern vessels, Chile was forced to respond, although this was delayed by a financial depression brought on by a major earthquake and a drastic fall in the nitrate market in 1906 and 1907, respectively. Eventually, Chile ordered two Almirante Latorre -class super-dreadnoughts and six Almirante Lynch -class destroyers from British shipyards, but received only two destroyers before

2124-677: The beginning of the " Patria Nueva " period in Chile's history. The Battle of Chacabuco, fought on February 12, 1817, was a pivotal event during the Chilean War of Independence, resulting in a decisive victory for the independence forces led by General José de San Martín and Bernardo O'Higgins over the Spanish royalists. The aftermath of the battle had several significant outcomes: 1. Reclamation of Santiago: 2. Beginning of Spanish Expulsion: 3. Boost to Independence Movement: 4. Continental Significance: The Battle of Chacabuco thus served as

2183-502: The civilian population, and provide support in cases of natural catastrophe. It also undertakes preventive education campaigns for Chile's population on issues that include security on beaches and seaside resorts, and measures to be taken in the case of a tsunami . The most important naval bases and supply depots are (from north to south) in the Pacific Ocean: Iquique , Easter Island, Valparaíso, Talcahuano, Puerto Montt ; in

2242-410: The drawing of boundaries in the largely unexplored inland Patagonia soon became a major source of territorial disputes. Over the 1880s and 1890s, Chile and Argentina engaged in an arms race fueled by nationalistic rhetoric and tax income from their blooming economies. Both countries signed a treaty in 1902 to end the arms race. During the 1890s, the Chilean Navy carried out many hydrographic surveys in

2301-403: The elections of October 1891, Jorge Montt was elected president. Not all navy officers sided with the congress. Some like Juan Williams Rebolledo , Juan José Latorre and Policarpo Toro remained on the presidential side and Francisco Vidal Gormaz declared his neutrality. After the war these officers were removed from their offices. In contrast to these officers whose career or influence in

2360-679: The ice of the Weddell Sea in January ;1915. On 27 October, nine months later, the ship was crushed by the ice and sank. Shackleton and his crew of 28 made their way by foot, sledge and lifeboats to Elephant Island in the South Shetland Islands at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula facing South America. On 24 April 1916, Shackleton and five of his men began an epic 800-mile (1,300 km) open-boat voyage to

2419-530: The island into Chile with native Rapanui in 1888. By occupying Easter Island, Chile joined the imperial nations. With the Peruvian Navy destroyed, Bolivia becoming a landlocked country , and Argentina having only a brown-water navy , the Chilean Navy had a regional hegemony in the years following the War of the Pacific. To secure this advantage and not let new Argentine acquisitions challenge Chilean naval power,

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2478-457: The late 1970s, the Chilean Navy played an important role in defending Chilean sovereignty over the Picton, Lennox and Nueva islands that the Argentine Navy planned to seize. The birth of the modern Chilean Marine Corps of today began in 1964. Naval educational institutions were reformed in 1968, when president Eduardo Frei Montalva created the "Naval Specialities Schools System" with headquarters at

2537-487: The marines strengthened and the navy's special forces unit raised. The 25,000-person navy, including 5,200 marines, is directed by Admiral Julio Leiva Molina Martin as of 2017. Of the fleet of 66 surface vessels (soon to be increased to 74), 21 are major combatant ships based in Valparaíso. The navy operates its own aircraft for transport, patrol, and surface and antisubmarine attack. The navy also operates four submarines and

2596-588: The men left on Elephant Island, the Yelcho —a 36.5-metre (120 ft) steam tug commanded by Pardo was authorised by the president of Chile, Juan Luis Sanfuentes , to escort and tow Emma . When the third attempt with Emma failed, the Chilean Government decided to send Yelcho alone, although it was totally unsuitable for Antarctic conditions, lacking proper heating, radio and double hull. With Shackleton aboard, on 25 August, Pardo sailed from Punta Arenas on

2655-477: The mountains and had ordered his army to "run to the field," referring to Chacabuco. The spy also revealed the strategy of General Rafael Maroto, leader of the Talavera Regiment and a force of up to 2,000 volunteers. Maroto’s plan was to take control of the mountainside and launch an attack against San Martín. On February 11, three days before his intended attack, San Martín convened a war council to decide on

2714-415: The narrow path, they would have been picked off one by one. San Martín, noticing O’Higgins' premature advance, ordered Soler to charge the royalist flank, relieving pressure on O’Higgins and allowing his troops to hold their ground. The ensuing firefight lasted into the afternoon. The tide turned for the Army of the Andes as Soler captured a key royalist artillery position. At this point, the royalists set up

2773-468: The navy did not acquire any warships until after the war. Chile formulated its Antarctic claim in 1940. In 1947, the navy established the first Chilean base, the Captain Arturo Prat Base , on the continent before the Chilean Army or Air Force established their own bases. Since then, the navy has played a major role in supplying Chilean bases and performing numerous rescue missions, among them,

2832-524: The navy was truncated by the war, the 1891 Chilean Civil War served as a starting point of a successful career in the navy for a generation of young officers like Francisco Nef and others who sided with the Congressionals who won the war. After incidents with Chile in 1872, 1877, and 1878, Argentina had decided that a brown-water navy, even if modern, was not enough to back up its ambitions in Patagonia and

2891-811: The outer reaches of the South Shetland Islands , in the Southern Ocean . Pardo entered the Chilean Naval Pilot's School in July 1900, and joined the Chilean Navy as a pilot third class in June 1906. He was promoted to pilot second class in September 1910, and assigned to the Magallanes Naval Base in southern Chile as captain of the steam tug Yelcho . During the ill-fated Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition , Sir Ernest Shackleton 's ship Endurance became trapped in

2950-411: The patriot forces advanced, the royalists rushed northward to confront them. A force of around 1,500 men, led by Brigadier Rafael Maroto, moved to block San Martín's advance at Chacabuco, a valley near Santiago. Facing the crumbling state of the royalist forces, Maroto initially proposed abandoning the capital and retreating south, where they could regroup and gather resources for a renewed campaign. During

3009-423: The rest were purchased by the Royal Navy during World War I ; of these, Chile would finally receive three destroyers and one battleship, the Almirante Latorre , after the War. Chile also received six British H-class submarines from the Royal Navy in 1917, and purchased three Capitan O'Brien -class submarines and six Serrano -class destroyers in the late 1920s. Its fleet of cruisers, though, all built in

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3068-463: The royalist forces in Chile were misled into defending against threats that didn’t exist, allowing his crossing to go unchallenged. However, despite this strategic advantage, the Army of the Andes, as San Martín's force was known, suffered severe losses during the crossing, losing as much as one-third of its men and more than half of its horses. Upon reaching Chile, San Martín allied with Chilean patriot Bernardo O'Higgins , who commanded his own army. As

3127-433: The strategy. He suggested that given the insurgents' position, the royalist forces should retreat a few leagues toward the hills of Colina . "Maroto overheard this conversation from a nearby chamber, but either couldn't or refused to listen due to his pride and self-importance. With his notorious hoarse voice, he called an attendant and decreed a general order, threatening death to anyone who suggested retreat." Maroto's task

3186-450: Was also, concurrently, the national defense minister. The training ship Esmeralda functioned as a floating prison and torture chamber for political prisoners during the 1973–1980 period of the military dictatorship. It is claimed that probably over a hundred persons were kept there at times and subjected to hideous treatment. It was also an unprecedented period of growth and expansion of the naval service, as more vessels became part of it,

3245-415: Was defeated at the Battle of Mocopulli . Only after Ramón Freire 's Chiloé expedition in 1826 did the royalist forces at Chiloé, under the command of Antonio de Quintanilla , surrender and Chiloé joined the new Chilean nation. After the wars of independence, a series of conflicts demonstrated the importance of the navy to the nation. First of these conflicts were the War of the Confederation (1836–1839),

3304-422: Was either killed or taken captive. Five hundred royalist soldiers were killed and 600 were taken prisoner. The Army of the Andes lost only twelve men in battle, though an additional 120 died from wounds sustained during the fighting. Maroto managed to escape, thanks to the speed of his horse, though he was slightly injured. The remaining royalist troops retreated to the southern tip of Chile, where they established

3363-509: Was named after him, and a cape on the northern tip of the Island was given the name Yelcho. The bow of the Yelcho is on display at Puerto Williams , a Chilean naval base on the Beagle Channel , and a bust of Captain Pardo has been placed at the site of the Endurance crew's camp on Elephant Island. Pardo has a memorial statue and plaque in the main lobby of the International Maritime Organization . Two Chilean naval vessels have been named in his honour: Chilean Navy The origins of

3422-409: Was to delay San Martín, knowing that additional royalist reinforcements were en route from Santiago. San Martín, aware of this, chose to launch an attack while he still held a numerical advantage. San Martín received numerous reports on the Spanish plans from a spy disguised as a roto , a poverty-stricken Chilean peasant. The roto informed him that the Spanish general, Marcó, was aware of fighting in

3481-431: Was without the fleet practically out of reach for the Chilean Army. From here, the navy organized an army made of nitrate miners, whom they armed and trained to face the 40,000-men-strong Army of Chile. In August 1891, the new army was disembarked in Quintero and defeated the Chilean Army at the Battle of Concón and the Battle of Placilla before the presidential faction disbanded and the Congressional side took power. On

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