Torpedo boats in the War of the Pacific


The introduction of fast torpedo boats in the late 19th century was a serious concern to navies of an era that saw a number of innovations in naval warfare, including the first torpedo boats, which carried spar torpedoes, steam propulsion and steel ships.
Clements Robert Markham, later president of the Royal Geographical Society, an English eyewitness of the War of the Pacific stated:

Chilean torpedo boats

With the exception of Vedette, all boat names are of Mapudungun provenance.

Torpedo boat ''Vedette''

Vedette was built in Yarrow of Poplar and arrived to Valparaíso on 17 October 1879 on board of Belle of Cork. She was assembled in Valparaíso and in 1893 she was still listed by the navy. The name seems to be the name of the boat class rather than the proper name of a boat.
Yet 1880 were delivered to Chile two torpedo boats bought from Yarrow of Poplar shipyard., Colo Colo and Tucapel:
They could be stowed in the major ships of the navy and Colo Colo was brought by railway to Puno and then to the Titicaca Lake in order to impede guerrilla activities in the zone.

Torpedo boats built 1880–82

During the War of the Pacific the Chilean Navy bought ten torpedo boats from the Yarrow of Poplar shipyard.
Boat nameYard numberMarine nummer
Janequeo 452Sunk off Callao on 25 May 1880
Fresia1Sunk off El Callao on 6 Dec. 1880. Refloated. Stripped 1884.
Fresia
Guacolda4
Lauca5285
Glaura6Sold to Japan 1885 for £10,000
Tegualda7
Janequeo 5248Stripped after the Civil War of 1891
Guale5099
Quidora10
Rucumilla50811Descomm. 1902

Peruvian torpedo boats

1879 the Peruvian Government bought three torpedo boats: Alay, Alianza and República from the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, Bristol, Rhode Island, United States, although R. V. Simpson states that the third boat was never delivered to Perú.
Alianza and República arrived in Perú in August and September 1879. Both boats were scuttled to prevent their capture by the Chilean forces.
Alay was transported by ship to Colon, Panama in the Caribbean Sea. From Colon she was transported by rail to Panama City, on the Pacific Ocean. On 2 December Alay sailed, bound for Perú but on 24 December the Chilean transport Amazonas captured the boat in the Ecuadorian port Ballenita. In Chile she was renamed Guacolda and commissioned into the navy.