Battle of Punta Malpelo

A painting depicting the naval battle of Malpelo, from the pictoric collection of the Peruvian Naval Museum

Date	August 31, 1828
Location	Punta Malpelo, near Guayaquil
Result	Peruvian victory

Belligerents

Gran Colombia

Peru

Commanders and leaders

Thomas Charles Wright

Carlos García del Postigo

Strength

1 schooner
1 corvette

1 corvette

Casualties and losses

25 dead, 36 injured

15 dead, 28 injured

The battle of Punta Malpelo was a naval encounter between a Peruvian corvette and two Gran Colombian vessels on August 31, 1828, near the port of Guayaquil, and was the first major combat of the Peruvian Navy as an independent force of the newborn Peruvian nation.

In June 1828, Gran Colombia declared a state of war on Peru under allegations that it had fomented a rebellion against Colombian forces in Bolivia. Its leader, Simon Bolivar, also demanded the payment of several million Pesos for the debt of the war of independence, and the cession of the northern provinces of Jaén and Maynas. The consequent Peruvian declaration of war against Gran Colombia occurred on July 3, 1828 when the Peruvian Government, under President Jose de La Mar, ordered a mobilization of its ground and naval forces.

On July 2, 1828, the Peruvian corvette Libertad armed with 24 guns and a crew of 124 men under the Captain Carlos Garcia del Postigo (a Chilean-born officer under the service of the Peruvian Navy), sailed towards Guayaquil with orders to cross the Gulf and guard the entrance to the Guayaquil River. On August 31, 1828, the Peruvian vessel was intercepted by two Gran-Colombian warships, the schooner Guayaquileña and the corvette Pichincha, commanded by Irish-born Captain Thomas C. Wright. Captain Wright, aboard the Guayaquileña, inquired to the commander of Libertad about his activities in Gran-Colombian waters, but suddenly the Peruvian corvette opened fire, starting a close-quarter artillery duel, during which the Peruvians almost boarded the Guayaquileña, meanwhile, the Pichincha stayed away and didn't participate in the combat. At the peak of the struggle, the Gran-Colombians ships suddenly retreated towards Guayaquil and were pursued closely by the Libertad. The pursuit ceased when the Libertad was forced to return to tend the wounded and bury the dead. The Peruvians lost 15 men and 28 were injured, while the Gran-Colombians had 24 dead and 36 injured.

The Libertad was a corvette named General Brown purchased from Chile in January, 1826 for 25 thousand pesos under the name General Salom, and started its service as a transport vessel for the Peruvian Navy, and on March 6, 1827 was finally named Libertad. On January 8, 1828, the Commander-in-Chief of the Peruvian Navy, Rear Admiral José Pascual de Vivero, established a budget of 7,354 pesos to convert the Libertad into a warship, initially armed with 22 12-pounder guns taken from the corvette Limeña. On May 14, 1828 the Chilean officer Carlos García del Postigo Búlnes was assigned as commander of the vessel.

...
Wikipedia