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.
Independencia was 215feet long between perpendiculars, had a beam of 44feet and a draft of 22feet. The ship displaced 3500LT. She had one trunk steam engine that drove her single propeller. The engine produced 2200ihp which gave the ship a speed of 12kn.[1] For long-distance travel, Independencia was fitted with three masts[2] and barque rigged. She had a crew of 250 officers and crewmen.[3]
The ship was armed with four Armstrong 7inches, twelve 6inches 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.[3] 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.[2]
Independencia was built by Samuda Brothers at their shipyard in Poplar, London. She was laid down in 1864 and launched on 8 August 1865 and completed in December 1866.[4] She had her boilers replaced in 1878. In February 1879, her armament was reinforced by a 9inches rifled, muzzle-loading pivot gun in the bow and a 150-pounder Parrott gun in the stern, also on a pivoting mount.[2]
On 21 May, 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.[5] Huáscar loaded Independencias crew aboard and blew up the wreck and set it on fire to prevent her capture.[2]