Commencing on 10 April 1880, the Chilean Navy fleet began a light blockade of the Peruvian port of Callao.

Several times over the year that the blockade was effected, the Chilean fleet would sortie and bombard the city.

This was frequently in response to a Peruvian attack, such as the repeated successful deployment of disguised floating bombs.

After the successful attacks on the Lima suburbs of San Juan and Miraflores it became apparent that the city was going to fall to the advancing Chilean Army.

During the night of 16 January 1881, after the defeat of the Peruvian Army in the battles of San Juan and Miraflores, the Secretary of the Navy, Captain Manuel Villar, ordered the destruction of port defences and the remaining ships of the Peruvian Navy[1] to prevent their capture by Chilean troops.