This was ordered in August 1852, and built in the Richard & Henry Green Shipyard in London[1] under the supervision of Peruvian-Chilean Captain Jose Maria Salcedo, who served in the Peruvian Navy.

On 17 November, however, Tumbes defected to the rebels, leaving the government with only the steamer Ucayali as the sole significant warship of the Peruvian Navy, because the steam frigate Amazonas was en route to Hong Kong for repairs.

On 31 December 1856, Apurímac along with the schooners Loa and Tumbes began a blockade of Callao, which was defended only by Ucayali and the old colonial fortress of Real Felipe.

The Peruvian government took new measures to recover the control of the sea, and on 21 May signed an accord with representatives of Great Britain and France to allow their ships to protect the production of guano and their economic interests.

Knowing this, along with the fact that Apurímac could be defeated by the French and British steam frigates, the rebel officers decided to surrender the fleet, which left the Chincha Islands on 22 May and arrived at Callao two days later where it was seized by the government.

[citation needed] To recover the ship, the Plenipotentiary Minister of Perú in the United States, Federico Barreda, contracted the brothers Renton and Addison Crosby of Brooklyn to perform the difficult task for 100,000 pesos.

[3] She received extensive repairs between 1863 and 1864, which included the addition of rail armor in the floating line and the protection of the hull with chains,[1] but these modifications reduced her speed to 7 knots (13 km/h) with steam, and affected her maneuverability.

On 15 January 1866, almost arriving to the point of reunion, theAmazonas, that was with problems engine ran aground and was lost in Punta Quilque, in front of Abtao Island.

The allied fleet, aware of the enemy presence, Villar ordered to forme a line of battle in the opposite inlet, covering the three entrances to the naval post.

The Spanish frigates slowly entered the cove but Apurímac started the battle by opening fire at 1,500 metres (1,600 yd), being followed by the rest of the allied fleet.