Peru Heroes – Miguel Grau Seminario
The War of the Pacific & the Most Famous Peruvian Navy Hero
Sep 6, 2009
Miguel Grau Seminario is regarded as the greatest Peruvian hero in the history of Peru. His days in the Peruvian navy, especially during the War of the Pacific, earned him a reputation unsurpassed by any of his countrymen. His acts of bravery and daring, combined with a gentlemanly respect for his enemies, have made him popularly known as “El Caballero de los Mares”, or “The Knight of the Seas”.
The Early Life of Miguel Grau Seminario, Greatest of Peru Heroes
Miguel Grau was born on July 27th 1834 in the city of Paita on the northern coast of Peru. The city itself had a tradition of naval warfare, subjected to attacks and occupations by Spanish colonials and English pirates and buccaneers. Miguel Grau had the sea in his blood, and battle was a family trait. His father had fought in the Colombian army and alongside Simón Bolívar, the greatest hero of South American independence.
Miguel Grau began his life at sea at the tender age of ten. His first passage on a merchant vessel would see him spend most of his early years in the merchant navy. He travelled the world and learned his trade through experience, already well accustomed to the sea when he entered the Peruvian navy at the age of 19.
Miguel Grau and the Peruvian Navy
Soon recognized as an exceptional young seaman, Miguel Grau rose rapidly in the ranks of the Peruvian Navy. His knowledge of the sea and ocean warfare saw him given the role of overseeing the construction of new ships in Europe for the Peruvian navy. He was recalled when Spanish aggression against her former colonies began to edge closer.
After the Battle of Callao in 1866 and the successful Peruvian defense against Spanish naval attacks, the then Captain Grau was given command of the Huascar. A small English-built armored turret ship, the Peruvian monitor Huascar was to become synonymous with Miguel Grau and his later achievements.
The War of the Pacific – Miguel Grau Seminario and the Huascar
The War of the Pacific (1879–1884), also known as the “Saltpeter war”, brought Miguel Grau back to the Navy after a successful period in Peruvian politics. Territorial disputes over mineral-rich Bolivian-owned land in the Atacama Desert led to the outbreak of war between Chile and Bolivia. A secret defensive pact between Bolivia and Peru was activated when Chile declared war, bringing this dual alliance into open conflict with Chile.
Miguel Grau, now 45, was given command of his old ship the Huascar, promoted to Rear Admiraland given overall command of the Peruvian navy. Despite the cause of the conflict being disputed land, the war hinged on control of the sea, both for troop deployment and naval bombardment. The Chilean navy outgunned that of Peru, whose navy included two old US-bought ironclads barely able to sail at sea.
However, Miguel Grau was to prove a thorn in the side of Chilean domination at sea. As historian Bruce W. Farcau writes in The Ten Cents War, “He knew that, unless he could take the war effectively to the enemy and inflict a telling reverse on him, the allied cause would be lost” (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000, ISBN 0275969258). Rear Admiral Miguel Grau knew that aggression was vital, even against the superior Chilean fleet.
Grau successfully lifted the blockade of the Peruvian port of Iquique on May 21st 1879. In doing so he managed to sink the Chilean corvette Esmeralda, blocking it in the port before ramming it three times. The ship sank, but Grau made sure to rescue any survivors. The heroics of the Esmeralda and her Captain Arturo Prat, who died trying to board the Huascar, made Prat one of the greatest heroes of Chile.
Still outnumbered and outgunned by the Chilean fleet, Miguel Grau continued to harass Chilean vessels and attack Chilean ports, sinking and capturing ships and destroying artillery batteries and lines of communication. He always took care to rescue survivors and avoid undue death, further enhancing his reputation as “The Knight of the Seas”.
Chile’s naval priority became the hunting down of Miguel Grau. Naval historian Lawrence Sondhaus states that “Over the next five months the Chilean navy pursued Grau and the Huascar up and down the coast” (Naval warfare, 1815-1914, Routledge, 2001, ISBN 0415214785).
The Death of Admiral Miguel Grau Seminario
In total it took the Chilean fleet almost six months to corner the elusive Grau. Eventually he was cornered by the Almirante Cochrane, a more modern and more heavily armed ship. Soon another Chilean vessel arrived, and the result was not in doubt, as Sondhaus relates: “The Blanco Encalada arrived on the scene forty-five minutes after the fighting began, and the two casemate ships engaged the Huascar for another forty-five minutes before it surrendered”.
Miguel Grau was killed in the battle, along with half his crew. Not only had Chile managed to take almost total command of the sea, they also saved the Huascar from sinking and later were to turn her against her former owners.
Miguel Grau’s remains were buried in Chile with military honors, a testament to his bravery. While his remains were returned to Peru in 1958, the Huascar still remains in Chile. Despite requests for the return of the ship, the Chilean government has yet to accept, and are unlikely to do so.
Rear Admiral Miguel Grau Seminario is now officially recognized as the greatest of Peru heroes, nominated as “Peruvian of the Millennium” by the people of Peru.
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