Battle of Abtao

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Battle of Abtao
Part of Chincha Islands War
Spanish screw frigates Blanca and Villa de Madrid during battle, by Federico Castellón Martínez. Naval Museum of Madrid
Date February 7, 1866 Location Abtao, near Chiloé 41°47′43.35″S 73°17′55.40″W / 41.7953750°S 73.2987222°W / -41.7953750; -73.2987222 Result Indecisive[1]
Belligerents
Spain	Peru  Chile
Commanders and leaders
Claudio Alvargonzález Sánchez Juan Bautista Topete	Manuel Villar Olivera Miguel Grau Manuel Ferreyros Manuel Thomson
Strength
2 frigates	1 frigate 2 corvettes 1 schooner
Casualties and losses
6 wounded	2 to 12 killed, 1 to about 20 wounded[2]

The Battle of Abtao was a naval action fought on February 7, 1866, during the Chincha Islands War, between a Spanish squadron and a combined Peruvian-Chilean fleet, at the island of Abtao in the Gulf of Ancud near Chiloé Archipelago in south-central Chile. It was limited to a long-range exchange of fire between the two squadrons, as the allied ships, anchored behind the island, were protected by shallow waters inaccessible to the Spanish ships,^[3] whose gunnery, nevertheless, proved more accurate and inflicted damage to the Chilean and Peruvian ships.^[4]