Draft:Battle of Altos de Chipe

Battle of Altos de Chipe
Part of the Peruvian counter-offensive campaign in the Peruvian-Bolivian War
Date December 25, 1841 Location Locumba, Tacna, Peru Result Peruvian victory Altos de Chipe massacre. Peru takes control of the department of Tacna and surrounding areas. Withdrawal of Bolivian troops of Locumba.
Belligerents
Peruvian Army	Bolivian Army
Commanders and leaders
Manuel Layavén Juan Ramos	Manuel Magariños (WIA)
Strength
312 men	338
Casualties and losses
5 wounded	10 killed 10 wounded 6 captured

The Battle of Altos de Chipe or Battle of Los Altos de Chipe was a confrontation between troops (infantry, Montoneras and the Peruvian population) and Bolivian troops near the town of Sama in the Tacna that occurred on January 8, 1842 , within the framework of the Peruvian-Bolivian War

Background

After Battle of Ingavi in ​​November 1841, the Bolivians invaded southern Peru.

This invasion took place in order to secure the territories and main ports of Peru. From there, various fronts of struggle were opened in southern Peru.

On December 9, 1841, a regiment under the command of Colonel Manuel Rodríguez Magariños (Chief of the second Bolivian division) occupied Tacna, another under the command of Colonel Bernardo Rojas occupied Arica, and another under the command of Colonel José María García occupied Tarapacá , while José Ballivián's forces occupy Moquegua and Puno.

Battle

After having invaded the regions of Tacna, Arica, Tarapacá; The Bolivian army would be besieged by Peruvian guerrillas and militias from each area.

Colonel Manuel Lavayen and Major Juan Bautista Ramos, after having repelled the Bolivian army in Locumba in the battle of Altos de Chipe in December 1841, this time redirected their troops in the Sama valley on January 8, 1842.

The guerrillas of Ramos and Lavayén, commanded by 278 men, including Montoneras, infantry soldiers and the local population, defeated the troops of Colonel Manuel Rodríguez Magariños. The entire region of Sama was in their power 6.

Gregorio Albarracín participates in this contest that defeats the Bolivian company in the Sama valley and then, under the orders of Manuel Mendiburu, they confront the forces of José Ballivián until dislodging them from Moquegua 7.

The Montoneras of Sama, Lluta and Azapa, which constantly hindered military logistics, preventing them from being resupplied with ammunition and food, had an outstanding performance for the victory; For this reason, the Bolivian troops, seeing themselves weakened and cornered, were defeated in the battles of Arica and Sama, and were forced to retreat towards Puno and Moquegua in February 1842.

The Bolivian troops completely abandoned all of Tacna in February 1842.