Angamos: armour-piercing fire and Huáscar’s capture

After Miguel Grau opened fire, Almirante Cochrane closed until her starboard battery penetrated Huáscar’s turret and cut a steering chain. Palliser-type armour-piercing shells exploded after penetration, killed or disabled gun crews, wrecked emergency steering, and killed Grau and successive commanders. When Huáscar’s flag was shot down, Chile briefly ceased fire before the flag was raised again and combat resumed. Blanco Encalada then joined at close range, worsening turret and steering damage until the Peruvian ship could manoeuvre only in a semicircle. The remaining officers ordered scuttling after steering, command, and fighting power had been progressively broken down. Chilean boarding parties stopped the flooding, extinguished fires, and secured the prize, removing the fleet’s most effective opponent from the coastal war.