Porter received information that he had days, or at most a week, to escape before British reinforcements arrived. Nereus and Tagus actually reached Valparaiso on 13 April, several weeks after these warnings. His behavior also suggests uncertainty about the force approaching him, possibly including a razee or a ship of the line. The comparison with Graf Spee at Montevideo concerns similar pressure from reports of approaching British warships. An open diplomatic telephone call and newspaper coverage helped circulate misleading reports in that later case. Deliberate manipulation of Porter's information remains an inference.
Notable Point · 1:42:16-1:45:11
Reinforcement reports compressed Porter's escape timetable
Porter believed British reinforcements were days away, and uncertainty about their strength added pressure to leave.