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Battle of Cruces
Part of Gran Colombia–Peru War
Date November 22 1828 - November 24 1828 Location Guayaquil Result Indecisive, Guayaquil surrenders to the Peruvian Navy in January 21 1829 after two months of blockade.
Belligerents
File:FlagGranColombia1821.png Gran Colombia	Peru
Commanders and leaders
File:FlagGranColombia1821.png Juan Illingworth File:FlagGranColombia1821.png Tomás Carlos Wright File:FlagGranColombia1821.png Gabriel Guevara File:FlagGranColombia1821.png Daniel O'Leary	Martin Guisse † José Boterin
Strength
1 schooner 2 brigantines Cruces coastal battery La Planchada coastal battery	1 frigate 1 corvette 1 schooner 3 armed sloops
Casualties and losses
25 dead 36 injured	15 dead 28 injured

The battle of Cruces was an attempt of the Peruvian Navy to take by assault the main port of Gran Colombia in the Pacific, Guayaquil, blockaded since the end of September; the battle starts in November 22 1828 and continued until November 24 1828; resulting in the withdraw of the Peruvian fleet, nevertheless the blockade continues until the surrender of the city in January 21 1829.

Background

Main article: Gran Colombia–Peru War

On September 19, 1828, the Peruvian Government ordered a naval blockade on the Great Colombian coasts, from Machala (Ecuador) to Panama. Thanks to this action the enemy was unable to use its main ports in the Pacific. Few days later the Peruvian squadron tightened the blockade over Guayaquil, which was defended by the Cruces Castle, two brigantines and five gunboats. In a superb commando raid, a detachment of sailors seized a group of small towns at the ria, with the purpose of attacking disperse Colombian coastal garrisons from the rear. Several enemy soldiers and weapons were captured during the actions.

On November 22, at a short distance from Cruces, Rear Admiral Guise, aboard his flagship Presidente, a frigate with a crew of 259 men and armed with 52 guns, ordered his ships into attack formation. In a short time the Peruvian fleet started bombarding the port. During the first stage of the struggle Peruvian forces occupied the Cruces Castle but the battle lasted two more days. The artillery duel between the squadrons produced the heroic death of Rear Admiral Guise. His Executive Officer, Lieutenant Jose Boterin assumed command of the fleet. It was a costly victory for the Peruvians, for they had lost not only their brave and legendary Commander but also twelve other men (1). Great Colombian casualties were much higher. During the battle, the Peruvian fleet fired a total of 3,231 gunshots. The frigate Presidente alone was mauled with 89 hits from the Great Colombians, while the Libertad received 23 shots. On February the 1st, 1829, after more than two months of blockading, Peruvian forces occupied Guayaquil and seized all the enemy ships.

Aftemath

After this encounter the Peruvian Navy, composed at that time of 16 warships and transports, among them the frigate Presidente and the mentioned corvette Libertad, starts a naval blockade ordered by Peruvian Government on September 19, 1828; on the entire Gran Colombian Pacific coasts, from Machala (Ecuador) to Panama. Thanks to this action the Gran Colombian Navy was unable to use its main ports in the Pacific.

Sources

• Template:Es Restrepo, José Manuel (1858). "Chapter XIV". Historia de la revolución de la República de Colombia en la América Meridional. Vol. Tome IV (1st ed.). Grand-Rue nº 14, Bezasón: Imprenta de José Jacquin. p. 145. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: location (link)
• Template:Es "La Marina de Guerra en la República Siglo XIX". Peruvian Navy Website. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
• "1828: The Navy in action: The War with Gran Colombia". Juan del Carpio. Retrieved 2009-09-26.