Symbol of military strength: Huascar battleship

The main landmark of Talcahuano is, undoubtedly, a worldwide famous Huascar battleship. It’s a symbol of the Chilean military power and pride of all the country. For a tourist visiting sunny Chile, this landmark is a must.

A distinctive feature of Huascar is a revolving gun turret designed by an English officer, Cowper Phipps Coles. The armor of the turret has variable thickness and it’s bolted to a metal installation covered with wood inside for cushioning blows. Initially, the turret was manhandled and required 16 people who were able to revolve it around the axis in 15 minutes. It was faster and more effective to rotate the ship and aim the weapon in the needed direction.

When all the fighting had been over, Huascar was decked and periodically underwent minor repairs that allowed it to stay afloat. In 1935, it was painted yellow and grey and four salute guns were installed on the ailerons of the bridge. Since then it has been open for visitors.

From 1951 till 1952 Huascar was restored, thanks to the effort and determination of the commander-in-chief, rear-admiral, Pedro Espina Ritchie. The restoration aimed to return the battleship its original look of 1878 and to turn it to a monument that would honor the Chilean and Peruvian naval glory. A lot of historic items were found at that time in the storage facilities of the naval arsenal in Talcahuano, including furniture, accessories, that were in a perfect state. On the 8th of October, 1958, on the date of the battle at Angamos, the restored ship was officially opened.

20 years after the restoration, the battleship needed an urgent repair again. The body of the ship was damaged by the weather conditions. So, the second stage of renovations began.