▁I qu ique , ▁although ▁it ▁is ▁described ▁in ▁many ▁sources ▁as ▁a ▁separate ▁battle . ▁ ▁Context ▁During ▁the ▁first ▁year ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁Chile an ▁war ▁efforts ▁were ▁focused ▁on ▁destroy ing ▁the ▁Per uv ian ▁Navy , ▁since ▁the ▁Chile ans ▁understood ▁the ▁strateg ic ▁importance ▁of ▁sea ▁dom ination . ▁This ▁was ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁enable ▁the ▁Chile an ▁Navy ▁to ▁help ▁the ▁army ▁to ▁conquer ▁Boliv ian ▁and ▁Per uv ian ▁territ ories ▁with ▁tro op ▁land ings ▁and ▁port ▁block ades ▁without ▁inter ference . ▁ ▁During ▁May ▁ 1 8 7 9 , ▁the ▁main ▁ships ▁of ▁the ▁Chile an ▁Navy ▁were ▁sent ▁towards ▁the ▁Per uv ian ▁port ▁of ▁Cal la o ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁destroy ▁its ▁n avy , ▁while ▁two ▁old , ▁wooden ▁ships ▁- ▁the ▁cor v ette ▁Es mer al da ▁and ▁the ▁sch oon er ▁Cov ad ong a , ▁commanded ▁by ▁Captain ▁Art uro ▁Pr at ▁and ▁Captain ▁Carlos ▁Cond ell ▁respectively ▁- ▁were ▁left ▁block ading ▁the ▁Per uv ian ▁port ▁of ▁I qu ique . ▁ ▁However , ▁as ▁the ▁Chile an ▁Navy ▁ste amed ▁north ▁towards ▁Cal la o , ▁two ▁iron cl ad ▁ships ▁of ▁the ▁Per uv ian ▁Navy ▁ste amed ▁south ▁from ▁Cal la o , ▁und et ected . ▁These ▁ships ▁were ▁the ▁monitor ▁Hu á scar ▁and ▁the ▁arm oured ▁fr ig ate ▁Indep endencia , ▁commanded ▁by ▁Captain ▁Miguel ▁Gra u ▁and ▁Captain ▁Juan ▁Gu ill ermo ▁More .