Carlos Arnaldo Condell De La Haza
August 14, 1843(1843-08-14) – November 24, 1887
Place of birth	Valparaíso, Chile
Place of death	Quilpué, Chile
Allegiance	Chile
Years of service	1861 - 1887
Rank	Rear Admiral
Commands held	Covadonga
Battles/wars	Battle of Punta Gruesa

Carlos Arnaldo Condell De La Haza (Valparaíso August 14, 1843 - Quilpué November 24, 1887) was a prominent chilean naval officer, hero of the Battle of Punta Gruesa during the start of the War of the Pacific.

Owner of a great sense of strategy and analysis in battle, he was always underestimated by the contemporary media due to his peruvian origin (from mother's side). Although, his victories in unbalanced conditions were decisive to the triumph of Chile in the War of the Pacific.

Contents 1 Early Years 2 Military career 2.1 First Years of Service 2.2 Civil Parenthesis 2.3 War of the Pacific (1879-1883) 3 Last Years 4 References

[edit] Early Years

Carlos Condell was born in August 14 of 1843 in Valparaíso, Chile. His father was the scottish merchant marine Federico Condell, and his mother was the peruvian aristocrat lady Manuela De la Haza. His uncles were Diego and Antonio De la Haza, both rear admirals of the Peruvian Navy. Therefore, he had several cousins who were peruvian naval officers. Biologically, Condell didn't have ties to Chile, a fact who was source of aversion and criticism during his life.

He was the sixth of ten sons. His first and second brothers born in Peru.

Studied in Valparaíso, first in Colegio de los Sagrados Corazones (School of the Sacred Heart) between 1849 and 1854, and after in Colegio Inglés (English School).

[edit] Military career

At the age of fifteen (July 29, 1858), joined the navy as cadet, forming part of the renowned Curso de los Héroes (Class of the Heroes) together with Arturo Prat, Juan José Latorre, Jorge Montt and Luis Uribe. Three years later (July 15, 1861), Condell achieves the rank of officer cadet (guardiamarina in spanish).

[edit] First Years of Service

His first naval engagements were Battle of Papudo (November 26, 1865) and Battle of Abtao (February 8, 1866) in the Spanish-Chilean War, in which he fought allied with Miguel Grau and another peruvian officers, who will become enemies the next decade.

In April 1867, Condell decided to withdraw from the Navy and become a merchant. He opened a store in Valparaíso who only lasted for 7 months: he repented and returned to Navy, being destinated to the ship Esmeralda.

In December 1868, he participated in the honor mission who brought the rests of Bernardo O'Higgins back to Chile. Later, he served in the ships Abtao and Chacabuco. In the following years, sailed to the islands of Juan Fernández and the south of Chile. Ending 1876, aboard the corvette Esmeralda, travelled to Easter Island and Tahiti.

[edit] Civil Parenthesis

In March 1872, Carlos Condell again decided to withdraw from the Navy, seeking again the merchant life of his father, but his business never did good results. In Valparaíso, he met a young woman of only 16, who will become his future wife: Matilde Lemus Valdivieso. They married in September 26, 1877. They will have 4 children.

March 1876, after 4 years of his dimission, he returned to Navy, and again was destinated to the ship Esmeralda.

[edit] War of the Pacific (1879-1883)

Starting the War of the Pacific (Abril 5, 1879), Condell was already promoted to Corvette Captain in charge of the corvette Abtao, and was commissioned the blockade of the port of Iquique, who was peruvian possession at that time.

The next month, Condell was in charge of the schooner Covadonga, together with Arturo Prat, in charge of the bit larger corvette Esmeralda, two of the older ships in the chilean navy. They were left behind by the rest of the fleet heading to the main peruvian port of El Callao in an attempt of a definitive assault.

In May 21, these small ships engaged the peruvian armoured frigate Independencia and the monitor Huáscar (respectively). While Prat lost his battle and died heroically in Battle of Iquique, Condell managed to escape to the south, followed by the Independencia -in charge of Juan Guillermo More-, who was the ship with more size and firepower in this encounter. Nevertheless, he achieved to clog the enemy ship into the coastal reef, bombard back, and get away while the monitor Huáscar showed in the shipwreck scene to assist the trapped crew of Independencia.

After this battle, the balance in the War of the Pacific was broken, since only the Huáscar remained as a menace to the chilean naval power. Condell was promoted to Frigate Captain, and set in charge of the gunboat Magallanes.

In November 2, 1879, participated in the assault and takeover of the port of Pisagua, the blockade of Arica, and afterwards, the combat against the fortresses of the same city and the ship Manco Capac. In 1880, he took charge of a well-known enemy ship captured in the Battle of Angamos: The Huáscar. He used the monitor to siege and block the port of El Callao and other combats of the War of the Pacific. The rejection and animosity in the peruvian people was on the rise due to several combat encounters in which always emerged triumphant.

Exactly three years after the battles of Iquique and Punta Gruesa (May 21, 1881), Condell was promoted to Captain, and sent to Europe in December. He will come back in 1884, when the War of the Pacific was finished in favor of Chile.

[edit] Last Years

In 1884 was designated as an aggregate of the Ministry of the Seas (Ministerio de Marina) and put in charge of the armoured frigate Cochrane as Commodore.

Starting 1887 was transferred to the frigate Blanco in April 4, where he assumed as a chief of the national navy, position who had to leave due to a serious disease. Nevertheless, in August 17 was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral (Contraalmirante in spanish).

Carlos Condell died in Quilpué, in November 24, 1887, at the early age of 44. His remains were carried to the Crypt of the Naval Heroes (Cripta de los Héroes Navales) in Valparaíso.

[edit] References

Much of the content of this article comes from the equivalent Spanish-language wikipedia article (retrieved January, 2009). The following references are cited by that Spanish-language article: