Battle of the Desventuradas (Napoleon's World)

The Battle of the Desventuradas was a military engagement in the Southeast Pacific during the Pacific War between Japan and the Allies, fought over the course of eight days in July 1925. After having seized control of Easter Island and the Archipelage Juan Fernandez, Japan sailed towards the Desventuradas to disrupt supply shipments from Chile to Colombia, specifically supplies reinforcing the Colombian efforts at Panama. The other Japanese goal was to conduct raids against Chile's coast to further disrupt the Allied war effort, of which Chile was a committed part. The Chilean Second Fleet encountered the Japanese Navy there and quickly alerted an American fleet (the Third Fleet) coming up along the coast to reinforce Panama. After delaying Japanese efforts to capture the islands (San Ambrosio and the larger San Felix) for seven days, including valiant resistance by sea and land, the American fleet arrived and settled the encounter. Three weeks later, a Chilean expedition fought a bloody battle to dislodge Japanese soldiers from the Juan Fernandez Islands. The victory at the Desventuradas was celebrated in Chile as proof of the valor of their navy and Marines, and greatly assisted in the eventual Allied victory at both Buenaventura and Panama.