Battle of Vuelta de Obligado

Battle of Vuelta de Obligado
Part of the Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata

The Battle of Vuelta de Obligado, as depicted by
François Pierre Barry
Date20 November 1845
Location33°35′32″S 59°48′26″W / 33.59222°S 59.80722°W / -33.59222; -59.80722
Result See aftermath
Belligerents
 Argentina France
 United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Argentine Confederation Lucio Norberto Mansilla
Argentine Confederation Francisco Crespo y Denis
France François Thomas Tréhouart
United Kingdom Samuel Inglefield
Strength
2160 men
4 coastal batteries
1 brigantine
2 gunboats
11 warships
Casualties and losses
150 killed
90 wounded
1 brigantine lost
21 cannons
20 barges
28 killed
95 wounded
Multiple warships damaged, forcing emergency repairs.
Plan of the battle

The Battle of Vuelta de Obligado took place on 20 November 1845, in the waters of the Paraná River, on its right bank and in the north of the province of Buenos Aires (Argentina), in a bend where the river narrows and turns, known as Vuelta de Obligado, in what is today the town of Obligado (San Pedro district).

It confronted the Province of Buenos Aires, led by Brigadier Juan Manuel de Rosas – who appointed General Lucio Norberto Mansilla as commander of the Buenos Aires forces – and the Anglo-French squadron, whose intervention was carried out under the pretext of achieving pacification in the face of the problems existing between Buenos Aires and Montevideo. The Europeans intended to establish direct trade relations between Britain and France with the provinces of Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Corrientes, without going through Buenos Aires or recognizing Rosas' authority as the person in charge of foreign relations for the Argentine Confederation.