February 24, 1880, qiyaastii 11,000 oo nin oo saarnaa 19 markab, oo ay ilaalinayeen "Blanco Encalada", "Toro", iyo "Magallanes" iyo laba doomood oo nooca loo yaqaan torpedo, ayaa ka soo shiraacday Pisagua. Laba maalmood ka dib, Febraayo 26, dadka reer Chile waxay yimaadeen Punta Coles, oo u dhow Pacocha, Ilo. Soo degitaanku wuxuu qaatay dhowr maalmood si loo soo gabagabeeyo laakiin wax iska caabin ah lama kulmin. Taliyihii Peru, Lizardo Montero, ayaa diiday inuu isku dayo inuu ka saaro Chile ka soo horjeeda, sida Chile ay filaysay. Bishii Maarso 22, 3,642 ciidamada Chile ayaa ka adkaaday 1,300 ciidamada Peru ee Dagaalkii Los Ángeles, iyagoo gooyay sahay kasta oo toos ah oo Peruvian ah oo ka socota Lima ilaa Arica ama Tacna (sahaydu waxay suurtagal ahayd oo keliya jidka dheer, iyada oo loo sii marayo Bolivia). Dagaalkii Los Ángeles ka dib, kaliya saddex saldhig oo xulufo ah ayaa ku hadhay koonfurta Peru: General Leyva's 2nd Army ee Arequipa (oo ay ku jiraan qaar ka badbaaday Los Ángeles), Bolognesi's 7th iyo 8th Divisions ee Arica, iyo Tacna ciidankii 1aad. Ciidamadaan waxay si toos ah ugu hoos jireen Campero. Si kastaba ha noqotee, tirooyinku waxay cadeeyeen inaysan micno lahayn, maadaama reer Peru aysan awoodin inay ururiyaan ciidamada ama xitaa inay ka guuraan xeryahooda. Ka dib markii ay ka gudbeen saxaraha, 26-kii Maajo, ciidanka Chile (14,147 nin) waxay ku burburiyeen ciidankii xulafada ahaa ee 5,150 Bolivians iyo 8,500 Peruvians ee Dagaalkii Tacna
Waxaad Baahida loo qabo deked u dhow ciidanka si ay u siiyaan iyo u xoojiyaan ciidamada iyo in laga saaro dhaawacyada ayaa ku qasbay taliska Chile inay diiradda saaraan qalcaddii Peru ee Arica. Bishii Juun 7, ka dib Dagaalkii Arica, qalcaddii ugu dambeysay ee Peru ee Waaxda Tacna ayaa dhacday. Ka dib ololihii Tacna iyo Arica, ciidammadii caadiga ahaa ee Peru iyo Bolivia ayaa si weyn u joojiyay jiritaankooda, Bolivia ayaa si wax ku ool ah uga baxday dagaalka.