By this time, there was heavy fire from both sides. A Spanish shot from the "Blanca" hit the armored turret "La Merced", destroying it and killing or injuring 93 men, including Peruvian Secretary of Defense José Gálvez and colonels Cornelio Borda and Enrique Montes. "Chacabuco" battery was also affected, losing several cannons and a great number of its volunteer crew, as well as "Santa Rosa" and "Pinchicha" forts. In the first one was wounded Ship's captain Muñón, and the second one lost 2 cannons. In addition, "Maipú" and "Independencia" batteries had been completely silenced. The Peruvian sustained then heavy casualties, as many of the 3,000 infantry and cavalry troops present during the battle had been entrenched outside the forts to prevent an alleged Spanish attempt of landing, suffering the gunfire of the "Numancia", the "Almansa", the "Resolución" and the "Vencedora".