Battle of Santiago de Cuba
By Faith Vincent
About
The Battle of Santiago de Cuba took place on July 3rd, 1898 in Santiago de Cuba.
Leaders
- Pascual Cervera y Topete- He was a Spanish Commander. During the war he was captured as a war prisoner and was later released.
- William T. Sampson- He was the Commander of the U.S. blockading and squadrons. During the war he was in charge of the North Atlantic and the blockade of Cuba.
- Commodore Winfield S. Schley- He was the commander of the U.S. Navy's "Flying Squadron" until it was united with the "North Atlantic Fleet".
Pascual Cervera
William T. Sampson
Commodore Winfield S. Schley
Description
Rear Admiral William T. Sampson and Commodore Winfield S. Schley used ships to blockade the harbour entrance so Pascual Cervera's Spanish fleet couldn't enter. Cevera's plan was to wait to attack until 9:00 AM on Sunday July 3, while they were at church. On the morning of July 3, Sampson pulled one of his ships to meet with the ground commanders. Cevera steered his ships towards the gap but Schley ordered his ships to close the gap. The ships went back and forth battling each other for hours. In the end, there was 1 man killed and 10 men wounded on the American side and 323 men killed and 151 wounded for the Spanish side.
On land, U.S. troops, including the Rough Riders, attacked the outer defenses of Santiago. Between July 1 and July 3, U.S. troops were able to capture the highest point of the city, San Juan Hill. Two weeks later, Spain surrendered to the U.S., ending the war.
Significance
The Battle of Santiago de Cuba is important because it is the battle that won the war for the U.S. The capture of San Juan Hill forced Spain to surrender because San Juan Hill was the highest point of the city.
Ships
US North Atlantic Squadron - Rear Admiral William T. Sampson
Armored Cruiser USS New York
Battleship USS Iowa
Battleship USS Indiana
Battleship USS Oregon
Armed Yacht Gloucester
Armored Cruiser USS Brooklyn (flagship)
Battleship USS Texas
Battleship USS Massachusetts
Armed Yacht USS Vixen
Spanish Caribbean Squadron - Admiral Pascual Cervera
Armored Cruiser Infanta Maria Teresa
Armored Cruiser Almirante Oquendo
Armored Cruiser Vizcaya
Armored Cruiser Cristobal Colon
Torpedo Boat Destroyer Pluton
- Torpedo Boat Destroyer Furor