The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Naval Battle of Santiago Bay (7/3/1898) - Apr. 8th, 2003

http://www.spanamwar.com/santiago.htm ^ | John DiGiantomasso

[SAMWolf]

Dear Lord,

There's a young man far from home,
called to serve his nation in time of war;
sent to defend our freedom
on some distant foreign shore.

We pray You keep him safe,
we pray You keep him strong,
we pray You send him safely home ...
for he's been away so long.

There's a young woman far from home,
serving her nation with pride.
Her step is strong, her step is sure,
there is courage in every stride.
We pray You keep her safe,
we pray You keep her strong,
we pray You send her safely home ...
for she's been away too long.

Bless those who await their safe return.
Bless those who mourn the lost.
Bless those who serve this country well,
no matter what the cost.

Author Unknown

.

FReepers from the USO Canteen, The Foxhole, and The Poetry Branch
join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time.

.

.................................................................................................................................

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THE NAVAL BATTLE OF SANTIAGO de CUBA

Prior to July 2nd, Admiral Cervera had sent as many of his sailors as he could equip with rifles ashore to serve alongside the Spanish Army. With the advances of the United States Army being what they were after their landing, Captain General Ramon Blanco y Erenas ordered Cervera to steam his ships out of the harbor immediately. Blanco was the top military commander in Cuba, and Cervera had little choice but to obey his orders.

Admiral Cervera looked at his options; he could sail by day, or sail by night. By day, his ships would be safe navigating the narrow channel, and avoiding the wreckage of the Merrimac. By night, he would run the risk of damaging his ships and perhaps even blocking the channel himself if an accident were to occur in the dark. As for sneaking out undetected under the cover of darkness, this was quite impossible. The American ships had been shining their searchlights on the mouth of the bay every night since they had arrived on station. Therefore, Cervera concluded that a night time escape would add nothing but danger to his breakout. He thought that the best time to sail would be Sunday morning, when the American crews were at religious services and less likely to be manning their stations. So it was set. The breakout would begin at 9:00 AM on Sunday, July 3rd, 1898. Signals were sent out to the sailors serving ashore with the army for them to return to their ships, and Cervera’s squadron was to have a full head of steam by 2:00 on Saturday afternoon.

Lookouts on Commodore Schley’s flagship, the Brooklyn, spotted the smoke rising from behind the hills and the forts. Schley didn’t know what it meant, but he did know that it meant that something was up. He ordered his little armed yacht, the Vixen, to visit each of the ships in the semicircle that formed the blockade and inform them of the peculiar goings on inside the harbor, and to suggest that they stay in as close as possible during the night. Schley also made a point to make sure that Admiral Sampson in the New York at the opposite end of the blockade was fully informed of what he could see from his end of the line.

Sunday morning dawned gray and overcast, but soon the sun burned this away and a beautiful day with very calm seas broke in the Caribbean off Santiago de Cuba Bay. Despite Schley’s intentions, the formation of ships in the blockade was a little disarrayed that morning. The protected cruisers New Orleans and Newark and the tender Suwanee had all sailed to Guantanamo Bay to coal. And, Schley soon discovered that the powerful Massachusetts had gone with them. There was thus a big gap in the line to the west. At 8:45 AM or so, he was further dismayed to see the New York, Admiral Sampson’s flagship, hoist the signal “Disregard the movements of the commander in chief” and promptly sail out of view to the east.

Admiral Sampson had a meeting scheduled with General Shafter in command of the Army forces in Cuba this Sunday morning and he did not wish to be late. It was unfortunate that he would not be present when Cervera made his breakout. But perhaps more unfortunate was the fact that Sampson had used the New York, one of only two ships in the American fleet that was capable of the speeds necessary to catch Cervera if he made his move. Hindsight dictates that he would have been far better served if he had made the trip in a little steam launch on this calm morning, or even hitched a ride on one of the yachts being employed by the press that were constantly scurrying about. But then, hindsight also dictates that it would be better had he not left at all.



At 9:00 AM Cervera made his move, and his began steaming down the bay. By 9:35, his flagship entered the mouth of the bay, dropped off it’s civilian harbor pilot, and began the dash to safety and freedom. The rest of the squadron would follow at approximately seven-minute intervals.

The navigator on the Brooklyn noticed that a plume of smoke behind a hill was moving. He shouted through his megaphone “Report to the commodore and the captain that the enemy ships are coming out!”

Commodore Schley took a look through his binoculars and exclaimed “We’ll give it to them now! We’ll give it to them now!” Schley then informed an ensign to signal “The enemy is escaping” which had already been done, then said “Signal the fleet to clear for action, then!” Schley looked around in vain one last time for the New York, with his superior on board, and it was nowhere to be seen. Commodore Schley, as second in command, then signaled “Close in” and “Follow the flag.”



The Maria Teresa had begun firing, and a 6-pounder on the Iowa cracked a response. The battle had begun, and the rest of the United States vessels joined in. Only the Teresa at the head of the column could fire at the Americans and only with her forward guns, while virtually all of her opponents, arranged in a rough semi-circle, could hit her from all angles with large numbers of their guns. In a matter of moments, the entire scene was covered with smoke from gunfire so thick that nobody could see what was going on. There was no breeze this morning, and so the smoke just hung there as the American ships began to get underway and the Spanish line began its turn.

Seven miles to the east, Admiral Sampson was wearing his spurs and leggings and ready to go ashore for the horseback ride to the conference with General Shafter. An unexpected hail from a lookout in the foretop froze the admiral at the gangway. Sampson secured a pair of binoculars and took a look for himself. At first he couldn’t see any movement at all, only smoke. But then he saw a dark silhouette against a white cloudbank near the shore, and the shape was immediately recognizable as one of Cervera’s big cruisers. Sampson hoped that the Spanish squadron would be heading east. If so, his New York would be in the perfect position to head them off and his detachment from the blockade would be a heaven-sent blessing. He forgot about the meeting with Shafter and ordered his ship to move to the west with all possible speed to intercept the Spaniards. As he looked through his binoculars, he could tell that the big Spanish ships were turning, but at this range it was not obvious if they were turning towards him or away. He remained optimistic for some time, until he determined that the ships had indeed turned to the west, and not only that – they were pulling away. Admiral Sampson, in command of the fleet, was about to miss the ultimate event in the lifetime of an Admiral – leading the fleet into battle. Frustrated and upset, he headed west hoping against hope that he might be able to arrive on the scene before the battle was over.

As the Spanish column emerged from the bay, directly opposite the entrance to the channel was the Texas and Schley’s flagship the Brooklyn. The Texas, like all the American warships, picked up steam and headed west in pursuit of the gallant Spaniards. All other American warships, that is, except one. The Brooklyn began a turn to starboard – to the east. After the battle, Schley was asked about this peculiar maneuver, and over the years he gave several different answers, none of them particularly satisfactory. The turn was considered, by some, to be “a mistake.”



The Texas had begun her big turn to the west, picking up speed and firing along the way, and assumed that the Brooklyn was doing the same up ahead. Captain John W. Phillips of the Texas describes it like this:

“The smoke from our guns began to hang so heavily and densely over the ship that for a few minutes we could see nothing. We might as well have had a blanket tied over our heads. Suddenly a whiff of breeze and a lull in the firing lifted the pall, and there, bearing towards us and across our bows, turning on her port helm, with big waves curling over her bows and great clouds of black smoke pouring from her funnels was the Brooklyn. She looked as big as half a dozen Great Easterns and seemed so near that it took our breath away.”

On the Brooklyn, the navigator cried out to the commodore, “Look out for the Texas, sir!” Schley replied, “Damn the Texas! Let her look out for herself!” The Texas had little choice but to do just that. Backing both engines in an emergency maneuver, the Texas just avoided colliding with the Brooklyn.

On the positive side for the Americans, Schley’s unorthodox maneuver eliminated one of Cervera’s plans. The wily Spanish Admiral knew that only two of the American ships had the speed to catch him – the armored cruisers Brooklyn and New York. As Cervera emerged from the bay, he noticed that the New York was not on station, and dead ahead of him was the Brooklyn. If he could ram the Brooklyn, it would be up to his other ships to simply outrun the slower American battleships. As Cervera headed out of the channel he set a course for the Brooklyn leaning towards the west – his pre-arranged escape route. When Schley turned to the east instead, the ram bow of the Teresa had no target, and so Cervera ordered a more severe turn to the west.



When the Infanta Maria Teresa ventured out into the middle of the American ships it accomplished two things. First, it drew the bulk of the fire from all of the big American guns onto the Teresa. Second, it allowed the next two ships in the column the ability to begin their run to the west relatively unmolested, with the Colon staying close to the shore and the Viscaya a bit further out to protect her. On the Teresa, one of the first hits had struck down Captain Concas, and as the second in command was nowhere to be found, Admiral Cervera assumed command personally.

As the Teresa made the turn to the west, one of her 5.5-inch guns exploded, creating a grisly scene with what at one time had been a gun crew. Big American shells were beginning to find their mark, too – penetrating the hull and starting fires on the wooden deck and superstructure. The entire aft portion of the vessel was a blazing wreck, live steam was being discharged from a broken main, and the ammunition stored there was beginning to explode. “The fire was gaining ground with great rapidity and voracity,” Cervera wrote. “I therefore sent one of my aides to flood the after magazines, but it was impossible to penetrate into the passages owing to the dense clouds of smoke… and the steam escaping from the engine hatch… or to breathe in that suffocating atmosphere.” Cervera knew that it was impossible to continue the fight, and his only decision that could show compassion for his men was to run his ship aground. There was some hope of continuing the fight from the beach, but the without the forward motion of the ship, the flames were now being driven towards the bow by an onshore breeze. Any hope of continued resistance was gone. The Teresa had survived for less than an hour after emerging from the channel, and managed to proceed only half a dozen miles to the west before settling on the beach to burn.

[SAMWolf]

A battleship cannot accelerate at will, and the American ships were not able to keep up with the Spaniards. Only the Oregon had a good head of steam when the Spaniards emerged. What was worse, most of the Americans only had half of their boilers running with the other half totally cold to save coal. Even on the speedy Brooklyn, the engines were decoupled in a fuel saving measure, giving her only half power and limiting her speed to little more than that of the battleships. Recoupling would take twenty minutes, and that was twenty minutes that Commodore Schley did not have, for by now the other three big cruisers were out of the bay and well on their way to escape.



The fourth cruiser in the line was the Almirante Oquendo, and she was following the Viscaya, a little further out to sea than the Colon and providing whatever cover she could to the ship closest to the shore. And so the Oquendo had the misfortune of being closest to the Americans when the Teresa had met her demise, and as a result most of the American fire now concentrated on this cruiser. The fire from all sizes of American guns was having a terrible effect – puncturing the hull with ease, and sometimes even passing through without detonating. Shells that did explode had knocked out most of her guns, and half of her crew (probably 250 men or so) now lay wounded or dead at their stations. Her leadership, too, was falling at an alarming rate. The Oquendo was had not been out of the harbor for fifteen minutes before every man unlucky enough to be in her superstructure was a casualty. Captain Lazaga was struck down early, and his executive officer had just assumed command when a shell from the very next American salvo cut him in two. The third officer took the conn, but was killed when a hit detonated some of the 5.5-inch ammunition stored on board. Within ten minutes, the next three officers in rank were all cut down. The bodies of 130 men were scattered about the deck, draped over ladders, and thrown around the bridge.

The Oquendo’s big guns were not firing with any regularity, and the forward big gun had gotten off only three shots. A messenger sent to investigate the trouble found a bizarre and grisly scene – an 8-inch shell (probably fired by the Brooklyn) had struck the gunport, where the crew was in the process of loading the gun. The 350 pounds of gunpowder being loaded to fire the big weapon was touched off, and the force of the explosion was directed out of the sighting cupola. As a result, all six men of the gun crew were dead without a mark on them, and the officer who was looking out the sighting cupola had his head torn off by the blast. Captain Lazaga, wounded but forced by the terrible attrition of his command staff to resume command, looked at the floating shambles around him and knew that he too had to head for the shore. He ordered that all remaining torpedoes be launched in the hope that one of them might catch one of the American ships in pursuit, and he ordered oil spread on the decks to ensure that the ship would burn beyond any possibility of salvage by the Americans. The senior officer left alive after the action said, “The men… were determined above all that the enemy should not set foot on the ship.” Captain Lazaga is believed to have been consumed in the fire. The Oquendo ran aground about half past ten, less than a mile further down the shore than the Teresa. By the time that she did so her hull was so badly damaged that she immediately broke in two.

When the little torpedo boat destroyers Plutonand Furoremerged, the equally small yacht Gloucester in close and the more distant gunfire being lobbed from greater range by the American battleships confronted them. None of the small ships had big guns, and they all lacked armor. Unfortunately for the Gloucester, she was caught in the tall columns of geysers that the battleship guns were raising along with the two intended targets. Meanwhile, the three ships pecked away at each other with their smaller weapons.

The end came quickly for the Pluton, who was trying to stay close to shore to escape notice. Lieutenant Cabalerro, her second in command, later recounted: “As we were making a great deal of water, we continued close to the shore to Punta Cabrera, and when we were close to the headland we received a 13-inch projectile, which exploded the forward group of boilers, blowing up the whole deck. The ship veered to starboard and struck on the headland, tearing off a great part of her bow… I jumped into the water and reached the shore.”

The Furor was still in the water, although steaming in lazy circles as the result of a grisly accident. Lieutenant Bustamente, who was on deck at the time, recalled, “A shell struck boatswain Duenas, cutting him in two. One part fell between the tiller ropes and it was necessary to take it out in pieces. Another shell destroyed the engine and servomotor, so that the ship could neither proceed nor maneuver.” Bustamente abandoned ship with a few others just moments before another shell struck her in the engine room and blew her to pieces. And in an instant, the Furor was gone – the only one of Cervera’s ships to not make it to the beach. Despite their great speed, neither the Pluton nor Furor would make it more than a few miles down the coast; they did not even make it as far as the Teresa or Oquendo.

At this point, neither Sampson nor Schley was aware of the great victory that they had already achieved. Sampson was too far to the rear to know much of anything that was going on ahead, and Schley was convinced that his casualties were going to be terrible – after all, you couldn’t expect to slug it out like this with the enemy without losing a lot of men. It was now past 10:30, and of the six Spanish ships that steamed out of the bay that morning, only two remained afloat. The swift Cristobol Colon was still maintaining her preferred path close to the shore, and by now had drawn even with the Viscaya which started out of the bay ahead of her. And, once again the Americans concentrated on the closest ship, which at this time was the Viscaya.

The Americans had only three big ships in hot pursuit – the Brooklyn in the lead, with the Texas and the Oregon bringing up the rear. The Iowa and Gloucester were staying in close to shore doing what they could to assist survivors of the Spanish ships in the water, and the Indiana had developed engine trouble so she stayed behind to assist. The most savage fighting was between the Viscaya and Brooklyn, steaming side by side, a little more than half a mile apart.

In capabilities, the two ships were fairly evenly matched. The Viscaya had much heavier armor, and so could withstand the shells from the Brooklyn’s guns. The Brooklyn had more guns, but they had to deal with all of that armor. But the fates of battle and the training of the crews can change the impact of statistics on paper. While the Spanish believed in rapid, mechanical firing at regular intervals, the American officers repeatedly told their crews to take their time and make every shot count. The Americans also had the luxury of having enough ammunition to practice at regular intervals – the Spaniards often fired their guns only once per year. Although the marksmanship of the Americans would be considered terrible by later standards, it was having its effect. Shell after shell slammed into the Viscaya, while virtually all of the shells fired by the Spaniards flew harmlessly overhead beyond the Americans. One of the American gunners complained that he could no longer see the splashes coming up when he fired his gun. “You damn fool,” said the turret-captain, “when you don’t see them drop in the water, you know they’re hitting.”

As the battle raged on, Schley felt the deck jump beneath his feet from a grinding smash. “They’ve landed something on us,” he said, and ordered an apprentice boy below to see how many men were gone. The boy returned and said that a big shell had hit, but it missed everybody. Schley, annoyed, told the boy to keep his wits about him this time and go check again. The boy returned and the same answer came back – two men only slightly wounded. Favor had smiled on the Americans up until now, but their luck had just run out. Chief Yeoman George Ellis had moved to an observation spot ahead of the conning tower to spot the fall of shells fired by the Brooklyn. As he was in this exposed position, a large shell (most likely fired by the Viscaya) struck him in the head. He was decapitated and killed instantly.

The Viscaya made a slight turn to the south, in what appeared to be an attempt to set up a ramming course on the Brooklyn. Soon thereafter, a massive explosion tore off her bow – either a big shell from the Oregon to the rear or from the Brooklyn had touched off the warhead in the torpedo in her forward tube. Captain Eulate, wounded in the head and shoulder, recounted: “Almost faint from the loss of blood I resigned my command to the executive officer with clear and positive instructions not to surrender the ship but rather to beach and burn her. In the sick bay I met Ensign Luis Fajardo, who was having a serious wound dressed. When I asked him what was the matter with him he answered that they had wounded him in one arm but he still had one left for his country. I immediately convened the officers who were nearest… and asked them whether there was anyone among them who thought we could do anything more in the defense of our country and our honor, and the unanimous reply was that nothing more could be done.”

As the Viscaya headed for the shore, the Brooklyn and Texas stopped firing on her. The Texas moved in for a closer look to see if anything could be done for the survivors. Flames were leaping from the deck as high as the funnel tops, and from where he was Captain Philip could hear the shrieks of the sailors caught in the fire. Panic-stricken seamen, some with their uniforms ablaze, were throwing themselves into the water, or crawling to the side and rolling overboard. Others could find no escape from the flames. As was traditional, the crew of the Texas let out a victory cheer, but Captain Philip stopped it at once, saying, “Don’t cheer, boys! Those poor devils are dying!”

By the time the Viscaya had run aground the Iowa was approaching, and Captain Evans saw a new threat to the Spanish sailors emerge. “The Cuban insurgents had opened fire on them from the shore, and with a glass I could plainly see the bullets snipping up the water around them. The sharks, made ravenous from the blood of the wounded were attacking them from the outside.” Evans sent a boat to the shore, warning the rebels to stop firing or to be themselves fired upon – by the big guns of the battleship. The Iowa stayed on the scene and rescued 200 officers and crew from the Viscaya.

That left only the Cristobal Colon. She held a six-mile lead over the Brooklyn with her uncoupled engines and the Oregon, which was showing phenomenal speed for a battleship of her day. The Texas was still in the hunt as well. The chase would continue for a couple of hours, and run for sixty miles. Schley ordered the Oregon to cease fire, so that he could study his maps. And when he saw that the Cuban coast took a turn to the south, he knew that he had the Spaniards at last. Like a football defensive back who “has the angle” on a wide receiver, Schley knew that he could prevent the touchdown. He just had to be patient until the Spaniard made the turn to follow the coast.

He didn’t have to wait quite that long. At half past noon the Colon had exhausted all of her good Spanish coal, and switched over to the inferior grade that they had obtained locally at Santiago. The Colon began to lose speed. As the Oregon began to close, Schley signaled to her “Try one of your railroad trains on her,” and a moment later the big guns in the forward turret of the battleship spoke and sent over a ton of projectiles on their way. They fell short five times. On the sixth firing, a shell was seen to land ahead of the Colon. The game was up. Another shot fell just off the stern of the Spanish cruiser, causing massive concussion damage, and a steam line burst. Commander Mason who had been watching the Colon through the ship’s telescope said, “She’s hauled down her colors and fired a lee gun.”

“What does that mean?” Schley asked.The surprised Mason replied, “Why, it means that she’s struck [surrendered].”“I’m damned glad that I didn’t have to surrender,” Schley laughed. “I wouldn’t have known how.” On the way to the rocks, the Spaniards had opened up the sea valves so that the Colon would be sunk and denied to the Americans. She was aground, and any attempt to move her off as a prize would only sink her. Only now did the commander in chief, Admiral Sampson arrive on the scene. The fight was over, and he had missed it all. Schley signaled, “A glorious victory has been achieved. Details later.” There was no response from the New York. Schley signaled again, “This is a great day for our country.” It was, but not for Admiral Sampson. His cold reply was, “Report your casualties.” Schley then sent signals of congratulations to the Oregon, who with her big guns had saved the day; to the Texas with which he nearly collided earlier; and to the little Vixen, which had come along for the entire length of the chase. With each signal, the receiving ship cheered. The New York remained cold and silent. The seeds that would separate Sampson and Schley in later years had been sown.

When all seemed calm, the little boat Resolute approached at speed and reported that a large Spanish battleship was approaching from the east. Sampson sent Schley and the Brooklyn to investigate. The approaching ship was quickly sighted, and Schley had the Brooklyn ready her portside guns, since only the starboard guns had been engaged during the prior chase. Through the glass Captain Cook could see that the approaching vessel had forward gun turrets. This could not possibly be the Pelayo, unless she had seen a major rebuild or the reference data in Jane’s was terribly out of touch with reality. But there was the flag with the unmistakable red bars hanging from her masthead. A line of signal flags appeared, illuminated by searchlights that illuminated the Americans as well. “This is an Austrian ship,” they read, “Please do not fire.” The Americans had mistaken the red/white/red flag of Austria for the red/yellow/red flag of Spain. The ship was looking for a place to spend the night, and thought that Santiago de Cuba looked like a good port on the map. The Americans asked them instead to anchor at least 20 miles out to sea, as it had been a busy day. The Austrians anchored 40 miles out, just to be sure there was no more confusion. Ironically, the Austrian ship bore the name Maria Theresa.

Shortly after Admiral Cervera was rescued from the water and issued dry clothing, the Iowa rescued Captain Eulate of the Viscaya as well. He was covered with blood from three wounds, and a grisly handkerchief was wrapped around his head. As he hobbled to the door of Captain Evans’ cabin to be tended to, he turned and looked at his former command now run aground. Captain Eulate saluted his burning ship, “Adios, Viscaya!” Just then, flames reached the forward magazine, and the Viscaya exploded in reply with dramatic effect, sending a pillar of black smoke high into the sky.

[SAMWolf]

The Sinking of U.S. Navy Collier Merrimac
By Patrick McSherry

BACKGROUND:

One of the most dramatic events of the Spanish American War, and one which caught the public imagination, was that of the deliberate sinking of the collier MERRIMAC. Assistant Naval Constructor Richmond Hobson modified a broken down collier (coal supply vessel) to be operated by a skeleton crew of eight men, and rigged with explosives to be blown at his command. The plan was to take the ship into the narrow channel leading into Santiago Harbor and sink it, blocking the channel. This would block the Spanish fleet within the harbor, therefore basically nullifying its existence. The crew was all volunteer, since the mission was virtually a suicide mission, with little chance for the crew to escape, though an attempt would be made. During the attack, the vessel was exposed to gunfire from the batteries surrounding the channel entrance, mines in the channel, and the guns and torpedoes of the Spanish vessels REINA MERCEDES and PLUTON.



The mission itself was a failure. The MERRIMAC's steering gear was damaged by enemy fire and though the vessel sunk, it did not block the channel. Hobson and his crew were captured. They were all eventually exchanged, with Hobson becoming an overnight celebrity nationwide.

In hindsight, the U.S. forces were lucky that the effort did fail, as the Spanish fleet would have been trapped in the harbor with crews and guns still able to defend Santiago itself. For Spain, the situation would have been better if the effort had succeeded, perhaps resulting in much less loss of Spanish life and a better bargaining position in peace negotiations.

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

The MERRIMAC was a collier which was purchased by the Navy on April 12, 1898 for $342,000 from the Hogan Line. Since that time, she had been giving Admiral Schley many difficulties. The vessel had broken down on May 26 about forty miles from Santiago, which, combined with weather conditions, contributed to Schley temporarily abandoning Santiago to look for coal . The old collier broke down so often that one observer commented that it was cause for comment if she moved for five hours without an engine or steering gear breakdown. At times, the "full engineer force of the BROOKLYN was sent about her get her running again." Still she was used to coal the TEXAS, MARBLEHEAD and VIXEN. The idea for sinking the collier was proposed to Hobson by Admiral Sampson, with a request that Hobson determine the best method for accomplishing the difficult task. This decision was made even before Sampson and his force arrived off Santiago.

Hobson studied the problem and determined that there were two methods that could be used to sink the vessel. One would be to use a series of explosives, termed "torpedoes"; the second involved cutting rivet heads from six hull plates. The torpedo method as chosen since it would take less time to prepare. The "torpedoes" to be used consisted of ten separate watertight cannisters filled with about 78 pounds of brown powder and strapped to the port side of the vessel below the waterline. The torpedoes were rigged to to blown electronically. The port side was used since this side would be the "forward" side as the ship turned into position, causing the inrush of water to be more rapid. I addition, all ports, hatches, doors and seacocks were rigged to be open or opened rapidly to increase the speed in which the vessel would fill with water.



The system, if it worked, would sink the vessel within a minute and a quarter. However, the electrical firing mechanisms were not the most reliable. In an effort to ensure sinking if some or all of the electrical primers failed, Hobson requested two actual automobile (Whitehead) torpedo warheads from the USS NEW YORK. The two hundred pounds of guncotton from the torpedoes would be placed in the most critical location, and also rigged for electrical firing. The request for the warheads was rejected by Admiral Sampson, who stated that "two hundred pounds of guncotton on the inside would blow everything to the devil" and would most likely kill the volunteer crew.

The plan was to take the MERRIMAC into the channel, put the helm hard to port, and drop the bow anchor with specific length of chain. Shortly afterwards, when the vessel was completely athwart the channel, the stern anchor would be dropped. at this point, the torpedoes would be blown, seacocks opened, and the vessel would sink, blocking the channel. The small all-volunteer crew would meet and escape via a catamaran hoisted over the side, and sail back to the U.S. fleet.

Problems beset the plan as it was rushed to be readied in a very short time. Batteries had to be depended on to fire the torpedoes, and there were initially only enough batteries to fire six of the ten explosives. Preparations ran behind schedule, but, finally, almost everything was in readiness.

The first attempt to sink the vessel on the night of June 1, 1898 was called off and additional work was done on the vessel allowing the last four torpedoes to be able to fire.

The next attempt was made on June 3, 1898. Almost immediately, the hard-luck collier began to act up. Only three of the ten torpedoes responded to testing and were able to be fired. Still, the MERRIMAC charged into the channel under full steam. A Spanish picket boat hidden near the channel entrance opened up on the MERRIMAC with its rapid fire guns. At point blank range, the plucky Spanish vessel fired directly at the MERRIMAC's steering gear. The gear, already in bad conditon, failed. This was one of the most vulnerable points on the veesel, and Hobson knew it. Without steering control, the mission was badly compromised.

The MERRIMAC continued onward. The bow anchor was dropped and the first torpedo was fired. Unfortunately, the only other torpedo to fire was number five. The three others that were still functional as the vessel entered the channel had been damaged by gunfire and were no longer operable.



The stern anchor was dropped, but the vessel , not in the planned position, dragged its anchors and forged ahead. Batteries opened on the vessel on both sides. The MERRIMAC began to sink almost across the channel, but the strong current began to straighten her out. The vessel continued to move down the channel into the harbor and into greater danger. She actually crossed the bows of the Spanish vessels REINA MERCEDES and PLUTON which both unleashed fire and Whitehead torpedoes on the MERRIMAC.

The Spanish had mistaken the incoming vessel as some sort of man-o'-war attempting to enter the harbor and attack the Spanish fleet. Some of the Spanish gunners apparently fired on the muzzleblasts of guns they thought were aboard the incoming vessel. Crossfire over the vessel occurred. The Spanish suffered casualties, which they did not learn until later, were the result of friendly fire.

The MERRIMAC sunk, but not in a position that could block the channel. Hobson's crew, in spite of the severe fire, were relatively unhurt. They found the catamaran overturned, and a strong current entering from the sea, away from the U.S. fleet. It was apparent that they could not swim against the current, so Hobson and his crew clung to the overturned catamaran until they were picked up by a steam launch the next morning. The launch was that of Spanish Admiral Cervera, who was aboard.

Hobson's crew became prisoners of war, and were well treated by their captors. Hobson later wrote of how he was received aboard the REINA MERCEDES. They were finally exchanged on July 6, 1898.

The mission had proved to be a failure. The channel was not blocked by the vessel, but this act of bravery accorded Hobson and his crew hero status, with the entire crew, includig Hobson, being awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Additional Sources:

www.battleship.org
www.homeofheroes.com
www.smplanet.com
www.history.navy.mil
candamo.iespana.es

[SAMWolf]

American Losses as a Result of the Battle

The only fatality in the engagement was Chief Yeoman George Ellis, acting as a gunfire spotter just ahead of the conning tower on the Brooklyn.

Ten other American sailors were wounded, one seriously.

Spanish Losses as a Result of the Battle

Cervera's entire squadron was either sunk or run aground. The Spaniards had lost 323 killed and 151 wounded. 70 officers and 1,600 men, including Admiral Cervera himself, were rescued and taken prisoner by the American forces. Only 150 sailors or so made their way back to the Spanish lines at Santiago. All ships had losses, but by far the Furor and Oquendo had suffered the most.

[SAMWolf]

The State of the Union is Strong!
Support the Commander in Chief
Click Here to Send a Message to the opposition!

[SAMWolf]

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Everybody.

Chow time!
NG's and ER's to the front of the line.

Standing Operating Procedures state:
Click the Pics For Today's Tunes

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning SAM, everyone

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Feather

[Jen]

FALL IN to the FReeper Foxhole!

To be removed from this list, please send me a blank private reply with "REMOVE" in the subject line! Thanks! Jen

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Jen

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on April 08:
563 -BC- Gautama Buddha (as celebrated in Japan-Kambutsue)
1460 Ponce de Le¢n searched for fountain of youth, found Florida
1533 Claudio Merulo organist/composer
1605 Philip IV king of Spain & Portugal (1621-65)
1614 El Greco Spain, painter (View of Toledo)
1631 Coirnelis de Heem painter
1692 Giuseppe Tartini Italy, violinist/composer (Trillo del Diavolo)
1726 Lewis Morris signed Decl of Independence
1731 William Williams signed Decl of Independence
1783 John Claudius London England, horticulturist
1798 Dionysios Solomos poet
1816 Frederick William Burton painter
1843 Asger Hamerik [Hammerich], composer
1850 William Henry Welch pathologist
1859 Edmund Husserl Germany, philosopher, founded Phenomenology
1859 William Henry Welch US, pathologist, founded John Hopkins
1869 Harvey Cushing US, neurosurgeon (blood pressure studies)
1880 Victor Schertzinger coposer/director (Uptown NY)
1887 Walter Connolly actor (Good Earth, 5th Avenue Girl)
1889 Sir Adrian Boult Chester England, conductor (BBC Sym Orch)
1893 Mary Pickford [Gladsys Smith], actress (Poor Little Rich Girl)
1898 CM Bowra professor of poetry (Oxford University)
1898 E Y "Yip" Harburg [Isidore Hochberg], lyricist/librettist
19-- Michael Spound Santa Monica Calif, actor (Dave-Hotel)
1902 Josef Krips Vienna Austria, conductor (London Symph 1954-63)
1903 Ilka Chase NYC, actress (Masquerade Party, Trials of O'Brien)
1907 Maurice Stacey chemist
1908 Neil Lawson British high court judge
1910 George Musso NFL guard (Chicago Bears)
1912 Sonja Henie Oslo Norway, ice skater/actress (Olympic-gold-1928,32,36)
1919 Ian Smith PM (Rhodesia)
1920 Erik Pausin Austria, figure skating pairs (Olympics-silver-1936)
1921 Betty Bloomer Ford 1st lady/namesake for Betty Ford Clinic
1921 Virginia O'Brien singer/actress (Thousand Cheers, Ziegfield Girls)
1922 Carmen McRae NYC, singer (Down Beats New Star of 1954)
1923 Edward Mulhare Cork Ireland, actor (Daniel Gregg-Ghost & Mrs Muir)
1923 Franco Corelli Anconia Italy, tenor (Don Jos‚-Carmen)
1925 Shecky Greene Chicago Ill, comedian/actor (Love Machine, Combat)
1928 Eric Porter actor (39 Steps, Anthony & Cleopatra)
1928 Eric Porter London England, actor (Antony & Cleopatra, 39 Steps)
1928 John Gavin LA Calif, actor (Back Street, Psycho, Murder for Sale)
1928 Monty Sunshine bandleader
1929 Jacques Brel singer/actor (Pain in the A__)
1930 Dorothy Tutin London, actress (Importence of Being Ernest, Cromwell)
1930 John Reardon NYC, baritone (Falke-Die Fledermaus)
1930 John Bartholomew Tucker Pa, TV host (Candid Camera, Treasure Island)
1930 Mary Moore principal (St Hilda's College, Oxford)
1931 Dorothy Tutin actress (Importance of Being Ernest, Cromwell)
1933 Fred Ebb lyricist (Cabaret)
1935 Donald Thompsett cricket umpire
1936 Klaus Lowitsch Berlin, actor (Despair, Marriage of Marla Braun)
1937 Seymour Hersh award winning investigative reporter (NY Times)
1938 Lory Patrick Beckley WV, actress (TRina-Tales of Welles Fargo)
1940 John Havlicek Martin's Ferry Ohio, NBA hall-of-famer (Boston Celtics)
1941 Peggy Lennon LA Calif, singer (Lennon Sisters)
1943 J P Kavanaugh racehorse trainer
1943 Michael Bennett aids victim/choreographer (A Chorus Line)
1943 Robby Weaver actor (Stone)
1943 Tony Banks English politician (Lab)
1943 William Garth Morrison Chief scout
1944 Anthony Farrar Hockley military historian
1944 Roger Chapman vocalist (Family-Family Entertainment)
1945 Ian White MEP
1946 Jim (Catfish) Hunter major-league pitcher (A's, Yankees)
1947 Cindy Pickett Norman Okla, actress (Guiding Light, St Elsewhere)
1947 Steve Howe Yes, he plays guitar (Asia, Yes-Roundabout)
1948 Richard Alan Litchfield Mass, bank robber (FBI most wanted)
1949 Jim Lampley Hendersonville NC, newscaster (Monday Night Baseball)
1951 Mel Schachter rocker (Grand Funk Railroad)
1952 Adam Woods rocker (The Fixx)
1954 Gary Carter catcher (Mont Expos, NY Mets)
1954 John Schneider Mt Kisco NY, actor (Bo-Dukes of Hazzard)
1959 Martin Weston cricketeer
1962 Izzy Stradin rocker (Guns 'n' Roses-Welcome to the Jungle)
1963 Alec Stewart cricketer
1963 Julian Lennon John's son/singer (Too Late for Goodbyes)
1967 Robin Wright Dallas Tx, actress (Kelly-Santa Barbara, Princess Bride)

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Deaths which occurred on April 08:
217 Caracalla [Marcus Aureiius Antoniius], Roman emperor, dies
1143 John II Byzantine emperor, dies in an accident
1794 Marie-Jean-Antoine-Nicholas-Caritat mathematician dies
1890 Junius Morgan philanthropist, dies at 76
1897 Heinrich von Stephan UK politician, dies
1902 Sipyagain Russia's minister of interior is assassinated
1919 Baron Roland E”tv”s physicist, dies
1931 Eric Axel Karlfeldt poet, dies
1935 Edwin Cannan economist, dies
1937 William Henry Hadow author/musicologist, dies
1941 EugŠne-Marcel Pr‚vost novelist, dies
1943 Richard Sears 1st to win US amateur national tennis match, dies at 81
1950 Vaslav Fromich Nijinsky ballet dancer, dies in London
1973 Pablo Picasso artist, dies near Mougins, France, at 91
1976 Phil Ochs rock producer, dies
1977 Frank Milan actor (The Witness), dies at 71
1981 Gen Omar Bradley last 5-star general, dies in NY at 88
1987 Francis C Denebrink US Naval officer (WW I, WW II, Korea) dies at 90
1990 Ryan White hemophiliac aids sufferer, dies at 18. The Ryan White Foundation was founded later in 1991 by Jeanne White and Phil Donahue

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION


1962 GROOM GEORGE E. STEWARTSVILLE MO.
05/01/62 RELEASED

1962 GABRIEL JAMES JR HONOLULU HI
04/62 REMAINS RECOVERED

1962 MARCHAND WAYNE ELLSWORTH OMAHA NE.
04/68 REMAINS RECOVERED

1962 QUINN FRANCIS BUFFALO NY.
05/01/62 RELEASED

1970 BELLENDORF DIETER GERMANY
1589 SP BALLINDORF?

1970 GENSLUCKNER GEORG AUSTRIA

1970 YIENG UNG LING CAMBODIA
REFNO 1589

1972 RAY JOHNNIE L. PAULS VALLEY OK.
02/12/73 RELEASED BY PRG

1972 WANAT GEORGE K. JR. WATERFFORD CN.
02/12/73 RELEASED BY PRG


POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

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On this day...
1513 Ponce de Le¢n discovers Florida
1730 1st Jewish congregation in US consecrates synagogue (NY)
1766 1st fire escape patented, wicker basket on a pulley & chain
1789 House of Representives 1st meeting
1802 French Protestant church becomes state-supported & -controlled
1838 Steamship "Great Western" maiden voyage (Bristol England to NYC)
1861 US mint at Dahlonega, Georgia seized by confederacy
1864 Battle of Mansfield, La Federals routed by Gen Richard Taylor
1865 Lee's retreat cut off near Appomattox Court House
1876 The opera "La Gioconda" is produced (Milan)
1893 The critic reports that the ice cream soda is our national drink
1898 Battle of Atbara River, Anglo-Egyptian forces crush 6,000 Sudanese
1904 Entente Cordiale signed by France & England
1908 Herbert Henry Asquith becomes PM of England
1912 Steamers collide in the Nile, drowning 200
1913 17th amendment, requiring direct election of senators, ratified
1914 US & Columbia sign a treaty concerning the Panama Canal Zone
1931 "White Horse Inn" opens in London
1935 Works Progress Administration approved by Congress
1938 H Alikoski discovers asteroid #2911
1943 Detroit Red Wings sweep Boston Bruins for the Stanley Cup
1943 Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya convicted of involvement with Mau Mau
1946 League of Nations assembles for last time
1947 Largest recorded sunspot (7,000) observed
1952 Pres Truman seizes the steel mills to prevent a strike
1954 "By the Beautiful Sea" opens at the Majestic Theater on Broadway
1961 British liner "Dara" explodes in Persian Gulf, kills 236
1964 Unmanned Gemini 1 launched
1966 AFL chooses 36 year old Al Davis as commissioner
1966 OAO 1, the 1st orbiting astronomical observatory, launched
1968 New socialist constitution of East Germany takes effect
1970 Senate rejects Nixon's nomination of Carswell to Supreme Court
1971 1st legal off-track betting system begins (OTB-New York)
1974 Discovery Island opens
1974 Hammerin' Hank Aaron hits 715th HR, breaks Babe Ruth's record
1975 Frank Robinson 1st black baseball mgr (Cleveland, beats NY 5-3)
1978 W Liller discovers asteroid #2449
1979 204th & final episode of "All in the Family"
1980 Islander Potvin's 2 shorthanded goals tie NHL record vs Kings
set NHL rec of 2 shorthanded playoff goals in 1 period
1981 Islanders scored 9 goals against Toronto in playoffs
1982 Penguins 2-Isles 4-Preliminary-Isles hold 2-0 lead
1982 Tracy Caulkins, 19, wins her 36th US swimming title
1985 India files suit against Union Carbide over Bhopal disaster
1986 Clint Eastwood elected mayor of Carmel, California, Make his day
1987 Al Campanis, LA Dodger VP resigns after racial remarks on "Nightline"
1989 Entertainment Tonights Mary Hart marries producer Burt Sugarman
1990 "Twin Peaks" with Peggy Lipton premiers on ABC-TV
1991 Michael Landon announces he has inoperable cancer of the pancreas
1991 Oakland A's stadium becomes 1st outdoor arena to ban smoking
1992 "Five Guys Named Moe" opens at Eugene O'Neill theater on Broadway
1992 After 151 years Britain's "Punch Magazine" final issue

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

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Religious Observances
Buddhist : Kambutsue, Buddha's birthday (Japan, Taiwan, Hawaii, Korea)
Christian : Feast of St Walter of Pontoise
RC : Commemoration of Our Lady of Good Counsel
Christian : Feast of St Dionysius of Corinth
Christian : Feast of St Perpetuus of tours
RC : Commemoration of St Julia Billiart, virgin
Ang : Commemoration of William Augustus Muhlenberg, priest

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Religious History
1546 At its fourth session, the Council of Trent adopted Jerome's "Latin Vulgate" as the official Bible of the Roman Catholic Church. (Included in the Vulgate O.T. were the 15 apocryphal books which Protestants reject in their biblical canon.)
1730 Shearith Israel, first Jewish congregation organized in America, consecrated their synagogue in New York City.
1912 The American Theological Society was organized at Union Theological Seminary, in New York, for the purpose of discussing religious, theological and philosophical problems.
1945 German theologian and martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the night before he was hanged by the Nazis, said: 'This is the end - - for me the beginning' -- his last recorded words.
1988 Televangelist Jimmy Swaggert, 52, was defrocked by the Assemblies of God following the disclosure of his involvement with a prostitute. (Swaggert was ordered to stay off TV for a year, but had returned after only three months.)

---

Thought for the day :
"Behind every argument is someone`s ignorance."

[Jen]

Good morning Sam! Hope you're having a good day!

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!

[SAMWolf]

1981 Gen Omar Bradley last 5-star general, dies in NY at 88

I read his book "A Soldier's Story" when I was in High School, good account of the war in Europe.

[Valin]

File under, Don't do this!
Man tries holdup, gets laughed out of bank
Associated Press

Published April 8, 2003


PINE BLUFF, Ark. -- Police say they aren't sure what charge is appropriate for a man arrested after tellers laughed him out of a bank he apparently tried to rob.
The man entered a branch of the Bank of America about 10 a.m. Monday, with a trash bag in one hand and the other in a pocket, authorities said.
``Put the money in the bag,'' he demanded.

Instead, one of the two tellers told him the bank was out of money, and the other teller laughed and offered the man deposit slips. She told police that made the intruder angry, and he left without any money in his bag.

Minutes after tellers alerted authorities, a Jefferson County sheriff's deputy picked up Julius Kearney, 23, of Little Rock, as he walked nearby. Kearney was arrested after witnesses in the bank identified him as the man with the trash bag, police said.
No weapon was found, and the man at the bank never threatened anybody, so police are unsure how the case will be handled.

``Technically, it could be robbery, and since it is in a bank, the FBI might also have some regulations about what we can charge him with,'' said police spokesman Robert Rawlinson.

``Either he'll be (in jail) or we will put him in for mental evaluation,'' Rawlinson said. ``He's not just going to be released.''

[SAMWolf]

PINE BLUFF, Ark

Nuff said! LOL!

[HiJinx]

PINE BLUFF, Ark

Guess the tellers called his bluff...

[SAMWolf]

LOL!

[SAMWolf]

Amazing! Is there an event you can't find a poem for?

Thank you for your poetic contribution each day, Cote.