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Following the American victories at El Caney and San Juan Hill, sporadic fighting continued as the US Soldiers took up positions in and around Santiago de Cuba. |
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Spanish Admiral Cervera's squadron was trapped inside Santiago Harbor by a US Naval blockade at the harbor entrance. With US Army forces now controlling the heights over the city and harbor, his situation was hopeless. On July 3rd the Spanish Admiral ordered his ships into a single file as he made a desperate dash for safer waters. As his ships cleared the harbor entrance, they were met by the American warships. The two-hour Naval Battle of Santiago de Cuba was a key moment in history. US warships fired nearly 10,000 rounds to totally destroy all six ships of Cervera's squadron, and erase the last vestiges of a once legendary Spanish Armada. In that action, though more than 300 Spanish sailors were killed in heavy fighting, the US Navy suffered only one man killed in action. While valor abounded on both sides, only one sailor earned the Medal of Honor in one of the most legendary naval battles of world history. |
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The
Naval Battle of
