Second Battle of Manzanillo

Second Battle of Manzanillo
Part of the Spanish–American War
USS Scorpion lying at anchor, circa 1898
Date 1 July 1898 Location Manzanillo, Cuba Result Spanish victory[1]
Belligerents
Spain	United States
Commanders and leaders
Joaquín Barreda	Adolph Marix
Strength
3 gunboats 3 pontoons	1 armed tug 1 patrol yacht
Casualties and losses
3 wounded	1 armed tug damaged

The Second Battle of Manzanillo was a naval engagement of the Spanish–American War on 1 July 1898. Two American gunboats attempted unsuccessfully to destroy the Spanish ships in the harbor of Manzanillo, Cuba.

The battle

The USS Scorpion and Osceola arrived at Manzanillo on 1 July expecting to find an American squadron, but did not know that the squadron had fought a battle in the harbor and retired the previous day. Adolph Marix, in command, nonetheless decided to follow orders and sailed the two ships into the bay to capture or destroy any enemy shipping there. In the harbor, the American ships came across several small vessels including the 42 long tons (43 t) gunboats Estrella and Guantánamo, the 85 long tons (86 t) Delgado Parejo, and a barracks ship. The Americans then proceeded to open fire on the vessels but could not get close enough to destroy them, due to the shallow water that lay in between the harbor and the two warships. Not only did the Spanish gunboats return fire, but also infantry and artillery from the shore.

The Americans were outnumbered, and after Scorpion had been hit 12 times the attackers withdrew. Osceola was not hit and the Americans reported no casualties, while Spanish casualties were three men wounded aboard the pontoon María.

Aftermath

As had occurred the day before, the Spanish had managed to repel the American squadron. Wrote one American sailor:[2]

We have been in two of the bombardments off Santiago and helped clear the way for the troops at Daiquiri, yet we had seen nothing before to equal the accuracy, rapidity, and uniformity of the fire that the Spanish forces gave us at Manzanillo. And we give them credit for it.

Scorpion and Osceola met the American squadron which had attacked the previous day and waited for reinforcements to arrive, before finally managing to destroy the Spanish naval force at Manzanillo on 18 July.

Order of battle

United States

Armed tug

• USS Osceola

Patrol yacht

• USS Scorpion

Spain

Gunboats

• Estrella
• Guantánamo
• Delgado Parejo

Pontoons

• Maria
• Cuba Española
• Guardián

Notes

1. "MARIX AT MANZANILLO", The New York Times. July 25, 1898: "They had driven us out of their harbour, true; but with what odds against us! And, even then, it took a full half hour to do it. ... A merciful Providence surely watches over the American arms."
2. "MARIX AT MANZANILLO", The New York Times. July 25, 1898

Sources

• Wilson, Herbert Wrigley (1900). The Downfall of Spain: Naval History of the Spanish–American War. Low, Marston and company, limited. ISBN 9780722279298.
• "GUNBOATS ENGAGE SPANIARDS", The New York Times. July 9, 1898.
• "MARIX AT MANZANILLO", The New York Times. July 25, 1898.
• Agustín Ramón Rodríguez González (1998). Operaciones de la Guerra de 1898: una revisión crítica. Actas Editorial. ISBN 84-87863-72-8.