Second Battle of San Juan (1898)

Infobox Military Conflict


caption=Spanish vessel "Terror" undergoing repairs after the battle with USS "St. Paul"
conflict=Second Battle of San Juan
colour_scheme=background:#ffcccc; color:#2222cc
partof=the Spanish-American War
date=June 22, 1898
place=San Juan, Puerto Rico
result= American victory
blockade maintained
combatant1=flagicon|Spain|1785 Kingdom of Spain
combatant2=flagicon|USA|1896 United States
commander1= Unknown
commander2=Charles Dwight Sigsbee
strength1=1 cruiser and 1 destroyer
strength2=1 auxiliary cruiser
casualties1=1 destroyer severely damaged
5 killed
several wounded
casualties2=none

The Second Battle of San Juan occurred on the 22nd of June 1898 when two Spanish vessels tried to break the American blockade off San Juan.

Background

San Juan had been under blockade by American forces since April of 1898. Most of the time the blockade consisted of a single auxiliary cruiser which patrolled and pursued blockade runners that were attempting to reach San Juan. By June the task of blockading San Juan was delegated to the auxiliary cruiser USS "Saint Paul", a former ocean liner commanded by Captain Charles Sigsbee who had formally commanded the USS Maine. The Spanish destroyer "Terror", originally part of Admiral Cervera's squadron, had mechanical trouble and left the main Spanish fleet eventually reaching San Juan. With "Terror" and several other naval vessels at their disposal the Spanish decided to make an attempt at breaking the blockade. "Terror" and an old cruiser named "Isabel II" set off from San Juan to engage the "St. Paul" while a crowd of jubilant locals at the harbor cheered them on.

Battle

Almost as soon as the Spanish ships engaged the American vessel did they realize that the "Isabel II" would be forced to retire as she was much slower than the American ship. The "Terror" attempted to cover the cruiser's escape with a torpedo attack but was thwarted when her rudder was placed out of action by the "St. Paul". The ship then turned allowing the "St. Paul" to score direct hits near the "Terror"'s waterline disabling one of her engines and causing her to list. The "Terror" then fled the engagement and beached herself on a nearby bank to keep from sinking. The Spanish sortie had failed with the Americans maintaining the blockade while inflicting several casualties on the Spanish as well as putting the "Terror" out of action for the rest of the war.

ources

http://www.spanamwar.com/puertonaval3.htm#Terror/st.paul
http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s3/saint_paul-i.htm