Spanish destroyer Terror

"Terror" was a "Furor"-class destroyer of the Spanish Navy that fought at San Juan, Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War.

Technical Characteristics

"Terror" was built in the United Kingdom by Thomson, (which would rename itself Clydebank Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. the following year). Her keel was laid on 9 February 1896, she was launched on 28 August 1896, and she was completed on 20 November 1896. She had three funnels. In the parlance of the day, she was a "torpedo boat destroyer", designed to protect larger ships against torpedo boat attack, but also carrying torpedoes with which to attack larger ships herself.

Operational History

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The Spanish-American War began while "Terror" was at Sao Vicente. Ordered by neutral Portugal in accordance with international law to leave Sao Vicente within 24 hours of the declaration of war, "Terror" and the rest of Cervera's squadron departed on 29 April 1898, bound for San Juan, Puerto Rico. Because of continuing engine trouble and low coal supplies, "Terror" and her fellow destroyers were towed part of the way. Cervera's ships reached French-owned Martinique in the Lesser Antilles on 10 May 1898.

While the other ships loitered in international waters, "Furor" and "Terror" went into Fort-de-France to ask for coal. France was neutral and would not supply coal. Moreover, the American auxiliary cruiser USS "Harvard" had just left port, and French officials announced that in accordance with international law and France's neutrality, the destroyers, as belligerents, could not leave port until 48 hours after "Harvard" had left, i.e., on 13 May 1898. "Terror" had become immobilized with engine problems, so the destroyer flotilla commander, Captain Fernando Villaamil, took "Furor" out in the harbor on 12 May 1898 under the ruse of testing "her" engines, then successfully made a dash out into international waters 24 hours early. Cervera's squadron steamed on, leaving "Terror" behind. "Terror" soon got her engines running and was released by the French authorities. She made for San Juan, Puerto Rico, arriving there on 17 May 1898.

Little happened for a month, until the U.S. Navy established a permanent blockade of San Juan on 18 June 1898. On 22 June 1898, the Spanish cruiser "Isabel II", gunboat "General Concha", and "Terror" came out of port to test the blockade, resulting in the Second Battle of San Juan (1898). Auxiliary cruisers USS "St. Paul" moved in, resulting in a short, running gun battle, from which the Spanish quickly broke away. "Isabel II" and "General Concha" could go no faster than convert|10|kn|km/h; in order to cover their retreat, "Terror" began a torpedo run on "St. Paul", which opened fire at 5,400 yards (4,940 m). She hit "Terror" repeatedly, killing two men (the only casualties either side suffered in the action) and putting a hole in the destroyer's side. Severely damaged, "Terror" retreated and had to be beached.

"Terror" spent the rest of the war under repair at San Juan. Repairs were completed a month after the war ended, on 14 September 1898, and she returned to Spain.

Around 1920, "Terror" was equipped for minelaying. She was scrapped in 1924.

References

*Chesneau, Roger, and Eugene M. Kolesnik, Eds. "Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1860-1905." New York, New York: Mayflower Books Inc., 1979. ISBN 0831703024.
*Gray, Randal, Ed. "Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921." Annapolis, Maryland:Naval Institute Press, 1985. ISBN 0870219073.
*Nofi, Albert A. "The Spanish-American War, 1898". Conshohocken, Pennsylvania:Combined Books, Inc., 1996. ISBN 0938289578.

External Links

* [http://www.spanamwar.com/tbd.htm The Spanish-American War Centennial Website: Torpedo-Boat Destroyers "Furor", "Pluton", and "Terror"]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-fornv/spain/spsh-sz/terror.htm Department of the Navy: Naval Historical Center: Online Library of Selected
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