Spanish cruiser Reina Mercedes facts for kids
Reina Mercedes sometime prior to 1898
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Quick facts for kids History |
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.svg){kind=small} Spain |
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| Name | Reina Mercedes |
| Namesake | Mercedes of Orleans, Queen Consort of Spain. |
| Builder | Naval shipyard, Cartagena, Spain |
| Launched | 9 September 1887 |
| Fate | Scuttled as blockship night of 4–5 July 1898; captured and salvaged by US Navy |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Alfonso XII-class cruiser |
| Displacement | 3,042 tons |
| Length | 278 ft 3 in (84.81 m) |
| Beam | 43 ft 4 in (13.21 m) |
| Draft | 20 ft 0 in (6.10 m) |
| Installed power | 4,400 ihp (3,300 kW) |
| Propulsion | 1-shaft compound |
| Speed | 17 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph) (designed); |
| Complement | 370 officers and enlisted |
| Armament |
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| Armor | none |
| Notes |
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The Reina Mercedes was a type of warship called an Alfonso XII-class in the Spanish Navy. A cruiser is a fast warship that can travel long distances. This ship was named after Mercedes of Orleans, who was a queen of Spain.
During the Spanish–American War, the Reina Mercedes was captured by the United States. Later, the U.S. Navy fixed her up and used her as one of their own ships. If you want to learn about her time with the U.S. Navy, you can look up USS Reina Mercedes.
Contents
Building the Reina Mercedes
The Reina Mercedes was built in Cartagena, Spain. She was launched, meaning she touched the water for the first time, on September 9, 1887. She had two tall funnels for her engines.
Her main weapons were large guns made by a company called Hontoria. These guns were placed on the sides of the ship. She also had five torpedo tubes. Torpedoes are underwater missiles. Two tubes were at the front, one on each side, and one at the back.
Even though she didn't have thick armor to protect her, she had 12 special watertight rooms. These rooms were designed to help the ship stay afloat if it got hit and started to leak. The ship was made to be fast and have good weapons for serving in colonies, but she often had engine problems. This made her slower than planned.
The Reina Mercedes's Adventures
Early Years and Caribbean Duty
When she was new, the Reina Mercedes stayed in Spanish waters. She was part of a group of ships used for training. In 1893, she moved to the Caribbean. There, she became the main ship for Spanish naval forces near Cuba.
On May 29, 1897, the Reina Mercedes fired two shots at an American passenger ship called SS Valencia. This happened near Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. The Reina Mercedes stopped firing after the Valencia showed its flag. It turned out the Spanish crew knew it was a passenger ship. They just wanted to make it show its flag.
The Spanish-American War Begins
In April 1898, the Spanish–American War started. The Reina Mercedes was in the harbor at Santiago de Cuba. This was on the southeastern coast of Cuba. She was waiting for repairs because seven of her ten boilers were not working.
Not much happened in Santiago de Cuba until May 19, 1898. That's when Vice Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete's group of ships arrived from Spain. They came to help the Spanish forces in the Caribbean.
American Navy ships found Cervera's group on May 27, 1898. This started a 37-day blockade of the harbor. A blockade means ships surround a port to stop anything from going in or out.
Fighting During the Blockade
During the blockade, the Reina Mercedes fought with the American ships. On June 3, 1898, the U.S. Navy tried to trap the Spanish ships. They tried to sink a coal ship called USS Merrimac in the harbor entrance.
Spanish shore batteries, which are guns on land, hit the Merrimac. The Merrimac then floated towards the Spanish warships. The Reina Mercedes, along with the Vizcaya and the Pluton, also fired at the Merrimac. The coal ship soon sank, but it didn't block the channel. The Reina Mercedes took the eight American sailors from the Merrimac as prisoners.
On June 6, 1898, the American warships bombed the harbor. The Reina Mercedes was hit 35 times. Two fires started on board. Her second-in-command, Commander Emilio Acosta y Eyermann, was killed. He was the first Spanish naval officer to die in the war.
The End of the Reina Mercedes
By early July 1898, American Army forces were close to capturing Santiago de Cuba. Because of this, Admiral Cervera ordered his ships to try and escape the blockade.
The Reina Mercedes could not join them because of her broken boilers. So, it was decided that most of her guns would be taken off. These guns would be used to help defend Santiago de Cuba from land. The ship itself would be sunk in the harbor entrance. This would stop the Americans from capturing her. It would also make it harder for American ships to enter the harbor.
On July 3, 1898, Cervera's ships tried to escape. They were all destroyed in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba. Around 8:00 PM on July 4, 1898, the Reina Mercedes, now without most of her guns, moved into the channel.
Just before midnight, the American battleship USS Massachusetts saw her. Along with the battleship USS Texas, they opened fire. The Reina Mercedes was hit many times. But her crew, who were there to sink her, kept going. They dropped anchor and set off their special charges to sink the ship.
However, the Reina Mercedes drifted to the eastern side of the channel before sinking. This meant she did not block the channel as planned.
Between January 2, 1899, and March 1, 1899, the U.S. Navy raised the Reina Mercedes. They later used her as a disarmed receiving ship, USS Reina Mercedes.
See also
In Spanish: Reina Mercedes (1892) para niños
- USS Reina Mercedes
