Spanish destroyer Plutón facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
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.svg){kind=small} Spain |
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| Name | Plutón |
| Namesake | Spanish name for Pluto, Roman god of the underworld. |
| Builder | Thomson, later Clydebank |
| Laid down | 12 February 1897 |
| Launched | 13 July 1897 |
| Completed | 4 November 1897 |
| Fate | Sunk 3 July 1898 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Furor-class destroyer |
| Displacement | 400 tons |
| Length | 225 ft 0 in (68.58 m) |
| Beam | 22 ft 6 in (6.86 m) |
| Draft | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Installed power | 7,500 ihp (5,600 kW) |
| Propulsion | 2-shaft triple expansion, 4 Normand boilers |
| Speed | 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) |
| Complement | 67 officers and enlisted |
| Armament |
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| Notes | 96 tons coal (normal) |
The Plutón was a fast warship called a Furor-class destroyer, built for the Spanish Navy. It played a role in the Spanish–American War, especially during the Battle of Santiago de Cuba.
Contents
Building the Plutón
The Plutón was built in the United Kingdom. Its construction started on February 12, 1897, by a company named Thomson. During the building process, the company changed its name to Clydebank Engineering & Shipbuilding Co.. The ship was finished on November 4, 1897.
The Plutón had three funnels, which are like tall chimneys for the ship's engines. In those days, this type of ship was known as a "torpedo boat destroyer." Its main job was to protect larger warships from small, fast torpedo boats. But it could also carry its own torpedoes to attack bigger enemy ships.
The Spanish-American War
In early 1898, there was a lot of tension between Spain and the United States. The Plutón was part of the Spanish Navy's 1st Squadron, led by Vice Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete. This group of ships was ordered to gather at São Vicente in the Cape Verde Islands, which belonged to Portugal.
So, on April 8, 1898, the Plutón left Cadiz, Spain. It sailed with Cervera's main ship, the armored cruiser Infanta Maria Teresa, another cruiser Cristobal Colon, and two other destroyers, Furor and Terror. They arrived at São Vicente on April 14, 1898. The journey was tough; the ships had engine problems and used a lot of coal. Later, two more armored cruisers, Vizcaya and Almirante Oquendo, joined them.
Journey to Cuba
The Spanish–American War officially began while the Plutón was still at São Vicente. Portugal was a neutral country, so it told the Spanish ships to leave within 24 hours. On April 29, 1898, the Plutón and the rest of Cervera's squadron set sail for San Juan, Puerto Rico. Because of ongoing engine trouble and low coal, the Plutón and the other destroyers had to be towed for part of the trip.
On May 10, 1898, Cervera's ships reached Martinique, an island owned by France. France was also neutral and would not give them coal. So, the Spanish squadron left on May 12, heading for Curaçao, which was owned by the Netherlands. One destroyer, the Terror, stayed behind in Martinique because of its engine problems.
Cervera arrived at Willemstad, Curaçao, on May 14. But the Netherlands was also neutral and only allowed two ships, the Vizcaya and Infanta Maria Teresa, into port. They could only load a small amount of coal. On May 15, the Spanish ships left again. They no longer aimed for San Juan, which was now blocked by the U.S. Navy. Instead, they headed for Santiago de Cuba on the southeastern coast of Cuba, arriving there on May 19, 1898.
Cervera hoped to fix his ships in Santiago de Cuba before they got trapped. However, an American squadron arrived on May 27, 1898, and started a blockade that lasted for 37 days.
The Blockade of Santiago de Cuba
During the blockade, there were some battles. On June 3, 1898, the U.S. Navy tried to block the harbor entrance by sinking one of their own ships, the collier USS Merrimac. Spanish shore batteries had already damaged the Merrimac. As it drifted closer, the Spanish ships, including the Plutón, the Vizcaya, and the cruiser Reina Mercedes, also fired at it. The Merrimac quickly sank, but it did not block the entrance. It seems a torpedo from the Plutón helped sink the Merrimac.
The blockade continued, and the Plutón and other ships faced occasional American naval attacks on the harbor. Some of the Plutón's crew joined other sailors from the fleet to form a Naval Brigade. They went ashore to fight against the U.S. Army as it advanced towards Santiago de Cuba.
The Battle of Santiago de Cuba
By early July 1898, the U.S. Army was close to capturing Santiago de Cuba. Cervera decided that the only way for his squadron to survive was to try to escape into the open sea by breaking through the American blockade. This decision was made on July 1, 1898, with the escape planned for July 3. The crew of the Plutón spent July 2 returning from their land duties and getting ready for the battle.
The Plutón was planned to be the sixth and last ship in the escape line. It would follow the four armored cruisers and the destroyer Furor. The plan was for the Infanta María Teresa to attack the fastest American ship, the armored cruiser USS Brooklyn, to distract them. Meanwhile, the Plutón and the other ships were supposed to avoid fighting, go as fast as they could, and escape to the open sea.
Around 8:45 AM on July 3, 1898, the Spanish ships started to move. The U.S. squadron saw the Spanish ships in the channel around 9:35 AM, and the Battle of Santiago de Cuba began.
While the four armored cruisers turned right to head west, the Plutón and Furor turned inside them and stayed closer to the coast. The American battleships and armored cruisers blocking the harbor fired at the two destroyers as they came out of the channel, hitting them several times. However, the American ships then focused on chasing the Spanish cruisers.
The two damaged destroyers sped up, but they were pursued by the armed yacht USS Gloucester. The Gloucester was not as well-armed as the destroyers, but it was larger, faster, and undamaged. The Gloucester hit both destroyers many times. The Plutón was too badly damaged to continue. At 10:45 AM, it ran aground on the beach just west of Cabanas Bay, completely destroyed.
Some of the Plutón's crew who made it ashore had to be careful of Cuban rebels, who sometimes shot Spanish sailors they found. Other survivors were rescued by U.S. sailors who brought small boats to the wreck.
Images for kids
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An unidentified Spanish destroyer—either Plutón, Furor, or Terror—with Cervera's squadron at São Vicente sometime between 14 April 1898 and 29 April 1898.
See also
In Spanish: Plutón (1897) para niños
