Every move of the U.S. Navy was under the surveillance of the Spanish, and the battleship Princess Cristina in the harbor used naval guns to help defend the fort. Its 15-inch main gun shells allowed the three attacking shallow-water ships to
The heavy gunboat was frightened.
Of course, through the Princess Cristina's radio, the Spanish fleet located thirty kilometers away also grasps the dynamics of the American fleet.
"Get ready to attack. The U.S. fleet has separated and part of the ammunition has been consumed. This situation is basically perfect."
After thinking for a moment, Lieutenant General Sedra issued an order.
A few minutes later, the entire fleet began to accelerate, and the Spanish lined up in a row and rushed towards the American fleet in the distance at the highest speed possible. The towering scissor bow of the flagship Queen Isabel at the head of the fleet split through layers of waves.
, under the sunlight. Splashing water
It reflects the brilliance of seven colors. The two twin turrets rotate slowly, and the four powerful 356mm 35l main guns point to the port side. The smoke from the chimney rises into the air blown by the sea breeze, and there is no doubt about it.
It fell into the eyes of the U.S. Navy lookout.
"The fleet turned and prepared to fight. The fleet maintained a speed of 12 knots and waited for the attack formation from the opposite shore to join. Rear Admiral Samplin took a deep breath to stabilize his emotions and then ordered.
At 1:40 pm on October 2, 1898, the Battle of Santiago, which determined the ownership of the Caribbean, finally began.
"We must speed up and grab the enemy." Dewey said, looking at the Spanish fleet approaching from the northwest at a high speed of 17 knots in the distance.
"Let the second formation go grab the t."
Major General Samplin gave the order.
Before the fleet set off, Rear Admiral Samplin organized the battleships. The three slowest Indiana-class battleships were in the first formation, while the four Pennsylvania-class battleships and the USS Brooklyn were in the second formation.
Several protected cruisers form the third formation, and three shallow-water heavy gunships form the fourth formation.
Following Major General Samplin's order, the five only U.S. patrol ships immediately speeded up, preparing to grab the tank first.
Seeing the American fleet detached five ships to patrol and prepare to seize the tank, Vice Admiral Sedra would certainly not let them get their wish. The importance of seizing the tank in a naval battle does not need to be elaborated too much, so naturally he would not give the opponent a chance.
"Order Columbus and Francisco to move forward with three Maria Theresa-class ships. We must not let the other side seize the T position."
Following Lieutenant General Sedra's order, the two Garibaldi-class ships and the three Maria Theresa-class ships immediately increased their speed, hoping to use their speed to steal the ship.
The ten patrol ships on both sides also increased their speed to the formation's maximum speed of 20 knots. Everyone knows that when both sides have the same speed, it is impossible to grab the T position as long as the other party does not make a big mistake. And the commanders of the two patrol fleets
, were more cautious in the decisive battle, and could not make such a mistake, so they gave up the plan of grabbing the T when they saw that nothing could be done.
Although the cruise ship did not succeed in the battle, Rear Admiral Samplin was also very satisfied when he saw that the five fastest cruise ships of the Spanish fleet were lured away.
"Then let's do this. Increase the speed to 15 knots and prepare for battle."
A few minutes later, the three Indiana-class ships in the first formation of the U.S. fleet also began to accelerate. At the same time, many protected cruisers in the third formation also accelerated.
After the U.S. fleet decided on its tactics, the Spanish fleet also made its final tactical adjustment to the entire battle situation.
"We must split up the U.S. fleet as much as possible, otherwise, our pressure will be too great." Looking at the U.S. fleet in the distance, Colonel Leifer said.
"Actually, we can consider attacking the three shallow water heavy artillery ships remaining behind." Vice Admiral Sedra looked at the three slow shallow water heavy artillery ships behind him with a telescope and said.
"The gain is not worth the loss. If the opponent loses three coastal defense ships, at worst it will be enough to retreat. We only achieved a tactical victory. What we will lose will be an opportunity to break the backbone of the US Navy in a short period of time. We need a decisive decision
Victory!" Colonel Leifer objected.
"Okay, what should we do now? If we wait until the opponent's fleet converges, we will be at a disadvantage." Lieutenant General Cedella asked. After experiencing too many battles, Cedral was very interested in Lefei from Italy.
Colonel Leifer showed extreme trust. Although when he was not fighting, he might be a little dissatisfied with Colonel Leifer's overstepping behavior, but once the war officially started, he would still choose to listen to Colonel Leifer. After all,
In war, the strongest has the final say.
"Let the Duke of Ulloa (Venice) and the Marquis Venadito (Brescia) behind them block the opponent's cruiser formation. We need to create opportunities." After taking a look at the two Tunisia-class battleships behind,
It took a lot of determination to reveal this plan.
"This is a very difficult moment to make a decision. We may lose 1 or 2 precious warships." Vice Admiral Sedra said with a somewhat melancholy expression.
"But we can win the war, just knowing this is enough!" Colonel Leifer said without mercy.
Vice Admiral Cedela cherishes every battleship in the fleet, but Colonel Leifer is more concerned about the outcome of the war! As for how much of the Spanish fleet will be left after this war is over, and whether it exists in name only, it has nothing to do with him.
After all, he was an officer in the Kingdom of Italy, not Spain.
"Well, in that case, we can only do this." Looking back at the two Venice-class armored cruisers in the back, Lieutenant General Sedra said with some heartache.
With both sides facing each other, the relative speed of the two fleets was as high as 30 knots, and the distance of more than 30 kilometers took less than half an hour. The two sides quickly made the final adjustments. At the moment of collision,
It must be earth-shattering!
However, before the main warships of the two sides collided, the patrol formations of the two sides exchanged fire.
"Fire!"
Following the gunner's order to fire, the 254mm 40l main guns of the two Garibaldi-class ships took the lead in roaring!
The entire sea was suddenly filled with fiery snakes. Hundreds of kilograms of artillery shells flew out of the gun barrel at a speed of more than 700 meters per second and flew towards the fleet in the distance. A few seconds later, the American cruiser fleet 6,000 meters away.
Surrounded by thick water columns, a dull explosion
A sound suddenly came from a distance, and a shell accurately hit the middle of the hull of the Pennsylvania. The heavy shell directly tore off only 4 inches of the upper armor belt and rushed into the internal cabin, accompanied by an explosion.
A stream of black smoke mixed with debris and flames spurted out from the breach.
"Fire!" Originally, the U.S. patrol formation planned to get closer and then fire. After all, the Pennsylvania class had only been in service for a short time, and the training level was not enough. However, the opponent's preemptive strike forced the formation commander, Colonel Simpson, to consider the issue of morale. There was
When firing, firing itself is a way to overcome fear. When seeing rounds of artillery shells continuously being fired from the muzzle, people will devote all their energy to the battle, and only in this way will they release the fear in their hearts.
.
After a brief silence, all the 305mm main guns and 203mm secondary guns of the American patrol formation also spewed deadly bullets at the Spanish fleet opposite.
For a time, the sea between the two sides was completely covered with gunpowder smoke and flames. Along with bursts of vibrations, the roar of dozens of artillery resounded throughout the battlefield. From time to time, battleships were hit, and huge balls of flames spurted out from the sides of the ships.
Debris and blood spread around with a huge explosion.
Under the command of the officer, the sailors struggled to extinguish the flames where they were hit, repair the damaged hull, and rescue the injured comrades. However, as the distance between the two sides approached, more and more hits made all this in vain. All exposed
On the surface of the ship's hull, any place without armor protection is a restricted area for death. Even if it is left outside for a few seconds, it may be swept into a bloody gourd by shrapnel flying from nowhere.
While the patrol formation was fighting fiercely, the battleship also took fire.
According to the pre-arranged tactics, two Venice-class patrol ships faced the opponent's protective cruiser.
"At the beginning of the war, the two Venetian-class cruise ships faced great pressure. On average, each cruise ship could only use four 10-inch main guns and eight 6-inch guns to fight against the opponent's force which was more than twice its own.
The firepower, whether it is the Duke of Ulloa or the Marquis of Venardito, is facing great pressure, and our firepower is at a disadvantage." - Excerpted from Lieutenant General Cedella's autobiography "The Decisive Battle in the Caribbean".
After the two Venice-class ships took away one of the opponent's protected cruisers, the two Turin-class ships faced off against the opponent's three Indiana-class ships.
In terms of firepower, protection, and speed, the Indiana-class is far from being comparable to the Turin-class. Especially with a displacement of 10,000 tons, the Indiana-class is equipped with four (twin-mounted) 330 mm main guns.
8 (twin mounted) 203 mm secondary guns, and 4 15
2mm cannon, such accumulation of firepower makes the Indiana-class reserve buoyancy very little, and the installed side armor easily sinks below the waterline due to freeboard issues, unable to provide effective defense; and the hull cannot balance the 13-inch cannon.
The weight prevents the naval gun from firing at the highest shooting angle, and the range is impaired.
Therefore, during the exchange of fire, Colonel Leifer felt that the opponent's three battleships failed to create pressure on him. But since the Indiana class did not put pressure on him, the pressure turned to the opponent.
In less than 3 minutes, the 356mm 35l main guns of the two Turin-class battleships scored hits. An armor-piercing projectile passed through the bow of the Oregon diagonally, and after penetrating the hull plate, it hit the anchor.
There was an explosion in the chamber, blowing off half of the bow.
After seeing the results of the battle, the officers and soldiers on the two Turin-class battleships continued their efforts and continued to score two hits in the next three minutes. The two armor-piercing rounds hit the middle part of the hull of the USS Oregon, destroying one of the ships.
Two twin 203mm guns and a 152mm gun were blown to pieces.
And this side also retaliated. The USS Oregon, the battleship at the end of the team, pulled out two 13-inch guns and two 8-inch guns. Several 6-pound guns were aimed at the Cologne, which was pouring firepower on the New York. On the Oregon's
With the support, the Cologne was quickly surrounded by large and small water columns. Lady Luck did not let the Americans wait too long. In less than 10 minutes, the Americans' main gun finally scored the first hit!
A 412.6kg 330mm main gun shell hit the Isabel II's twin 152mm secondary cannon amidships at a speed of more than 500 meters per second. The entire secondary cannon was torn into pieces.
.At the same time, the flue in the middle of the battleship was ruptured due to this explosion, allowing thick smoke to billow out from the rupture, blocking the sight of the two nearby 152mm secondary guns.
At this time, the battlefield was divided into three parts, at the southern end; two Garibaldi-class patrol ships and three Maria Teresa-class patrol ships fought against four Pennsylvania-class patrol ships and a New York-class No. 2
The USS Brooklyn. In the middle section; two Turin-class ships confront three Indiana-class ships. In the northern section; two Venice-class cruisers withstand the pressure of a group of protected cruisers.
At this time, the most likely thing to affect the battle situation is the patrol battle between the two parties at the south end.
Here, the two Garibaldi-class USS Columbus and USS Francesco fought more and more smoothly, hitting their opponents USS Pennsylvania and USS California every time. This not only made the gunners more and more proficient, but also unified the firing command.
Yi also takes credit as the most important thing.
At this time, a huge change occurred on the battlefield. A 254mm shell fired from the USS Columbus flew over the long sea area and rammed open the armor under the rear main turret of the USS California.
Then a violent explosion sounded. At this time, the conveyor belt happened to be transporting shells and propellants, so tragedy occurred.
Boom! With a loud noise, dozens of packs of propellants and shells were detonated. The explosion of thousands of kilograms of explosives and propellants was truly astonishing. A huge fireball suddenly shot out from the middle of the entire battleship, and pieces of the upper deck were torn apart.
When it opened, countless fragments were rushed into the air by the shock wave generated by the explosion, and then fell on the sea surface in a radius of several hundred meters, and some fell on the deck. Suddenly there was a "shrapnel rain".
This ferocious explosion broke the keel of the USS California, and the ship immediately sank at a speed visible to the naked eye. Only one of the more than 500 officers and soldiers on board survived.
The sudden ammunition explosion of the USS California changed the situation on the battlefield. The US armored patrol formation, which had a slight advantage, now fell into a disadvantage. More importantly, the explosion of the USS California also affected the situation on the battlefield.
The morale of American soldiers participating in the war.
"Come closer, let's get closer."
After seeing his own armored patrol being sunk, Colonel Simpson, who was leading the team, became furious. He felt that the accuracy of the opponent's artillery was much higher than his own. In such a mid-to-long-distance firefight, his side would suffer a big loss and needed to get closer.
.
Following his order, the four American patrol ships immediately speeded up, trying to close the distance between the two parties.
Faced with the actions of the American armored patrol formation, the Spanish armored patrol formation is naturally clear about it. If it is a separate battle, then the best way at this time is to continue to move and prevent the American formation from approaching. But this is not a separate battle.
Fighting, so the methods are different.
"Concentrate firepower and attack the rearmost Brooklyn."
As the Spanish commander Colonel Ramos led the formation, he ordered the formation to take advantage of this opportunity to deal with the opponent's weakest Brooklyn.
The muzzles of dozens of naval guns were aimed at the first armored cruiser in the United States. The Brooklyn was called an armored cruiser, which is actually a bit undeserved, because its armor was only 3 inches thick, and it was also a low waterline armor.
, and it does not cover the entire length. As a device, it is not actually a qualified product.
At this time, the Brooklyn, which did not live up to its name, became the next target.
"Boom boom boom!"
Dozens of naval guns suddenly opened fire on it, making the Brooklyn like a sampan struggling in a firestorm. It was covered with wounds from a hail of bullets, and the boiler room in the middle of its hull was shot from above.
The incoming 254mm armor-piercing bullet hit a mere 4-inch
The sloped armor could not stop the attack of the armor-piercing projectile weighing 287kg. The shell cut the armor plate in front of it into pieces like butter, and then flew directly into the boiler hide. Accompanied by the impact of the shell and the boiler, there was a loud bang.
Cover the entire battlefield.
After the boiler exploded, the high-temperature and high-pressure steam lost its restraint and spurted out from the breach in an instant, tearing apart the hull that had already become fragile in the long battle! The white steam and the yellow-green delay symbolized destruction, and the entire battleship was very fragile.
Slow down quickly. The propeller rotates unwillingly. But it is lost.
Due to the power, it was forced to slowly stop rotating, drifting in the ocean currents like a dead fish. As the hull was severely damaged in the big explosion, the numerous breaches caused the warship to tilt rapidly and lose power.
The Brooklyn was unable to be dispatched due to waterlogging, and sinking was only a matter of time.
Seeing that he was losing another battleship made Colonel Simpson's eyes turn red.
At this time, the distance between the two parties has reached 3000 meters.
"Fire and send them all to hell!"
Along with Colonel Simpson's roar, the three Pennsylvania-class patrol ships also opened fire, and the fierce artillery fire tended towards the Spanish patrol formation.
Facing the artillery fire from the three Pennsylvania-class ships, the first one to be baptized was the Maria Theresa. It was hit by two 305mm artillery shells, one of which exploded on the bridge and lit a fire behind the chimney.
Another shot hit the stern waterline and penetrated 4 inches of the stern armor, opening a hole of about 1 meter. The influx of turbulent water caused the battleship to slow down by about 1 knot.
Seeing that the speed of the Maria Teresa was slowed down, what are you waiting for? It will cause a serious illness and kill him.
Next, the Maria Theresa continued to suffer more violent attacks. The Maria Theresa struggled to turn its body in the rain of bullets, trying to avoid some of the artillery fire. But how could this be possible? Under the pressure of artillery of various calibers
Under heavy fire, the Maria Teresa was reduced to a burning torch within a few dozen minutes. The waterline on both sides of the ship was covered with wounds from various shrapnel and shells, with various large and small irregularities.
wound.
The more fatal blow came from the USS Colorado, the third ship of the Pennsylvania class. A 305mm shell from its front main gun hit the waterline of the Maria Theresa. The violent explosion instantly tore open a 3-meter-long shell.
The opening was 1 meter wide, and the influx of large amounts of seawater put the battleship on the verge of death.
