[Menydh]

Almirante don Pascual Cervera y Topete

Approximately at 9.30 a.m. on the day 3rd, the squadron of Admiral Cervera started the long awaited exit from Bay of Santiago with the war pavillions raised.
The plans were for the biggest possible number of ships to outwit the blockade and head west to look for shelter on another harbour. The flagship, María Teresa, was the first in abandoning the estuary with the idea of calling the attention of the enemy fleet over her. With that in mind, as soon as it was out the María Teresa opened fire on the nearest cruiser, but gearing at full steam against the Brooklyn, she was reached by the fire of the enemy and the flames spread fast through the ship. Admiral Cervera ordered to run the ship aground to try to save as many crewmen as possible.

After the María Teresa, came out the Vizcaya, the Colón, and the Oquendo, but the US squadroon was paying close attention to the Spanish. The Vizcaya and the Oquendo were reached by the enemy artillery, and soon their decks were taken by the flames. The Colón was the only that seemed able to escape the blockade, but the enemy squadron went after her and it was the Oregon the first in reaching her. Before the inferiority in combat conditions, the captain of the Colón ordere to lower the flag, to flood it and to run her aground on the beach.

The entire squadron of Admiral Cervera was destroyed, since as soon as they came out of harbour the destroyers Furor and Plutón were beaten down.

The victory of Admiral Sampson raised the until now low morale of the Fifth Army, whose Commander-in-Chief was already considering to retreat to more secure positions. With all in favour, General Shafter did not dare to give the orders to assault the city, as he had had too many casualties only to take two small positions with very small garrisons. El Caney and San Juan were still present in his mind.

Many of his men were ill. The threatened General Toral with bombing the city if he didn't surrender without conditions. The situation in Santiago was increasingly agravating by the minutes, but he did not accept to surrender. On July 10th and 11th, the city and its defenses were bombed. The situation was unbearable. After consulting with the Commander-in-Chief of Cuba, on July 16th General Toral surrendered Santiago de Cuba and the province to the North Americans.

As a sign of gratitude to the Cubans for saving the Fifth Army in Daiquiri, Las Guásimas and San Juan, Shafter impeded them to enter in the city. This was the start of frictions between Cubans and North Americans.

After the destruction of the Spanish squadron of Filipinas in Cavite, of the squadron of Cuba in Santiago, the surrender of the Spanish forces in Oriente, the invasion of Puerto Rico, the besiege of Manila, and the obvious impossibility of confronting the naval might of the United States, the Government of Sagasta initiated the conversations to negotiate a peace, although there were in Cuba 200,000 men who were ready to fight but who had not yet been in combat. On July 14th, 1898, General Blanco sent the following telegram to the Minister of War: "The widespread opinion in this army, and one which his generals agree with, is to continue with the war considering that the honour of the arms demands even more sacrifices, but this will never be an obstacle to carry out the orders of the Government, which this army will obbey as it is his duty.

For my part, though I am much obliged by the flattering sentences that you direct to me in you telegram on the 12th, it is very sad for me declare to you that, in case that the Government decides to sign a peace treaty, I cannot continue in command of this army."

SPANISH SQUADRON IN CUBA, 1898

Rear-Admiral Pascual Cervera

Class	Name	Tonnage	Main Artillery
Battleship	TERESA	7.000	2x280 & 10x140
Battleship	OQUENDO	7.000	2x280 & 10x140
Battleship	VIZCAYA	7.000	2x280 & 10x140
Battleship	COLÓN	6.840	10x52 & 6x120
Destroyer	FUROR	450	2x75 & 2TLT
Destroyer	PLUTÓN	450	2x75 & 2TLT
TLT: Torpedo Launcher Tubes

U.S. SQUADRON IN CUBA, 1898

Rear-Admiral William T. Sampson

Class	Name	Tonnage	Main Artillery
Battleship	INDIANA	10.288	4x330 & 8x203
Battleship	OREGON	10.288	4x330 & 10x140
Battleship	IOWAS	11.410	4x305 & 8x203
Battleship	TEXAS	6.315	2x305 & 8x203
Destroyer	BROOKLYN	9.215	8x203 & 12x102
Destroyer	NEW YORK	8.200	8x203 & 12x102
Destroyer	ERICCSSON	120	3TLT

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