The Destruction of the Spanish Fleet outside Santiago Harbour (colour litho)

The Destruction of the Spanish Fleet outside Santiago Harbour. Admiral Cervera, in command of a squadron, was sent to Cuba at the commencement of the Spanish-American War to protect Spanish interests, and took refuge in Santiago harbour on 19 May 1898. On 29 the American fleet, under Admiral Sampson, blockaded Santiago, as it was found impracticable to attack the enemy's ships inside the harbour. The desperate effort made by Cervera on 3 July to save his ships by escaping to sea resulted in the total destruction of his squadron by the Americans, and the capture of the Spanish admiral himself. Illustration for Hutchinson's History of the Nations (Hutchinson, c.1920).