Alfonso XII class cruiser
Encyclopedia
The Alfonso XII class of unprotected cruisers was a series of three cruisers built during the 1880s for service with the Spanish Navy
. They were named for a recent Spanish king and two recent Spanish queens.
and mounted in sponsons. The torpedo tubes were fixed; one was on each beam, two were forward, and one was aft. The class took a long time to complete; the lead unit was delayed for five years by material shortages and took ten years from keel-laying to commissioning.
The ships were designed for colonial service, and were not intended to fight the armored and heavily armed ships they would meet in the Spanish-American War
. They were plagued by machinery and boiler problems, and proved to be much slower steamers than their designers had intended.
and Philippines
. Thanks to machinery and boiler problems, only one was seaworthy during the Spanish-American War
, and two were lost during the conflict, one of the sunken ships being salvaged and put into service in the United States Navy
. The lone survivor in Spanish service was decommissioned soon after the war.
was delayed during construction for five years by material shortages and not completed until 1891. She was immobilized at Havana
, Cuba
, by machinery and boiler trouble by 1897, and was anchored only 200 yards (183 m) from the battleship USS Maine
when the latter exploded in February 1898. Unable to get underway, she took no part in the ensuing Spanish-American War
except to land her guns for use in coastal defenses. She was decommissioned in 1900, the last survivor of the class in Spanish service.
was launched in 1887. After early service in Spanish waters, she was sent to the Philippines
, where she supported Spanish actions against Philippine insurgents. She was flagship of the squadron of Rear Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasaron at Manila Bay
and the only member of her class that was seaworthy when the Spanish-American War
broke out, and was sunk in the Battle of Manila Bay on 1 May 1898.
was launched in 1887. After early service in Spanish waters, she was sent to the Caribbean
, where she became flagship of Spanish naval forces in Cuban waters. She was immobilized by boiler trouble at Santiago de Cuba
when the Spanish-American War
began, and was trapped there along with the squadron of Vice Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete
. After the annihilation of Cervera's squadron in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba
, Reina Mercedes was scuttled as a blockship in the harbor entrance on the night of 4–5 July 1898. She was soon salvaged by the United States Navy
and served for many years in the United States
as the unarmed receiving ship USS Reina Mercedes
.
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...
. They were named for a recent Spanish king and two recent Spanish queens.
Description
The Alfonso XII class had three masts and two funnels. They were unarmored, but their hulls were built with a French-style cellular system with 12 watertight bulkheads. The Ferrol-built ships were the first two steel-hulled cruisers built in that yard. The main guns were built by HontoriaHontoria
Hontoria is one of 28 parishes in Llanes, a municipality within the province and autonomous community of Asturias, in northern Spain.-Villages:* Cardoso * Hontoria* Villahormes...
and mounted in sponsons. The torpedo tubes were fixed; one was on each beam, two were forward, and one was aft. The class took a long time to complete; the lead unit was delayed for five years by material shortages and took ten years from keel-laying to commissioning.
The ships were designed for colonial service, and were not intended to fight the armored and heavily armed ships they would meet in the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
. They were plagued by machinery and boiler problems, and proved to be much slower steamers than their designers had intended.
History
After early service in home waters, the Alfonso XII-class cruisers were assigned to colonial duty in the CaribbeanCaribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Thanks to machinery and boiler problems, only one was seaworthy during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, and two were lost during the conflict, one of the sunken ships being salvaged and put into service in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. The lone survivor in Spanish service was decommissioned soon after the war.
Alfonso XII
Named for a Spanish king and laid down in 1881, Alfonso XIISpanish cruiser Alfonso XII
Alfonso XII, was an Alfonso XII-class unprotected cruiser of the Spanish Navy.-Technical Description:Alfonso XII was built by the naval shipyard at Ferrol; she and her sister ship Reina Cristina were the first two steel-hulled cruisers built there...
was delayed during construction for five years by material shortages and not completed until 1891. She was immobilized at Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, by machinery and boiler trouble by 1897, and was anchored only 200 yards (183 m) from the battleship USS Maine
USS Maine (ACR-1)
USS Maine was the United States Navy's second commissioned pre-dreadnought battleship, although she was originally classified as an armored cruiser. She is best known for her catastrophic loss in Havana harbor. Maine had been sent to Havana, Cuba to protect U.S. interests during the Cuban revolt...
when the latter exploded in February 1898. Unable to get underway, she took no part in the ensuing Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
except to land her guns for use in coastal defenses. She was decommissioned in 1900, the last survivor of the class in Spanish service.
Reina Cristina
Named for a Spanish queen, Reina CristinaSpanish cruiser Reina Cristina
Reina Cristina was an Alfonso XII-class unprotected cruiser of the Spanish Navy which fought in the Battle of Manila Bay.-Technical Characteristics:...
was launched in 1887. After early service in Spanish waters, she was sent to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, where she supported Spanish actions against Philippine insurgents. She was flagship of the squadron of Rear Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasaron at Manila Bay
Manila Bay
Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves the Port of Manila , in the Philippines.The bay is considered to be one of the best natural harbors in Southeast Asia and one of the finest in the world...
and the only member of her class that was seaworthy when the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
broke out, and was sunk in the Battle of Manila Bay on 1 May 1898.
Reina Mercedes
Named for a Spanish queen, Reina MercedesSpanish cruiser Reina Mercedes
Reina Mercedes, was an Alfonso XII-class unprotected cruiser of the Spanish Navy.During the Spanish-American War, Reina Mercedes was captured by the United States and later salvaged and commissioned into the U.S. Navy. For information about her characteristics and operational history in U.S...
was launched in 1887. After early service in Spanish waters, she was sent to the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, where she became flagship of Spanish naval forces in Cuban waters. She was immobilized by boiler trouble at Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba and capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island, some south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
when the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
began, and was trapped there along with the squadron of Vice Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete
Pascual Cervera y Topete
Pascual Cervera y Topete served as an admiral of the Spanish Caribbean Squadron during the Spanish-American War, and prior to this served his country in a variety of military and political roles....
. After the annihilation of Cervera's squadron in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba
Battle of Santiago de Cuba
The Battle of Santiago de Cuba, fought between Spain and the United States on 3 July 1898, was the largest naval engagement of the Spanish-American War and resulted in the destruction of the Spanish Navy's Caribbean Squadron.-Spanish Fleet:...
, Reina Mercedes was scuttled as a blockship in the harbor entrance on the night of 4–5 July 1898. She was soon salvaged by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and served for many years in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as the unarmed receiving ship USS Reina Mercedes
USS Reina Mercedes (IX-25)
USS Reina Mercedes was an unprotected cruiser of the Spanish Navy which was captured in Cuba in 1898 by the U.S. Navy during the Spanish-American War. She was refurbished and used by the U.S...
.