Battles of the Spanish-American War
Encyclopedia
The following are known Battles of the Spanish–American War...
This list includes all major engagements and most reported skirmishes of the Spanish–American War. Some items, such as the claim by Puerto Ricans that Spanish guns in San Juan fired the first shots of the war, cannot be confirmed by official records. Therefore, the list includes only those battles and skirmishes that can officially be documented after the official declarations of war on April 23 (Spain
) and April 25 (United States
).
– Spanish Victory; (I) – Inconclusive
This list includes all major engagements and most reported skirmishes of the Spanish–American War. Some items, such as the claim by Puerto Ricans that Spanish guns in San Juan fired the first shots of the war, cannot be confirmed by official records. Therefore, the list includes only those battles and skirmishes that can officially be documented after the official declarations of war on April 23 (Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) and April 25 (United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
).
List of Battles
Key: (A) – US Victory; (S) – Spanish Victory; (I) – Inconclusive- April, 1898
- April 25 – Bombardment of Matanzas, Cuba by US Navy (A)
- May, 1898
- May 1 – Battle of Manila BayBattle of Manila Bay (1898)The Battle of Manila Bay took place on 1 May 1898, during the Spanish-American War. The American Asiatic Squadron under Commodore George Dewey engaged and destroyed the Spanish Pacific Squadron under Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasarón...
; US forces destroy Spanish Pacific Squadron (A) - May 11 – Battle of CárdenasBattle of CárdenasThe Second Battle of Cárdenas was a secondary naval engagement of the Spanish–American War fought on 11 May of 1898 in the port of Cárdenas, Cuba, between an American squadron of 5 ships under Captain Chapman C. Todd and 3 small Spanish vessels under Mariano Mateu. The battle resulted in an...
; Spanish gunboats defeat American gunboats (S) - May 11 – Battle of CienfuegosBattle of CienfuegosThe Battle of Cienfuegos, or the Raid on Cienfuegos, was an engagement of the Spanish-American War, intended by the United States Navy to tighten its blockade of Cuba.-Background:...
; US to cuts telegraph cable at Cienfuegos after two failed attempts (I) - May 12 – Admiral William T. SampsonWilliam T. SampsonWilliam Thomas Sampson was a United States Navy rear admiral known for his victory in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War.-Biography:...
bombards San Juan, Puerto RicoBattle of San JuanBattle of San Juan may refer to:*Battle of San Juan , a British attack on San Jaun, Puerto Rico, in 1595*Battle of San Juan , a second British attack on San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1598...
(I) - May 31 – US Fleet skirmishes with Cristóbal Colón and the fortifications of Santiago, Cuba (E)
- May 1 – Battle of Manila Bay
- June, 1898
- June 3 – Failed effort to block harbor mouth at Santiago with scuttling of collier Merrimack (E)
- June 10 – US Marines land at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (A)
- June 21 – Guam capturedCapture of GuamThe Capture of Guam was a bloodless event between the United States and the Kingdom of Spain during the Spanish-American War. The U.S. Navy sent a single cruiser, the , to capture the island of Guam, then under Spanish control. However, the Spanish garrison on the island had no knowledge of the war...
by US forces; Wake IslandWake IslandWake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
soon follows(A) - June 21 – Cuban guerillas land at SiguaSiguaSigua can mean:* Tengiz Sigua* Sigua * Sigua River, in Guam* Sigua Falls, in Guam* Sigua, in Siguatepeque...
, Cuba (I) - June 22 – Second San JuanSecond Battle of San Juan (1898)The Second Battle of San Juan occurred on 22 June 1898 when two Spanish vessels tried to break the American blockade off San Juan.-Background:...
USS Saint PaulUSS Saint PaulThere have been two ships of the United States Navy named for St. Paul, Minnesota., a former passenger liner which was refit into a Saint Louis-class auxiliary cruiser., a Baltimore-class heavy cruiser....
maintains a blockade by defeating a Spanish sortie. (I) - June 22 – US troops land at DaiquiriDaiquiriDaiquiri is a family of cocktails whose main ingredients are rum, lime juice, and sugar or other sweetener. There are several versions, but those that gained international fame are the ones made in the El Floridita bar in Havana, Cuba....
, Cuba; they find Spanish positions abandoned (I) - June 23 – Skirmish at Las GuasimasBattle of Las GuasimasThe Battle of Las Guasimas of June 24, 1898, part of the Spanish-American War, unfolded from Major General "Fighting Joe" Wheeler's attempt to storm a Spanish position in the jungles surrounding Santiago. Commanding a division that included the 1st U.S...
, Cuba, Cuban rebels driven back (S) - June 24 – Battle of Las GuasimasBattle of Las GuasimasThe Battle of Las Guasimas of June 24, 1898, part of the Spanish-American War, unfolded from Major General "Fighting Joe" Wheeler's attempt to storm a Spanish position in the jungles surrounding Santiago. Commanding a division that included the 1st U.S...
; US troops encounter Spanish resistance (I) - June 30 – Battle of TayacobaBattle of TayacobaThe Battle of Tayacoba was a disastrous American effort to land supplies and reinforcements to Cuban rebels fighting for their independence in the Spanish-American War...
; US landing effort repulsed by Spaniards (S) - June 30 – First Battle of ManzanilloFirst Battle of ManzanilloThe First Battle of Manzanillo was a series of naval engagements during the Spanish American War on 30 June 1898 in and outside of the harbor of Manzanillo, Cuba...
; a US naval force attempts to clear the harbor but is repulsed (S)
- June 3 – Failed effort to block harbor mouth at Santiago with scuttling of collier Merrimack (E)
- July, 1898
- July 1 – Second Battle of ManzanilloSecond Battle of ManzanilloThe Second Battle of Manzanillo was a naval engagement of the Spanish American War on 1 July 1898. Two American gunboats attempted unsuccessfully to destroy the shipping present in the harbor of Manzanillo, Cuba.-The battle:...
; two American gunboats attempt to recanoiter the harbor but are forced to flee (S) - July 1 – Battles of the Santiago Heights: Battle of Kettle Hill (I) and San Juan HillBattle of San Juan HillThe Battle of San Juan Hill , also known as the battle for the San Juan Heights, was a decisive battle of the Spanish-American War. The San Juan heights was a north-south running elevation about two kilometers east of Santiago de Cuba. The names San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill were names given by the...
(A) ; fierce fighting for capital of Santiago Province in Cuba (I) - July 3 – Siege of SantiagoSiege of SantiagoThe Siege of Santiago also known as the Siege of Santiago de Cuba was the last major operation of the Spanish-American War on the island of Cuba. This action should not be confused with the naval battle of Santiago de Cuba.-Santiago Campaign:...
begins; Battle of Santiago de CubaBattle of Santiago de CubaThe 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:...
; Cervera's squadron destroyed (A) - July 10 – Santiago, Cuba bombarded by US Navy (I)
- July 17 – Spanish garrison of Santiago surrenders after weeks of siege(A)
- July 21 – Battle of Nipe BayBattle of Nipe BayThe Battle of Nipe Bay on July 21, 1898 was an engagement of the Spanish-American War. The battle was fought in Nipe Bay, Cuba, by four United States Navy warships against the Spanish sloop-of-war Jorge Juan and three gunboats which were supported by forts guarding the harbor.-Battle:Nipe Bay had...
American gunboats defeat Spanish gunboats and clear the bay (A) - July 23 – Battle of Mani-Mani; Spanish prevent landing of Cuban reinforcements (S)
- July 25 – Puerto Rican CampaignPuerto Rican CampaignThe Puerto Rican Campaign was an American military sea and land operation on the island of Puerto Rico during the Spanish–American War. The offensive began on May 12, 1898, when the United States Navy attacked the archipelago’s capital, San Juan. Though the damage inflicted on the city was minimal,...
; US troops begin invasion of Puerto RicoPuerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
(I) - July 28 – US troops defeated at Battle of Fajardo (S)
- July 31 – Night attack by Spanish on US lines outside Manila, Philippines (S)
- July 1 – Second Battle of Manzanillo
- August, 1898
- August 11 – US Troops enter Mayagüez, Puerto RicoMayagüez, Puerto RicoMayagüez is the eighth-largest municipality of Puerto Rico. Originally founded as "Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria" it is also known as "La Sultana del Oeste" , "Ciudad de las Aguas Puras" , or "Ciudad del Mangó"...
; Spanish troops encircle the city to fight a battle that never occurs (A) - August 13 – Battle of ManilaBattle of Manila (1898)The Battle of Manila was a short land engagement between the United States and Spain at the end of the Spanish-American War, which occurred a couple of months after the pivotal American victory during the naval Battle of Manila Bay...
; US Troops capture Manila, Philippines(A)
- August 11 – US Troops enter Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
- 1899–1913
- Continued struggles in the Philippine–American War involving Filipinos and Spanish soldiers who refuse to give up fighting. The struggle is called "America's first Vietnam" by late twentieth-century historians.