Manuel de Camara
Encyclopedia
Manuel de la Cámara y Libermoore (or Livermoore) was a rear admiral
of the Spanish Navy
during the Spanish-American War
.
Immediately after the outbreak of the Spanish-American War
in April 1898, the Spanish Navy
ordered major units of its fleet to concentrate at Cadiz
to form the 2nd Squadron, under the command of Rear Admiral Manuel de la Cámara. One mission of the squadron, in the absence of any other direction, was to guard the Spanish coast against raids by the United States Navy
.
On 1 May 1898, the Spanish Navy's squadron in the Philippines
under Rear Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasaron was destroyed by the U.S. Navy's Asiatic Squadron under Commodore George Dewey
in the Battle of Manila Bay. The Spanish Ministry of Marine began to consider options for redressing the situation there. Two of Spain's most powerful warships, the battleship
Pelayo
and the brand-new armored cruiser
Emperador Carlos V were not available when the war began, the former undergoing reconstruction in a French shipyard and the latter not yet delivered from her builders. But both were rushed into service and assigned to Cámara's squadron.
On 15 June 1898, Cámara finally received his orders: He was to sail immediately for the Philippines, escorting a convoy carrying 4,000 Spanish Army
troops for reinforcement of the Philippines, and destroy Dewey's squadron there. His orders directed him to depart Cadiz with Pelayo, Emperador Carlos V, auxiliary cruisers Patriota and Rapido
, destroyers Audaz, Osado, and Proserpina, and transports Buenos Aires
, Panay, Alfonso XII, and Antonio Lopez, and four colliers. He was to detach Alfonso XII and Antonio Lopez near Gibraltar after dark so that they could proceed to the Caribbean
, then take the rest of his force to the Philippines via Gibraltar
, Port Said
, Suez
, Socotra
(at which point the colliers were to be detached to return to Cartagena
), the Laccadive Islands, and Ceylon. After that, he was told to coal either along the coast of Sumatra
or in Singapore
or Batavia, and then either make an optional stop at Labuan
, Borneo
, or proceed directly to Mindanao
. Once in the Philippines, he was to disperse (to places such as Balabac, Jolo
, Basilan
, and Zamboanga
) or concentrate his squadron as best he saw fit to ensure safe arrival of the troops and then deal with Dewey's squadron.
Cámara sortied from Cadiz on 16 June 1898, passed Gibraltar on 17 June 1898 (first detaching Alfonso XII and Antonio Lopez for their independent voyages to the Caribbean as ordered), and arrived at Port Said on 26 June 1898. There he requested permission to transship coal, which the Egyptian government finally denied on 30 June 1898 out of concern for Egyptian neutrality. Working behind the scenes, the U.S. acting vice counsul to Egypt, diplomat Ethelbert Watts
, dissuaded Egyptian and British authorities from permitting Cámara to access coal owned by Spain, while at the same time acquiring a lien over coal available in Suez from other sources.
By the time Cámara's squadron arrived at Suez
on 5 July 1898, the squadron of Vice Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete
had been annihilated in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba
, freeing up the U.S. Navy's heavy forces from the blockade of Santiago de Cuba
. Fearful for the security of the Spanish coast, the Spanish Ministry of Marine recalled Cámara's squadron on 7 July 1898. Cámara departed Suez on 11 July 1898 for Spain, where the 2nd Squadron was dissolved on 25 July 1898.
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
of the Spanish Navy
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...
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...
.
Immediately after the outbreak of 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...
in April 1898, the Spanish Navy
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...
ordered major units of its fleet to concentrate at Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
to form the 2nd Squadron, under the command of Rear Admiral Manuel de la Cámara. One mission of the squadron, in the absence of any other direction, was to guard the Spanish coast against raids 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...
.
On 1 May 1898, the Spanish Navy's squadron in 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...
under Rear Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasaron was destroyed by the U.S. Navy's Asiatic Squadron under Commodore George Dewey
George Dewey
George Dewey was an admiral of the United States Navy. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War...
in the Battle of Manila Bay. The Spanish Ministry of Marine began to consider options for redressing the situation there. Two of Spain's most powerful warships, the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
Pelayo
Spanish battleship Pelayo
Pelayo was a battleship of the Spanish Navy which served in the Spanish fleet from 1888 to 1925. For many years, she was the most powerful unit of the Spanish Navy.-Technical Characteristics:...
and the brand-new armored cruiser
Armored cruiser
The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like other types of cruiser, the armored cruiser was a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship, and fast enough to outrun any battleships it encountered.The first...
Emperador Carlos V were not available when the war began, the former undergoing reconstruction in a French shipyard and the latter not yet delivered from her builders. But both were rushed into service and assigned to Cámara's squadron.
On 15 June 1898, Cámara finally received his orders: He was to sail immediately for the Philippines, escorting a convoy carrying 4,000 Spanish Army
Spanish Army
The Spanish Army is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies - dating back to the 15th century.-Introduction:...
troops for reinforcement of the Philippines, and destroy Dewey's squadron there. His orders directed him to depart Cadiz with Pelayo, Emperador Carlos V, auxiliary cruisers Patriota and Rapido
Spanish cruiser Rapido (1889)
Rapido was a merchant ship requisitioned for use as an auxiliary cruiser by the Spanish Navy in 1898 during the Spanish-American War.Rapido was built in 1889 as a passenger ship and was in commercial service as SS Columbia with the Hamburg-Amerika Line when the Spanish Navy purchased her for...
, destroyers Audaz, Osado, and Proserpina, and transports Buenos Aires
Spanish transport Buenos Aires (1887)
Buenos Aires was a merchant ship requisitioned for use as a transport by the Spanish Navy in June and July 1898 during the Spanish-American War....
, Panay, Alfonso XII, and Antonio Lopez, and four colliers. He was to detach Alfonso XII and Antonio Lopez near Gibraltar after dark so that they could proceed 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...
, then take the rest of his force to the Philippines via Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
, Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
, Socotra
Socotra
Socotra , also spelt Soqotra, is a small archipelago of four islands in the Indian Ocean. The largest island, also called Socotra, is about 95% of the landmass of the archipelago. It lies some east of the Horn of Africa and south of the Arabian Peninsula. The island is very isolated and through...
(at which point the colliers were to be detached to return to Cartagena
Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena is a Spanish city and a major naval station located in the Region of Murcia, by the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Spain. As of January 2011, it has a population of 218,210 inhabitants being the Region’s second largest municipality and the country’s 6th non-Province capital...
), the Laccadive Islands, and Ceylon. After that, he was told to coal either along the coast of Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
or in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
or Batavia, and then either make an optional stop at Labuan
Labuan
Labuan is a federal territory in East Malaysia. It is an island off the coast of the state of Sabah. Labuan's capital is Victoria and is best known as an offshore financial centre offering international financial and business services via Labuan IBFC since 1990 as well as being an offshore support...
, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, or proceed directly to Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
. Once in the Philippines, he was to disperse (to places such as Balabac, Jolo
Jolo
Jolo may refer to:* Jolo Island* Jolo, Sulu* Jolo, West Virginia* Jolo is also the nickname of Swedish author Jan Olof Olsson....
, Basilan
Basilan
The Province of Basilan is an island province of the Philippines within the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Basilan is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago and is located just off the southern coast of Zamboanga Peninsula...
, and Zamboanga
Zamboanga City
The City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....
) or concentrate his squadron as best he saw fit to ensure safe arrival of the troops and then deal with Dewey's squadron.
Cámara sortied from Cadiz on 16 June 1898, passed Gibraltar on 17 June 1898 (first detaching Alfonso XII and Antonio Lopez for their independent voyages to the Caribbean as ordered), and arrived at Port Said on 26 June 1898. There he requested permission to transship coal, which the Egyptian government finally denied on 30 June 1898 out of concern for Egyptian neutrality. Working behind the scenes, the U.S. acting vice counsul to Egypt, diplomat Ethelbert Watts
Ethelbert Watts
Ethelbert Watts a United States diplomat for over twenty-four years, played important roles in the Spanish-American War, Russo-Japanese War, and World War I.-Family and personal background:...
, dissuaded Egyptian and British authorities from permitting Cámara to access coal owned by Spain, while at the same time acquiring a lien over coal available in Suez from other sources.
By the time Cámara's squadron arrived at Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
on 5 July 1898, 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....
had been annihilated 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:...
, freeing up the U.S. Navy's heavy forces from the blockade of 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....
. Fearful for the security of the Spanish coast, the Spanish Ministry of Marine recalled Cámara's squadron on 7 July 1898. Cámara departed Suez on 11 July 1898 for Spain, where the 2nd Squadron was dissolved on 25 July 1898.