Commodore Dewey Sinks Spanish Fleet at Manila 1898
- Jan 26, 2011
- Michael Streich
Congress declared war on Spain in 1898, precipitating what John Hay would call the “splendid little war.” In Hong Kong, Commodore Charles Dewey, commanding the U.S. Asiatic Squadron, received an urgent message from Washington, DC that read, in part, “Proceed at once to the Philippine Islands.” Dewey was ordered to destroy the Spanish fleet at Manila. Dewey’s subsequent actions would turn him into a national hero. Additionally, American naval prowess would take its place alongside that of the other great European powers. George Dewey’s defeat of the Spanish navy at Manila had long term consequences for a growing U.S. global presence.
Naval Preparations to Occupy the Philippines in the Spanish American War
The selection of George Dewey as commander of the Asiatic Squadron was the clandestine work of Theodore Roosevelt, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Dewey’s command was also recommended to President William McKinley by Senator Redfield Proctor (R-Vermont), a friend of Roosevelt and an expansionist. Dewey was 61 at the time with a long and distinguished service record.
In 1862, Dewey, at the age of 25, participated in the capture of New Orleans and later fought at Fort Fisher. His 1898 victory opened the doors to a presidential candidacy. Even before Congress declared war, Roosevelt had ordered Dewey to take his fleet from Yokohama in Japan to Hong Kong in anticipation of war with Spain.
American Naval Strength in Asia in 1898
Dewey commanded a strike force of nine ships from his flagship, the USS Olympia. The Olympia is a museum today in Philadelphia but has recently been considered for scrap. (Mercury News, January 11, 2011) Dewey’s flotilla contained seven warships that were vastly outnumbered by Spanish ships at Manila. The Spanish fleet, however, was antiquated.
Uncertainty over American Naval Goals in Manila Bay April – May 1898
American intelligence regarding Spanish strength in Manila was poor and unreliable. Dewey resorted to setting up his own intelligence network prior to sailing from Hong Kong. Additionally, with minor exception, U.S. naval strength remained untested, despite a prolonged program to modernize the fleet and add top of the line warships.
Dewey was aware that if his Spanish counterpart sailed into Subic Bay, reaching Manila without a fight would be slowed. Additionally, Americans worried about mines and Spanish coastal defenses. As Dewey steamed from Hong Kong, his British hosts in the Crown Colony doubted they would see the Americans again.
Dewey Arrives at Manila Bay and Destroys the Spanish Fleet
The Spanish naval commander, Admiral Patricio Montojo Pasaron, had indeed recognized the significance of Subic Bay and sent six warships to stop the approaching American squadron. The ships were antiquated and when a major warship developed problems, Montojo Pasaron returned to Manila. Dewey arrived at Manila by night and spent the morning hours shelling the Spanish fleet.
Almost out of ammunition, a final pass caused the Spanish to surrender. Dewey had the cables severed, cutting off any communication with the outside world after the Spanish commander refused to allow Americans its use. Not until a ship reached Hong Kong would the world know of the enormity of Spanish losses. Dewey emerged as the first hero of America’s most popular war.
Role of the Imperial Germans in the Philippines in 1898
Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany had long meddled in the global affairs of other European powers, seeking for Germany a “place in the sun.” Even before the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor, German warships steamed the Caribbean, seeking to exploit growing Spanish colonial weaknesses.
After the battle of Manila Bay, several warships of the German Asiatic Squadron entered the bay, much to the consternation of Dewey, who had been promoted to rear admiral. Dewey understood German goals in Asia, but was evasive in his replies. In Berlin, the Kaiser searched for some opportunity to benefit from Spanish defeat.
Dewey’s Tumultuous Reception by the American People in 1899
Admiral Dewey returned to the U.S., greeted by a thankful nation. At the end of September 1899, New York hosted a gala celebration that included a parade. The city erected a triumphal arch to honor Dewey which some newspapers compared to the arch of Titus in Ancient Rome. There was even talk of promoting a Dewey presidential candidacy.
Dewey, however, remained in the Navy and would serve his country well until his death in 1917. He had a candy named after him and numerous jingles celebrated his Manila victory. Dewey’s actions had two major long-term consequences. The United States emerged as an imperialist power as formidable as any European power, excepting Britain. The taking of the Philippines resulted in an extended occupation and civil war, costing thousands of American and Filipino lives.
Sources:
- Ivan Musicant, Empire By Default: The Spanish-American War and the Dawn of the American Century (Henry Holt and Company, 1998)
- G.J.A. O’Toole, The Spanish War: An American Epic 1898 (W.W. Norton & Company, 1984)
- Page Smith, The Rise of Industrial America: A People’s History of the Post-Reconstruction Era, Volume 6 (Penguin Books, 1990)
- Albert K. Weinberg, Manifest Destiny: A Study of Nationalist Expansionism in American History (The Johns Hopkins Press, 1935)
- Warren Zimmermann, First Great Triumph: How Five Americans Made Their Country A World Power (Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 2002)
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