| Battle of Cardenas
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| Conflict | Spanish-American War
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| Date | May 11, 1898
|
| Place | Near Cardenas, Cuba
|
| Result | Decisive Spanish victory
|
| Combatants
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| Spain
| United States
|
| Commanders
|
| Unknown
| Lieutenant Bernadou
Captain Todd
Captain McCalla
|
| Strength
|
| 1 gunboat, armed sailors and shore batteries
| 3 torpedo boats, 1 cruiser
|
| Casualties
|
| None
| 1 torpedo boat
5 dead
6 wounded
|
|
The Battle of Cardenas was a naval battle of the Spanish-American War that resulted in an unusually costly American defeat.
It involved a small American squadron operating off the northern coast of Cuba: USS Winslow, USS Wilmington, USS Machias, USS Hudson, and USS Foote. On May 11, the fleet was assigned to enter Cardenas Bay and destroy the three Spanish gunboats reportedly moored at the harbor.
Having swept the area for mines, Captain Todd ordered the Winslow to approach the shore and investigate. Spanish guns, concealed in ambush along the beach, immediately opened fire, pummeling the Winslow into near inoperability. The American fleet moved in to support, Wilmington providing covering fire and Hudson evacuating survivors from Winslow and tugging the ruined ship out of combat range.
The American fleet retreated out of Cardenas Bay.
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