Combat· Spanish-American War
Battle of Santiago de Cuba and V Corps Landings
Santiago de Cuba was the main goal of the American campaign in Cuba in 1898.
The Spanish fleet was trapped inside its harbor, and the U.S. Army landed nearby and laid siege to the city. When the Spanish ships finally tried to escape, the American fleet destroyed them in the largest naval battle of the war. Marines served as part of the ship's guard aboard nearly every American warship in the fight. Their job was to man the smaller rapid-fire guns of the secondary batteries and to act as sharpshooters. They stayed at their guns through long, exhausting days, sleeping beside them at night with ammunition ready. Navy officers praised their accuracy, noting that the wrecked Spanish ships showed heavy damage from the very guns the Marines worked. Their steady fire helped end the battle quickly and sealed the Spanish defeat at Santiago.
Podcast episodes on Spanish-American War
Record no. 522