Combat· Spanish-American War
San Juan de Puerto Rico Bombardment
In May 1898, an American fleet sailed to Puerto Rico and bombarded the Spanish shore batteries at San Juan, testing the island's defenses early in the war.
Marine detachments were stationed aboard the warships that took part in the attack. Their job was to man the ships' secondary batteries, the smaller rapid-fire guns, and to serve as armed lookouts and sharpshooters during the action. The Marines stayed at their stations through the firing and handled their guns steadily, just as they had been drilled. One Marine was slightly wounded by a shell fragment during the engagement. While this was a naval action rather than a land battle, it was one of several fights in which shipboard Marines proved they could fight their guns well under fire, work that ship captains praised throughout the war.
Podcast episodes on Spanish-American War
Record no. 518