Originally posted by Condottiero
As for the Philippines the effectiveness of the gunners in both sides was shameful. The spaniards only achieved a 4% of hits, whereas the northamericans barely a 2% and had almost run out of ammo when Montojo panicked and ordered to sink the spanish vessels. If he had decided to fight closer to the coast the americans would have suffered unbearable (given the lack of bases in the region) and would have had to retreat.
Totally right, worse even Montojo not only ordered to sink the spanish vessels in an authentic and unjustifiable attack of panick when he had suffered only damage in two ships but also little after this disaster he ordered to surrender all the coastal defences of Manila and surrounding region, Montojo was an authentic shame for the spanish navy and the spanish history (after the war he was processed and dismissed of the navy).
The attitude of Cervera commanding the cuban squadron was not too much beetter, practically since the first moment of assuming the commandament he acted as a derrotist and apathic man, his decisions could be considered own of a man that from the first moment thought that would be defeated and that little could be get against the americans, such attitude was the principal cause of the turkey shoot that the US navy could made against the spanish navy.
Instead of this a different admiral with a different attitude not have bottled his fleet in Santiago because the fear of Cervera to confront the US navy, had acted more intellegently and had expected not in a situation of virtual prison in Santiago but making different actions against the transport ships of the US navy or other minor ships.
as Condottiero says "You could also have an opportunity if the spanish fleet goes to La Habana instead of to Santiago. There they would not be threatened by land, the defenses would be superior and they would not have to abandon the port. The arrival of the Pelayo and other naval units could also help."
It is right, although inferior in numbers the Cervera fleet was not precissely a paper ships fleet, although not completely in combat disposition (the Colon for example because the need of fastness not could mount the 254 mm guns bought in Germany) the ships were in general moderns with the Colon with an armour of 15 mm of steel and of the Garibaldi Class the most modern.
Also with minor operations against secondary ships of the US navy the fleet could elude an indecisive combat with the US fleet while waiting the reinforcements of the Pelayo and Carlos V two modern ships commanded by Camara.
I think that instead Cervera it had been better that Camara had commanded the fleet sent to Cuba, at least he has not showed the derrotist and apathic attitude of Cervera.