On June 3, 1898 Richmond P Hobson attempted to block Admiral Cervera's fleet in Santiago harbor by sinking the collier Merrimac but with a crew of only six was unable to position the ship properly in the face of alert and heavy Spanish fire.
Had he succeeded, the Spanish squadron would either have surrendered intact or, at worst, scuttled themselves to later be salvaged by the US Navy.
What might have been the consequences of this beyond the obvious survival of the Spanish sailors killed at the Battle of Santiago and Hobson's prestige becoming even more massive than OTL, where he didn't even succeed at his mission(!)?
For those interested in wild cards, Hobson was also one of Nikola Tesla's dearest friends. What might Tesla have achieved with America's national hero backing him?
Had he succeeded, the Spanish squadron would either have surrendered intact or, at worst, scuttled themselves to later be salvaged by the US Navy.
What might have been the consequences of this beyond the obvious survival of the Spanish sailors killed at the Battle of Santiago and Hobson's prestige becoming even more massive than OTL, where he didn't even succeed at his mission(!)?
For those interested in wild cards, Hobson was also one of Nikola Tesla's dearest friends. What might Tesla have achieved with America's national hero backing him?