A Less Than Splendid Little War

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Lord Okkirke

jony663 said:
Another question, what about buying up ships in the secondary market, both sides did it?
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The Question should rather be what ships could be bought, because the Germans and British (and the French were in this as well) were just beginning their Naval Race ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-German_naval_arms_race ) and thus were both unlikely to sell anything modern out of their own Fleets. This means that any potential buyer would have to either order a new ship buildt in one of their shipyards or buy something hopelessly outdated from what amounts their resective Reserve Fleets (Any ship that was older than 10 years was simply hopelessly outclassed by newer ships due to massiv improvements made to steam engines in that period).
 

Lord Okkirke

Have contiuned looking for ships present in NY in 1898, and found this:

The Passiac-Class Monitor USS Sangamon would be in NY/stationed at Fishers Island.
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Sangamon_(1862) )

The Kearsarge-Class Battleships (Kearsarge BB-5 & Kentucky BB-6) were both laid down in 1896 in Newport News Shipbuilding ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport_News_Shipbuilding ), launched 24th March 1898 and were commisioned into the US Navy in 1900. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kearsarge-class_battleship )
This means that while the Spanish are sailing to (or from) their raid on NY they might want to stop by there and deal with them before the US can finish outfitting them (at this Point they are both only hulls without any Kind of superstructure or Guns berthed in Outfitting basins). Of course they are Protected by the (unfinished) Forts Monroe and Wool ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Monroe ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Wool ) garding the Hampton roads.
 
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Chris Triangle

Chris Triangle




Lord Okkirke said:
Have contiuned looking for ships present in NY in 1898, and found this:

The Kearsarge-Class Battleships (Kearsarge BB-5 & Kentucky BB-6) were both laid down in 1896 in Newport News Shipbuilding ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport_News_Shipbuilding ), launched 24th March 1898 and were commisioned into the US Navy in 1900. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kearsarge-class_battleship )
This means that while the Spanish are sailing to (or from) their raid on NY they might want to stop by there and deal with them before the US can finish outfitting them (at this Point they are both only hulls without any Kind of superstructure or Guns berthed in Outfitting basins). Of course they are Protected by the (unfinished) Forts Monroe and Wool ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Monroe ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Wool ) garding the Hampton roads.
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Thanks for clarifying their state of construction. That is the juiciest of juicy targets. Hammering those ships would be such a setback, you could justify sending some of the cruisers up there to do it. The US battleship program would be set back at least 6 months, maybe over a year. Only problem is the Americans put the flying squadron there to prevent such an eventuality and that squadron has Texas and Brooklyn. To stand a chance of beating them, you'd probably need the entire fleet and then logistics and speed become a bigger problem.
 

Lord Okkirke

The Spanish have the Battleship Pelayo (Built 1888 to a then modern design) that should prove more than a match to the Texas (laid down in 1889, who's design when it was finished in 1895 was considered obsolete by 1890).
And USS Brooklyn ( https://military.wikia.org/wiki/USS_Brooklyn_(CA-3) ) and "a few light Cruisers"( C12, C13 and maybe C-11?) would be faceing 7 modern armored cruisers and torpedoboats

The following Information can be found here: https://military.wikia.org/wiki/List_of_cruisers_of_the_United_States_Navy

C-1, C-8, C-9,were part of the North Atlantic Squadron
C2, C3, C4, C6 were in the Pacific in 1898 (either Asiatic or Pacific Squadron or in Transit between them)
While C-7, C-10 were in used in the Atlantic side of the war I ouldn't find out to which Squadron they were assinged
The USS San Francisco (C-5) during 1898 independently patroled the US East Coast and during the war itsef the Coast of Florida and Cuba
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/USS_San_Francisco_(C-5)


The following ships were purchased beginning March after the beginning of the War before they could be taken into Service with the Brazilian Navy (they were at this Point in various stages of completion) and with your war starting in August they would probably not be commisioned into the US Navy
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/USS_Albany_(CL-23) would be completed in 1900 by the US Navy, Later Part of the Phillipine Squadron in our history
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/USS_New_Orleans_(CL-22) essentially complete by March 1898, Part of the Flying Squadron in our history since May 1898

The USS Chicago(since 1920 CA-14) was launched 1885 but didn'T join the US Navy until 1899
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/USS_Chicago_(1885)


Also would the following Merchant Cruisers fit in your timeline or exist at all?
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/USS_Harvard_(1888)
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/USS_Yale_(1888)
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/USS_Badger_(1889)
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/USS_Panther_(1889)
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/USS_Prairie_(AD-5)
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/USS_Buffalo_(1893)
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/USS_Yankee_(1892)
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/USS_Yosemite_(1892)
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/USS_Saint_Paul_(SP-1643)
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/SS_St._Louis_(1894)
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/USS_Dixie_(1893)
 

Lord Okkirke

I would personly go for the Island of St. Martin (an Island about halfway between Points G and P that is half French half Netherlands) because here he can get local News(for example: has Purto Rico fallen? US Navy been sighted?) and then turn either North or towards Purto Rico/Cuba.
The Main City of Phillipsburg(NL) has been since the Late 18th Century a somewhat important radeing port with a very good habor that even today many cruiseships use (so would be easly able use by the Spanish to resupply and ask for news)
 
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Chris Triangle

Chris Triangle

All right let's see what we've got cruiser-wise in the North Atlantic.

C1 is Newark. Big battery of 6 inch guns but no armor at all. 19 knots.

C9 is Montgomery. A few 6 inch guns and the usual suite of smaller stuff like 5 pounders these ships seem to have. She should have some armor but how much is not clear how much. They said a 280mm Krupp in Havana fired on her from 9000 meters "apparently without effect". I don't know how well "protected" it was but I seriously doubt that the ship would be able to take a hit from a gun that size without taking at least some damage unless the shells were duds. I'm assuming it just missed at that range. Hitting a moving ship from almost six miles a way would not be easy.

C8 is Raleigh. She's actually in Asia. A bunch of 5 inch guns with minimal armor. 19 knots.

C-12 is Columbia. In the Caribbean. The class is unusually fast: a whopping 23 knots. On the other hand, she also has fairly thin armor and so-so armament, with a single 8-inch two 6-inchers and eight 4-inchers.

C-13 is Minneapolis. She's the same as Columbia.


C7 is Cincinatti. Mostly a bunch of 5 inch guns and some thin armor. 19 knots.


C 10 is Detroit. Looks like she's in the Caribbbean and she's pretty useful. Same design as Montgomery so again, not sure about the armor. I might retcon it so she gets smashed up instead of New York given that the captain of that ship's own zeal was responsible for Sampson's dangerously close approach OTL (which is what inspired me to write the incident into the story). Only 17 knots.


San Francisco is a mystery but I'm assuming she is more likely with the Caribbean than the North Atlantic.

The Spanish destroyers can reach 28 knots. The torpedo boats, about 25. The Spanish auxiliaries, if they use them, can manage about 18 or 19 knots. The armored cruisers should be capable of anywhere from 17 to 20 knots. Pelayo can't do better than 16, and that's pushing it. Not sure about support ships.
 
Chris Triangle

Chris Triangle

Lord Okkirke said:
By the way with BB-2 sunk, BB-1 at Cuba, BB-3 on it's way from the Pacific and BB-4 at Purto Rico ( BB-5 & 6 not finisched) the Spanish chances of defeating the Flying Squadron ( https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Flying_Squadron_(United_States_Navy) ) get somewhat better. They still might even "get lucky", catch them in detail and manage to sink one of them with a Torpedo from one of their TBDs (They will however most likely lose their Battleship because of it's low speed in such an engagement)
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I just don't see them sending that many ships there but I'm willing speculate a bit. And it's fitting that they'd be sailing through the Bermuda triangle because if the Spanish fleet goes north, it would have a near Miss with hurricane #2, which was a cat 1 that showed up with no warning and hit Savannah on September 1. It could sink or damage some of the ships or he might just turn back. On the other hand, if I change the timetable of the war again and have Cervera arriving a few days earlier, we might have Sampson running into that same hurricane. It would likely not sink any of his his ships but it could slow him down by a day or two as he slows down and waits for it to pass, giving Cervera a big head start to make for neutral ports like Bermuda or the Azores. Of course, nobody ITL knows any of this is going to happen so that's not currently the plan.

Maine is off Cuba, I believe.
 
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Chris Triangle

Chris Triangle

jony663 said:
Also there were a half a dozen (I believe 8) ACW monitors patrolling from Charleston to New England (half were in New England waters). I one would of bumped into the destroyers and cohort (I assume a collier) they could offer some resistance and a warning. Citizens hearing gun fire or seeing the coastal fight.

Another question, what about buying up ships in the secondary market, both sides did it?
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A destroyer wouldn't stand a great chance against a monitor on its own so presumably, they'd simply avoid them if they encounter one.

Both the USA and Spain tried to buy some ships for auxiliaries. OTL, the the US bought up a few to deny them to the Spanish when they were trying to buy a few more. It is more or less the same here. Spain may still have purchased a couple more though because it had more time to do so.
 
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Chris Triangle

Chris Triangle

Lord Okkirke said:
A ACW (American Civil War) Monitor should not be any Kind of Problem for the Cruisers

i.e. in 1898 the Passiac-Class Monitor USS Sangamon would be in NY/stationed at Fishers Island.
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Sangamon_(1862) )
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Any of the Reina Cristina cruisers would have that thing for lunch while it ran circles around it. But a destroyer? I think they'd run, which is easy because they are easily four times as fast. I mean, he only has three destroyers and a 15 inch Dahlgren is still pretty tough, even of it's more than 30 years old. Of course, monitors are notoriously unstable firing platforms and the rate of fire would be absolutely abysmal, so if they close ranks and dodge a few shots from the big Dahlgrens, even the destroyers could smash them. Especially since those monitors don't look to have any quick firing short range weapons whatsoever. Miss with the big muzzleloader and you're done for.

IIRC, Mahan had a very poor opinion of monitors as ships as well as the mentality behind their continued use.
 
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Lord Okkirke

Concerning the three Spanish Destroyers against the ACW Passiac-Class Monitor:
Since the Destroyers' two 14 Pound guns should be British QF 14-pounder Maxim-Nordenfelt naval guns( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_14-pounder_Maxim-Nordenfelt_naval_gun ) with a rate of fire of 15 rounds per Minute I'd say that even if it proves insuffient to penetrate the 11-Inches of Iron that make up the Passiac-Class Monitors' Turret, it will stil quickly cause it to jam and the Bolts used in it construcktion will be bounceing around inside of the Turret ( for reference see damage to USS Monitor's Turret and what happend to Tanks and their crews in 1917/18 when hit even when their armor wasn't penetrated). This (together with the fact that the fire rythem of a ACW Monitor is: Load gun, Turn Turret towards enemy, fire, Turn Turret away from enemy and repeat) means that after the Monitor has fired it's first shot it should take between 2 and 5 Minutes to fire again (this ship has a large Muzzelloader as one of it's main guns that was known to fill the entire Turret with smoke when fired, which would make seeing somewhat difficult for the Gunners and Loaders) during this time the Spanish Destroyers might try to Sail Close enough to use their Torpedos( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwartzkopff_torpedo )
 
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Deleted member 9338

Lord Okkirke said:
The Question should rather be what ships could be bought, because the Germans and British (and the French were in this as well) were just beginning their Naval Race ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-German_naval_arms_race ) and thus were both unlikely to sell anything modern out of their own Fleets. This means that any potential buyer would have to either order a new ship buildt in one of their shipyards or buy something hopelessly outdated from what amounts their resective Reserve Fleets (Any ship that was older than 10 years was simply hopelessly outclassed by newer ships due to massiv improvements made to steam engines in that period).
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The Germans could unload their coast defense ships to Spain, and I am sure France and Italy would have white elephants they would sell that are better then existing US and Spanish ships.
 

Lord Okkirke

jony663 said:
The Germans could unload their coast defense ships to Spain, and I am sure France and Italy would have white elephants they would sell that are better then existing US and Spanish ships.
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Those Costal-Defense Ships were designed and buildt around the same time (beginning 1890) as the Pelayo and do not represent any significant improvement to the Spanish ablity to fight the US Battleships as they are slower, carry less armor and a smaller amount and caliber Guns.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegfried-class_coastal_defense_ship
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_battleship_Pelayo
Additionaly the German Navy only has the 8 ships of this class, in addition to the 4 ships of the Brandenburg-class (buildt 1890 - 1894), in Service as its' larger Combat-Ships(the 5 Kaiser Friedrich Class Ships are due to start being put into commision in October 1898). This means that the Germans are unlikely to part with those 8 ships at that Moment in 1898.
 
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Deleted member 9338

Lord Okkirke said:
Those Costal-Defense Ships were designed and buildt around the same time (beginning 1890) as the Pelayo and do not represent any significant improvement to the Spanish ablity to fight the US Battleships as they are slower, carry less armor and a smaller amount and caliber Guns.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegfried-class_coastal_defense_ship
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_battleship_Pelayo
Additionaly the German Navy only has the 8 ships of this class, in addition to the 4 ships of the Brandenburg-class (buildt 1890 - 1894), in Service as its' larger Combat-Ships(the 5 Kaiser Friedrich Class Ships are due to start being put into commision in October 1898). This means that the Germans are unlikely to part with those 8 ships at that Moment in 1898.
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All true but Germany may lend/sell a couple or 4 for a squadron to protect the coast of Spain. I would not want to cross the Atlantic in them. Germany may even provide training crews.
 
Oregon's Last Stand
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    • Chris Triangle

    Chris Triangle



    The Tragic Voyage of the USS Oregon​

    There is perhaps no event more unnecessary or more directly tied to the USA's eagerness to fight a quick, decisive war than the loss of the Oregon.

    The whole incident actually occurred almost entirely because of Cevera's unexpected choice of ports. The cautious admiral had bypassed Puerto Rico, fearing an ambush and thus made for French Martinique instead, where he could reasonably make for a number of ports depending on the location of the American forces. As he finally approached Martinique on the night of August 27 the people of the island, those who were still awake at least, marveled as dozens of Spanish warships, belching black smoke and bristling with guns, slipped into the harbor under the bright nearly full moon, a sight nobody on this normally quiet tropical island would ever have expected to see. Cervera himself did not realize how impeccable his timing was; Sampson had left his blockade of San Juan that very day with a sizable fleet and was now en route to Cuba. Cervera however, had assumed that the Americans would be awaiting him in San Juan and had planned on making a dash for Santiago directly, which was likely to be as yet unguarded. Learning that his foe had just departed San Juan and that the flying squadron remained far away in Hampton roads, where it anticipatEd an attack in the coast, he was tempted to make for San Juan once again. On the other hand, he realized that he could indeed run under their noses to Cuba. Doing so could mean calling off the planned raid on New York by Villaamil but it would be worth it if he could avoid the enemy because it would place him within striking distance of Havana itself. Then again, it now seemed that San Juan, with its mighty defenses, was open to his fleet and Puerto Rico was likely a safer refuge than Santiago, where remnants of the rebel armies still held out in the countryside. As Cevera diligently poured over the latest information in his cables, he noticed another remarkable opportunity, albeit a very risky one.

    The USS Oregon, the USA's second mightiest battleship after the Iowa, had been sailing East from California, where she was built, to join the fleet in the Atlatnic. She had made impressive time on this epic journey, having kept a good schedule even in the face of Tierra Del Fuego's foul weather. Oregon had left Bahia Brazil not long before the Spanish squadron's arrival in the Caribbean and Cervera was quite certain that she would make port in British Barbados soon (a conjecture which would prove to be correct). Once there, she would promply join the main fleet and add her considerable firepower to its already overwhelming advantage. Still, he reasoned that if he could ambush the battleship and and send his ships in like picadors against a bull. These ships could hopefully deal a finishing blow to the beast with their self-propelled torpedoes.

    There is little doubt that a degree of luck factored into this timing but Cevera's judgement allowed him to take advantage of it. He decided, after great deliberation, that he would try to sink the American ship. By now, the Americans were well aware of his position and it was time to act, so he sailed light on the evening of the 28th to intercept Oregon just as she arrived in Barbados. He had initially sailed West, making for Dutch Curacao but in reality, this was something of a feint, for he soon changed course and headed Southeast to engage Oregon, just 100 or so miles away. The Oregon, on its own, would have made mincemeat of any of his ships, perhaps even Pelayo. But together, he reasoned, they might just have enough firepower to take her down.

    As Captain Charles Clark arrived in Barbados, he found the British authorities more than cooperative, and they offered plenty of coal for him to reach any reasonable US port. At the same time, he felt a sense of dread come over him. The Spanish fleet had arrived so very soon and for whatever reason, had arrived far closer to his chosen port than he had ever suspected. "Why weren't they at Puerto Rico", he wondered? Clark had heard that his enemy was steaming Westward from Martinique and hoped that this was an attempt to head for Cuba but he was concerned that this would not be the case. Unfortunately, he had but 24 hours in this neutral port, after which, he had to hope that his foe would make haste and ignore his ship. As he readied the Oregon to sail Northwards, he heard a horrifying piece of news: the Spanish had indeed looped backward and were headed straight for his location with the intent to engage Oregon at sea. With only a few hours before the British expelled his ship from port, Clark decided to make a run for it and leave as soon as he could. Leaving now would at least give him some chance to give chase rather than let his enemy position themselves and snare him. No sooner did he leave the harbor when he remarked on the ominous sight of the smoke billowing from dozens of Spanish ships on the horizon. Here he had a ship far superior to any of them and yet, there seemed to be a score of them headed his way. At this point, it was clear that he would have no choice but to fight them. The men of the Oregon knew full well that the odds were stacked against them but reported for duty with full diligence, as if they expected to win. Clark hoped that even if he lost the imminent battle, his ship's tremendous firepower and formidable armor might be able to inflict enough damage on the Spaniards to cripple their entire armada. He sailed outward and into the annals of history as one of America's bravest and most tragic warriors since Davy Crockett.

    Oregon first met Pelayo, the enemy's battleship in open combat around 10 AM. The American ship would open fire with her 13 inch guns before the old Spanish battleship could return fore. Both engaged at rather extreme range on the high seas so neither made any hits at first but, Oregon began to show her superior gunnery as her shells were falling closer and more frequently than Pelayo's. Within 20 minutes of the engagement, she had scored the first of several hits on Pelayo. If he could sink their only battleship, Clark hoped, the whole fleet might start to break, thus he initially made Pelayo his top priority and closed on the slightly slower enemy battleship. As the two ships rapidly closed distance, the seven cruisers held in reserve swung oforward toward Oregon, with Carlos V and Cristobol colon leading and the others following soon after. 30 minutes into the battle, these cruisers had aligned into firing positions and concentrated their fire onto the American battleship. From this point onward, Oregon's fight would become increasingly desperate. The sporadic 12.6 cm shells gave way to more frequent 11 and 10 inch rounds and then, to a hail of 140 mm rounds. Oregon's own powerful 340 mm guns turned from Pelayo to these cruisers, and may have managed a hit on Almirante Oqueindo, with uncertain effect, but otherwise could accomplish little. Oregon's secondary battery of 8 inch guns picked up much of the slack. She landed hits on her enemies, inflicting at least somed sort of damage on a few, but managing to sink none, and as the Spanish cruisers came closer, the flood of incoming shells had became unbearable, with something landing near or on the heroic Oregon seemingly every second. Shell after shell slammed into Oregon's deck, beam and turrets, knocking her guns out one by one and showering splinters all about. Initially frightened to take on a ship above their weight classes, Spanish sailors grew bolder and more confident as their shells contacted their foe again and again. By this point the Americans should have surrendered, for they had made their point and had no hope of fending the enemy off. Oregon's guns were in bad shape, her hull riddled with damage and major damage to her rudder, yet the ship had not come all this way to die easily and held on like an cornered beast. By noon, the Oregon had absorbed scores of shells and was clearly a stricken wreck yet she stubbornly remained afloat and refused to surrender, even as they had tenuous control over the ship. Perhaps they hoped to exhaust Cervera's ammunition and force him to break off. Whatever the case, Cervera saw no reason to play such games and decdecided finish the Yankee machine off with a volley of torpedoes to put it out of it's misery. He ordered his cruisers and destroyers to launch their underwater weapons at the fallen giant and like the matador standing over a mighty bull, they unleased a salvo of four upon the hapless wreck. To his great frustration, the cruisers managed to miss their target completely, probably because they had fired at close to the maximum range of the Schewrtzkopf's design.

    Meanwhile, Clark was less confident in his ship's armor and ability to resist than he had been a few minutes ago. While it had taken severe damage, his crew had managed to minimize casualties and keep her afloat and it seemed as if the attack would fail to sink the ship; Cervera could not afford to spare much more ammunition on a single ship and there has been a lull in the battle. Clark still hoped that Cervera was on the verge of leaving, as they were known to be on a tight schedule. This hope would be quickly put to rest; in a daring attempt to end things once and for all, Villamil braved the remaining guns of the stricken Oregon and drove his destroyers against her. The wounded beast still had respectable power, with its tertiary batter firing a barrage of deadly fire towards his small warships. He used his quick firing guns to try and suppress that but with even the smaller American gunfire battering his ships, he knew it would be a very risky shot. At just 200 or so yards, the torpedoes of Terror and Pluton closed in on the Oregon. One missed but the next made contact with her stern, causing devastating damage in the first successful torpedo attack against a capital ship. The Americans by now no longer entertained any idea that they could hold out through the battle and aware that the ship was sinking fast, surrendered almost immediately. The Spanish vessels picked up her surviving crew as the ship sank in deep waters (her wreck would not be identified for another 90 years). Cervera thought the Oregon's last stand to be one of the most remarkable and impressive feats of the day, though he was thankful that his men had performed under the stress of combat. The shell shocked survivors had little time to interest with their captors and we're quickly sent to Barbados, where they could receive care as needed while the Spanish squadron hastily planned its next move before the Americans could reach it. In spite of the desperation and vicious fight to the end however, the Spanish treated the Americans with awe and respect, for such bravery was truly exemplary. Indeed, the men of the USS Oregon had fought a battle against great odds and come out with their honor intact. Their bravery and determination in the face of impossible odds would serve as an inspiration to Americans and Spaniards alike. Cervera privately reflected that he expected his own ships to suffer the fate of the Oregon and would die proud of his service if they put up half the fight the Yankees did. And lest the heroism seem too tragic, the Oregon had not fought in vain: in the aftermath, Cervera had suffered significant damage to his lone battleship, Pelayo and moderate damage to Almirante Oqueindo and Cristobol Colon. All in all however, he had managed to frustrate a far superior enemy while using his numerical advantage to the best of his abilities and now the United States Navy had been reduced to 4 battleships. Many in the US fumed with anger and demanded to know how the far superior American fleet could never manage to engage its foe on even ground. The integrity of the blockade looked in doubt and the shipyards at Newport News raced to get the new Kearsage, still under construction, into service by the next year. In contrast, the Spaniards felt that the battle reaffirmed their own confidence, probably excessively, as these early successes would not be easy to repeat. As previously stated, Oregon was in many ways, defeated by poor timing but also by a lack of access to wireless technology. Had the war taken place but 5 years later, it is likely that such an ambush would never have been possible in the first place.

    Note: I'm not shoehorning this in as a freebee for the Spanish; I put it in because it actually almost happened OTL, just like the incident in Puerto Rico where the ships got way too close. In this case, it is again thanks to Cervera's decision to make port in Martinique so that he could make his next move safely. He didn't go through with the interception because he didn't have enough ships and what he had wasn't very combat ready, so Oregon could have mortally wounded his whole squadron even if he took her down. The timing is very similar ITL to OTL so he gets the chance to interdict Oregon. With what he has ITL, Oregon would have been in much more serious danger. The Spanish would probably have tried this and it probably would have worked. Nevertheless, because Oregon was a good, durable design and had such an exceptional crew, I wanted to make sure she would get at least a few good hits in against the attackers but in the end, she was kind of doomed so long as Cervera went to Martinique.
     
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