Reina Mercedes
Unprotected Cruiser · Spain · Lost 1898 · Cuba & the Greater Antilles
Scuttled at Santiago's harbor mouth in 1898, this Spanish cruiser was raised and served the U.S. Navy for nearly six decades afterward.
The Vessel and Her Loss
Reina Mercedes served as Spain's harbor defense ship at Santiago de Cuba and helped sink USS Merrimac during Hobson's blockade attempt. After Cervera's squadron was destroyed, the Spanish scuttled the battered cruiser in the harbor channel on the night of 3 July 1898 under fire from USS Texas and Massachusetts. The U.S. Navy later raised and rebuilt her, and she served for decades as a barracks ship at the Naval Academy before being scrapped in 1957.
Vessel
- 1887
- Not established
- Cartagena, Spain
- Steel
- 292 ft
- 43 ft
- 3090
- Steam, twin screw, auxiliary sail
- Spanish Navy
Loss
- July 3, 1898
- Intentional sinking
- Entrance channel, Santiago de Cuba harbor
- Caribbean Sea
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Raised and salvaged by the U.S. Navy in early 1899
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- Not established
- Position not established
- Santiago de Cuba harbor entrance
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (88/100)
Naval History and Heritage Command, DANFS
Full service and loss/salvage history.
U.S. Naval Institute, Naval History Magazine
Post-salvage service history at Annapolis.
