Author Topic: Re: Timeline 1898: Spoils of War  (Read 19643 times)

Offline Drydock

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Re: Timeline 1898: Enlistment
« Reply #40 on: May 15, 2018, 07:31:17 PM »
15 May

Letter

From: Lt. Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, Executive Officer, 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry

I wish I could take you in, but I am afraid that the chances of our being over enlisted forbid my bringing in a man from such a distance.

                                                                                  to: Edgar Rice Burroughs (in Pocatello Idaho)

Roosevelt on raising the Regiment: "The reason it takes so long to turn the average civilized man into a good infantryman or cavalryman is because it takes a long while to teach him to shoot, to ride, to march, to take care of himself in the open, to be alert, resourceful, cool, daring, and resolute, to obey quickly, as well as to be willing and to act on his own responsibility.  If he already possesses these qualities, there is little difficulty in making him a soldier.  Parade ground and barrack square manuvers are of no earthly consequence in real war."
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

Offline Drydock

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Re: Timeline 1898: A Fleet in Being
« Reply #41 on: May 19, 2018, 09:15:46 PM »
19 May

Cable

To: The Captain General of Cuba

Have cast anchor to-day in this Harbor (Santiago de Cuba) whence whole squadron sends you greeting, desirous of cooperating in the defense of country.

                                                                                   Cevera
Message

To: White House

Send me quick any confirmation of this--five Spanish vessels arrived Santiago-de-Cuba have informed the Admiral commanding.

(The US has a source in the Havana palace telegraph office)
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

Offline Drydock

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Re: Timeline 1898: A Fleet in Being
« Reply #42 on: May 23, 2018, 07:22:27 PM »
23 May

(An aside: the SAW holds a curious place in history. Undersea Telegraph cables have made intercontinental communications nearly instantaneous, yet with wireless still in the future, ship to ship messaging still requires flags, lights, or dispatch boats.  Thus the first stirrings of electronic warfare move at the speed of steam over the sea surface.)  

Dispatch

To: Commodore Winfield Scott Schley, United States Flying Squadron, Commanding.

Spanish squadron probably at Santiago de Cuba.  Four ships and three torpedo boat destroyers.  If you are satisfied they are not at Cienfuegos, proceed with all dispatch, but cautiously, to Santiago de Cuba, and if the enemy is there blockade him in port.

                                                                            Rear Admiral William T. Sampson, United States North Atlantic
                                                                            Squadron, Commanding.
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

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Re: Re: Timeline 1898: Spoils of War
« Reply #43 on: Today at 04:27:09 AM »

Offline Drydock

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Re: Timeline 1898: A Fleet in Being
« Reply #43 on: May 25, 2018, 07:43:37 PM »
25 May

Just off the southeast tip of Cuba, the USS St Paul, Capt. Charles D. Sigsbee, commanding, takes as prize the steamer "Restormel".  She carries a cargo of Welsh Cardiff coal, paid for by the Spanish Government.  She is sent with a prize crew to Key West.

Thus Capt Sigsbee has unknowingly captured the Spanish Squadrons fuel supply.
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

Offline Drydock

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Re: Timeline 1898: A Fleet in Being
« Reply #44 on: May 28, 2018, 07:54:59 PM »
28 May

At 7:40 PM, after one of the oddest naval searches in history, ("The maneuvers of the hostile squadron were incomprehensible to us" Victor Concas, Captain, Spanish Navy, Chief of Staff to Admiral Cevera) The Spanish Squadron is finally sighted inside the Harbor of Santiago de Cuba, by lookouts aboard USS Iowa, of the Flying Squadron, Winfield Scott Schley commanding.

USS Oregon arrives off Jupiter inlet, Florida,  after 66 days and 16000 steaming miles.
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

Offline Drydock

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Re: Timeline 1898: A Fleet in Being
« Reply #45 on: June 05, 2018, 06:20:57 PM »
3 June

At 0300, Assistant Naval Constructor Richmond P. Hobson, along with 7 volunteers, attempts to sink the fleet collier Merrimac in the Santiago narrows, in order to fully trap the Spanish Squadron in the harbor, thus releasing most of the North Atlantic Squadron for operations against Spain itself.  The attempt fails, as some of the first Spanish shots disable both the rudder and most of the wiring for the scuttling charges. Merrimac does sink, but too far out of postition to block the channel.   Hobson and his crew survive, and are rescued later that morning by a Spanish Launch, with Admiral Cevera aboard.

Cevera will send an officer under white flag to the US flagship New York, to personally inform Admiral Sampson that Hobson and crew were "Honored Prisoners of War".

All 8 men will eventually be awarded the Medal of Honor. 
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

Offline Drydock

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Re: Timeline 1898: A Fleet in Being
« Reply #46 on: June 06, 2018, 07:40:10 PM »
6 June

Desiring sheltered waters for coaling ships, 100 Marines, the on board detachments of USS Marblehead, USS Oregon, and USS New York, go ashore at Guantanamo Bay, to scout the area for enemy forces and fortifications.  This is the first US ground action of the war, under the overall command of Commander Bowman H. McCalla, commanding the protected cruiser USS Marblehead.
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

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Re: Timeline 1898: A Fleet in Being
« Reply #47 on: June 10, 2018, 07:05:05 PM »
10 June

The 1st Marine Battalion, 648 men, Lt. Col. Robert W. Huntington Commanding, comes ashore at Fishermans Point, Guantanamo Bay.  They establish Camp "McCalla", named for the operations overall commander, Navy Commander Bowman H McCalla.  They will begin to extend their lines up the bay, and make contact with the Spanish that evening.

These operations will form the baseline of the modern Marine Corp Amphibious operations doctrine.
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

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Re: Timeline 1898: A Fleet in Being
« Reply #48 on: June 13, 2018, 09:18:09 PM »
14 June

United States Army V Corp, having boarded ships 2 days prior, departs Tampa FL.
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

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Re: Timeline 1898: A Fleet in Being
« Reply #49 on: June 19, 2018, 04:23:20 PM »
16 June

The remaining heavy units of the Spanish Fleet, including Battleship Pelayo and Armored Cruiser Carlos V, departs Cadiz for the Phillipines, Admiral Manuel de la Camera commanding.
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

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Re: Timeline 1898: A Fleet in Being
« Reply #50 on: June 19, 2018, 04:28:27 PM »
18 June

Cable

To: Lt William S. Sims, Naval Attaché, Paris.  (also seconded to the newly founded Office of Naval Intelligence)

Insure that Spanish Government receives information that Oregon, Iowa, and Massachusetts are being readied to attack Spanish coast.

                                                                  John D. Long, Secretary of the Navy, United States.
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

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Re: Timeline 1898: Somewhere in the Pacific
« Reply #51 on: June 20, 2018, 07:24:32 PM »
20 June

1500 miles east of Manila, protected cruiser USS Charleston detaches from the 3 troop transports she is escorting to the Phillipines, and enters Port San Luis d'Apra, Guam, principle island of the Marianas chain.  At 0830 she opens fire on the fortifications there.  After 13 rounds, Captian Henry Glass orders the gunners to cease fire, suspecting the place may be deserted.

Shortly 2 small boats put out from shore, and approach the Charleston.  Aboard is Lt. Commander Guiterrez, Captain of the Port.  Politely allowed on board, Commander Guiterrez apologizes, but unfortunatly they are not able to return his salute.  (lack of powder and or guns it seems)  And what brings the Americans to Guam? (no dispatchs had been recieved since April 9)

Captain Glass invited the spanish officials to be seated while he brought them up to date. . .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Guam
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

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Re: Timeline 1898: A Scramble ashore.
« Reply #52 on: June 22, 2018, 01:51:22 PM »
22 June

First units of United States Army V Corp come ashore at Daiquiri, Cuba.

Dispatch: For the New York World

Outlined against the sky, we saw four tiny figures scaling the sheer face of the mountian up the narrow trail to the highest blockhouse.  for a moment they were grouped together there at the side of the Spanish fort, and then . . . The American flag was thrown out against the sky, and the sailors on the Men-of-war, the Cubans, and our soldiers in the village, the soldiers in the longboats, and those still hanging to the sides and rat-lines of the troop ships, shouted and cheered . . . and every steam whistle on the ocean for miles about shrieked and tooted and roared in a pandemonium of delight.

It was a symbol that our foot is firmly and formidably planted.

                                                                                         Richard Harding Davis
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

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Re: Timeline 1898: A crossroads called Las Guasimas.
« Reply #53 on: June 24, 2018, 06:49:59 PM »
24 June

Approx 0730, advance elements of Wheelers Cavalry division contact a defensive line of 1500 Spanish troops on a ridge overlooking the crossroads of Las Guasimas, under General Antaro Rubin.  It devolved into a intense 2 hour fire fight that ended with the 1st USV coming in on the Spanish right flank, whereupon General Rubin ordered his forces back to Santiago.  American losses were 16 killed and 52 wounded out of 1000 engaged.  The Spanish lost 10 killed and 18 wounded out of 1500 engaged.

Roosevelt writes: "The effect of the smokeless powder was remarkable.  The air seemed full of the rustling sound of the Mauser bullets, for the Spaniards knew the trails by which we were advancing, and opened  heavily on our position.  Moreover, as we advanced we were of course exposed, and they could see us and fire.  But they themselves were entirely invisible.  The jungle covered everything, and not the faintest trace of smoke was to be seen in any direction to indicate from whence the bullets came."

                                              - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 "I sprang up and ordered the men to rush the buildings ahead of us.  They came forward with a will.  There was a moments heavy firing from the Spaniards, which all went over our heads, and then it ceased entirely.  When we arrived at the buildings, panting and out of breath, they contained nothing but heaps of empty cartridge shells, and two dead Spaniards, shot through the head."
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

Offline Drydock

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Re: Timeline 1898: The Charge
« Reply #54 on: July 03, 2018, 09:46:32 PM »
1 July

"I have seen many illustrations and pictures of this charge on the San Juan hills, but none of them seem to show it as I remember it.  In the picture-papers the men are running up hill swiftly and gallantly, in regular formation, rank after rank, with flags flying, their eyes aflame, and their hair streaming, their bayonets fixed, in long, brilliant lines, an invincible, overpowering weight of numbers.  Instead of which I think the thing which impressed one the most, when our men started from cover, was that they were so few.  It seemed as it someone had made an awful and terrible mistake.  One's instinct was to call for them to come back."
 
                                                                          Richard Harding Davis

                                         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1st Brigade, 8th Corp, 2400 men, Brigadier General Thomas M Anderson commanding,  Comes ashore at Cavite, Manila Bay.
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

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Re: Timeline 1898: A Fourth of July present.
« Reply #55 on: July 03, 2018, 09:51:11 PM »
3 July

Cable

To: Department of the Navy, United States.

The Fleet under my command offers the Nation, as a Fourth of July present, the whole of Cevera's fleet.

                                                              Rear Admiral Willam T. Sampson, United States North Atlantic Squadron, Commanding.


 The United States Navy has fought, and won, it's first blue water fleet action, the Naval Battle of Santiago.  The Spanish have lost 4 armored cruisers and 2 destroyers, with nearly 500 casualties.  American losses were were one man killed, one man wounded.

With the stratigic objective of the Spanish Fleet now removed, the land assualt on Santiago has achieved it's objective.  V Corps mission now becomes the surrender of the Spanish Army still entrenched there, with General Shafter deciding to achieve this thru siege.  Thus begins a race between Spanish honor and Yellow Fever.
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

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Re: Timeline 1898: A Fourth of July present.
« Reply #56 on: July 08, 2018, 02:02:00 PM »
6 July

Congress votes to annex the Hawaiian Islands.
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

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Re: Timeline 1898: A Fourth of July present.
« Reply #57 on: July 08, 2018, 02:06:18 PM »
8 July

In response to US Navy Department orders to assemble a "Flying Squadron" to attack the Spanish Coastline, the Spanish fleet of Admiral Camera, containing the last armored ships of the Spanish Navy still afloat,  is recalled from Suez, ending any possible threat to the US Asiatic Squadron off Manila.
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

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Re: Timeline 1898: A Fourth of July present.
« Reply #58 on: July 17, 2018, 05:20:35 PM »
17 July

With the assurance that his men will be transported back to Spain at United States Government expense, General Jose Toral surrenders his entire command, not only the 11,500 besieged in Santiago, but also another 12,000 scattered thru the province.

                                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------

3500 men under Brigadier General Francis Vinton Greene land at Cavite, Manila Bay.   
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

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Re: Timeline 1898: A Fourth of July present.
« Reply #59 on: July 20, 2018, 02:38:15 PM »
18 July

Paris: The Spanish ambassador request the French Government use their good offices to arange an armistice between the United States and Spain.
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

 

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