From PeterD: Manilla Bay 1898 (14 points)

A slow week again for me (teaching an overload course and wife's birthday) but a few things made it off the workbench.  A few more ships from my ongoing Spanish American War naval project, mostly Spanish and mostly from the Battle of Manilla Bay 1898.

The Spanish squadron in the Philippines was a collection of obsolete cruisers in a pretty dodgy state of maintenance and training.  They gave Dewey's American squadron little opposition but with some proper preparations and work, things might have been tougher for the US Navy.  Dewey had the easier challenge in battle but had a host of other issues to deal with.  His squadron was operating thousands of miles from a US port and had to shepherd colliers and other support ships.  He also had to stare down the German Asiatic squadron which anchored in  Manilla Bay and deal with Phillipino rebels that the US Government was preparing to throw under the bus once the Spanish were out of the way.  

The Reina Christina was an Alphonso XII class unprotected cruiser and flies the flag of Admiral Motojo.  She was the best of the Spanish squadron at Manilla and went down fighting.   This class of ships was named for member of the Spanish Royal Family and both the ships and royalty had pretty sad careers.  Christina was the Queen Regent in 1898, widow of Alphonso XII (who died in 1885 at the age of 27 from TB and dysentery) and mother of Alphonso XIII (born posthumously in 1886 and deposed in 1931).  Her sister ships were named for Alphonso XII and his first wife Reina Mercedes who died at age 18 from typhoid fever after 6 months of marriage.  The Alphoso XII was immobile in Havana harbour in 1898, but her crew helps the crew of the USS Maine after she was sunk.  The Reina Mercedes traded shots with the US Navy at Santiago, but was too sow to take part in the the breakout,  She was sunk as a block ship to deny the Americans access to the port.

The Castilla was an even older unprotected cruiser.  She served against the Tagalog Revolt but was thoroughly worn out by 1898.  Her machinery gave only a very slow speed and she in the early days of the war was found to have a serious leak that could only be patched with cement around her propellor shaft, immobilizing her.  The Christina had to tow her into position.

Two member of the ill fated Velasco class of small cruisers.  Tow of the class had been lost at sea prior to the war and three more members were sunk at Manilla Bay including Velasco herself.  She was immobilized on the day of battle (are you sensing a theme here?) with her boilers ashore and under repair.  Isabel II was at San Juan Puerto Rico in 1898 where she took part in two actions against the US blockaders.  She served in the Armada until 1907.  Isabel II was the mother of Alphonso II and had a troubled reign from 1833-1868.  Her succession caused the Carlist Wars (the other side was lead by an uncle who refused to accept a Queen), and she was deposed by a revolution in 1868.  She lived until 1904 but had abdicated while in exile in favour of her son.   

Finally some pretty good little ships.  USS Petrel was a gun boat that fought at Manilla Bay and further against against first the Spanish and then the Philippinos.  Very useful in the brushfire colonial campaigns of the day.  And another flotilla of two Spanish destroyers, which were modern designs for 1898.  

Thats's 7 1;2400 scale ships (all Tumbling Dice castings) at 2 points per hull for a total of 14 points.  I  should have something more substantial next week.

I really like these little ships, Peter, and the background story you have given us. It seems that the Spanish ships had as little luck in life as the royals they were named after... The smoke effect definitely enhances these models, your Spanish-American War fleets are progressing quite admirably. Excellent work, 14 points added!

Martijn