An 11-inch gun from this ship rests today at Grant Park in Galena, Illinois.
Continuing with the history of the vessel.
Coming under fire of the American fleet and with troops approaching, it was decided to have the Spanish fleet attempt to make a run for it July 3, 1898. Two Spanish ships were sunk right away, then the Vizcaya came under fire of the US fleet.
The Vizcaya was pounded by the USS Brooklyn and battleships Texas, Oregon, Iowa, and Indiana. The Vizcaya's 5.5-inch guns hit the Brooklyn twice, resulting in the only American casualty of the day.
At 11, the Brooklyn hit the Vizcaya twice, one detonated a forward torpedo tube, blowing a large part of the bow off. The other shell destroyed the bridge and set the ornate woodwork afire and ammunition began to explode. At 11:06 it turned to shore, struck her ensign, and ran aground.
After the war, a US survey team looked at the feasibility of raising it, but determined the wreck was beyond salvage.
The Wikipedia site has film taken of the Vizcaya in new York Harbor taken 2-28-98 and of the wreck.
There are also nice pictures of the ship at www.hazegray.org/features/santiago.
A Little Known Ship. --Cooter
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