Battle of Manila Bay
The Battle of Manila Bay was a significant naval engagement that occurred on May 1, 1898, during the Spanish-American War. Commodore George Dewey led the American forces, commanding a squadron of four cruisers and two gunboats, with orders to engage the Spanish fleet in the Philippines. The battle unfolded near the Cavite naval point, where the Spanish fleet, under Admiral Patricio Montojo, was significantly outnumbered and outgunned. The American ships opened fire at dawn, quickly disabling the Spanish vessels with no damage to their own fleet. The battle concluded within a few hours, resulting in substantial Spanish casualties and the complete loss of their naval capabilities in the region.
In the aftermath, Dewey was promoted to rear admiral, and American ground forces occupied Manila shortly after a ceasefire was established. The Treaty of Paris, signed in February 1899, formally ended the war and ceded the Philippines to the United States. The anniversary of the battle was commemorated for many years by veterans and organizations, although such celebrations have diminished in modern times. The Battle of Manila Bay remains an important historical event, marking a pivotal moment in U.S. military history and the expansion of American influence in the Pacific.
Battle of Manila Bay
Spanish-American War: Battle of Manila Bay
When the Spanish-American War broke out on April 21, 1898, Commodore George Dewey was in Hong Kong with four cruisers, namely his flagship Olympia, the Baltimore, the Boston, and the Raleigh, as well as two gunboats, the Concord and the Petrel. He received orders on April 24 from Secretary of the Navy John Davis Long “to proceed to the Philippine Islands; commence operations at once against the Spanish fleet; capture vessels or destroy.”
Dewey's Asian Squadron sailed immediately, and arrived at the entrance to Manila Bay on the evening of April 30. The Spanish fleet, under the command of Admiral Patricio Montojo and consisting of four cruisers, three gunboats, and three other vessels in poor repair, lay off Cavite naval point. At 5:40 A.M. on May 1, when the American ships were about 5,000 yards from the Spanish fleet, Dewey quietly ordered Captain C. V. Gridley, the commander of his flagship: “You may fire when you are ready, Gridley.”
The American fleet then raked the Spanish line, swinging in an oval pattern past the Spanish ships at a range of between 5,000 and 2,000 yards. Upon receiving an erroneous report that there was a shortage of ammunition, Dewey ordered a temporary ceasefire at 7:35 A.M., but at 11:16 he renewed action. An hour and a quarter later, the battle was over.
The Spanish fleet, with not one-third of the American firing power, had been completely disabled or destroyed. Spanish losses were 381 men killed and wounded. None of the American ships were damaged; eight men were wounded. Within ten days of the battle, Dewey had been promoted to the rank of rear admiral. Congress authorized bronze medals to be struck and awarded to the officers and men who had taken part in the battle, and on March 3, 1899, Dewey was named admiral of the navy. The title was especially created for him by Congress the previous day.
Since Dewey did not have enough men to occupy Manila, he blockaded the bay. Finally, on August 13, the day after an armistice was signed between the United States and Spain, American troops under Major General Wesley Merritt, supported by Dewey's fleet, occupied the city. On February 10, 1899, the Treaty of Paris formally ending the Spanish-American War was signed by President William McKinley. Under its terms the United States took possession of the Philippine Islands in return for the payment of $20 million.
For many years, the anniversary of the Battle of Manila Bay was celebrated annually by the Dewey Congressional Medal Men's Association, composed of the officers and men who took part in the battle. Other organizations of war veterans usually participated in the celebration. The exercises were held for a number of years in the Philadelphia Navy Yard, where the Olympia was docked after it was put out of commission in 1922. It was customary to hold a parade of war veterans in one of the streets leading to the navy yard in advance of the formal exercises on board the Olympia. At the celebration in 1934, Admiral Dewey's flag, which was shot down during the battle of May 1, was restored to the ship and hoisted to its proper place. Today, there are no longer any major celebrations of the Battle of Manila Bay.