Spanish cruiser Infanta Maria Teresa Infanta María Teresa was an " Infanta María Teresa " - class armoured cruiser of the Spanish Navy that fought at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish - American War . Technical characteristics . " Infanta María Teresa " was built at Bilbao , northern Spain . Her keel was laid in 1889 , she was launched on 30 August 1890 , and was completed in 1893 . She had two funnels and was fast and comparatively well - armed . Her main armament was mounted on the centerline in single barbette s fore and aft . Her armor was poor : her 280mm guns had only lightly armored hoods , her 140mm guns were mounted in the open on the upper deck , her armor belt was thin and protected only two - thirds of her length , and she had a high , unprotected freeboard that took much damage during the Battle of Santiago de Cuba . Like other nineteenth - century warships , she was heavily furnished and decorated with wood , which the Spanish failed to remove prior to combat and which would feed fires during the battle . Operational history . " Infanta María Teresa " was flagship of Spanish Vice Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete , commander of the Spanish Navy ' s 1st Squadron , when tensions with the United States were rising after the explosion and sinking of the US battleship " Maine " in the harbor at Havana , Cuba on 15 February 1898 . The squadron concentrated at São Vicente in Portugal ' s Cape Verde Islands ; departing Cadiz on 8 April 1898 . The " Infanta María Teresa " , the armored cruiser " Cristóbal Colón " , and three destroyers arrived at São Vicente on 14 April 1898 , experiencing machinery problems and burning excessive amounts of coal during the voyage . As more ships arrived over the next few days , it was noted that the 140mm guns aboard " Infanta Maria Teresa " had defective breech mechanisms and had been supplied with defective ammunition , and that the fleet had a shortage of stokers . The Spanish - American War broke out while " Infanta María Teresa " was at São Vicente . Ordered by neutral Portugal in accordance with international law to leave São Vicente within 24 hours of the declaration of war , " Infanta María Teresa " and the rest of Cervera ' s squadron departed on 29 April 1898 , bound for San Juan , Puerto Rico . The fleet reached French - owned Martinique in the Lesser Antilles on 10 May 1898 . While the large ships loitered in international waters , two of the Spanish destroyers went into Fort - de - France to ask for coal . France was neutral and would not supply coal , so the Spanish squadron departed on 12 May 1898 for the Netherlands - owned Curaçao , where Cervera expected to meet a collier . Cervera arrived at Willemstad on 14 May , but the Netherlands also was neutral , and strictly enforced its neutrality by allowing only " Infanta María Teresa " and her sister ship " Vizcaya " to enter port and permitting them to load only 600 tons of coal . Cervera ' s ships departed on 15 May , no longer bound for San Juan , which by now was under a U . S . Navy blockade , but for as - yet unblockaded Santiago de Cuba on the southeastern coast of Cuba , arriving there on 19 May 1898 . Cervera hoped to refit his ships there before he could be trapped . His squadron was still in the harbor of Santiago de Cuba when an American squadron arrived on 27 May 1898 and began a blockade which would drag on for 37 days . The blockade wore on , with " Infanta María Teresa " and the others enduring occasional American naval bombardments of the harbor . " Infanta María Teresa " still faced a serious problem with her 140mm gun ammunition , 80 percent of which defective . Some of her crewmen joined others from the fleet in a Naval Brigade to fight against a U . S . Army overland drive toward Santiago de Cuba . By the beginning of July 1898 , the US thrust threatened to capture Santiago de Cuba , and Cervera decided that his squadron ' s only hope was to escape into the open sea by running the blockade . The decision was made on 1 July 1898 , with the break - out set for 3 July 1898 . The crew of " Infanta María Teresa " spent 2 July 1898 returning from Naval Brigade service and preparing for action . With Vice Admiral Cervera aboard , " Infanta María Teresa " was to lead the escape , sacrificing herself by attacking the fastest American ship , armored cruiser USS " Brooklyn " , allowing the rest of the squadron to avoid action and run westward for the open sea . The Spanish ships put seaward at 0845 hrs on 3 July 1898 . The US ships sighted the Spanish ships in the channel at about 0935 , and the Battle of Santiago de Cuba began . As lead ship in the Spanish line , " Infanta María Teresa " was the first ship to receive concentrated fire from the blockading U . S . Navy squadron . With " Vizcaya " close behind her and the other Spanish ships turning hard to starboard to flee to the west , " Infanta María Teresa " charged " Brooklyn " as if to ram , closing the range to 600 yards ( 550 meters ) by 1005 hours , forcing " Brooklyn " to turn to the east . " Infanta María Teresa " turned west , brushing past the last obstacle in her path , the armed yacht USS " Vixen " , as battleship USS " Iowa " came up at a range of 2 , 600 yards ( 2 , 377 m ) to port , with battleships USS " Oregon " and USS " Indiana " close behind " Iowa " . A general engagement ensued , with the US ships to starboard of " Infanta María Teresa " and both sides firing at maximum rates . One of the first shells " Iowa " fired hit the after main - battery turret of " Infanta María Teresa " , killing or wounding its crew and knocking out its gun . " Infanta María Teresa " had already taken many hits , and now " Brooklyn " and battleship USS " Texas " began to hit her repeatedly . Fires broke out , threatening to detonate her ammunition magazines . Seeing no hope for the ship and wishing to save as many of her crew as possible , Cervera at 1020 hours ordered the ship beached . She turned to starboard and ran aground at 1025 hours a few miles west of Santiago de Cuba and just west of Punta Cabrera . The colors were struck and the magazines were flooded to prevent explosions . Some of the ship ' s crewmen made it ashore , although they had to beware of Cuban insurgents , who began to shoot the survivors of the wrecked Spanish ships . Others were rescued by American sailors who brought small boats alongside the wrecks to take off survivors . After the war , the US Navy refloated " Infanta María Teresa " in an attempt to put her into service . She was towed to Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , for preliminary repairs , then was towed by repair ship USS " Vulcan " toward Norfolk , Virginia , where her repairs could be completed . Caught in a storm during the voyage , she began to founder . Repair ship " Merritt " took off her crew , and " Infanta María Teresa " sank between two reefs off Cat Island in the Bahamas with a broken back , a total loss . One of the 140mm guns was salvaged and is on display in Groton , CT .