First Battle of Cárdenas

First Battle of Cardenas
Part of the Spanish–American War
USS Winslow
Date May 8, 1898 Location off Cardenas, Cuba Result United States victory, Spanish attack repulsed, blockade maintained
Belligerents
United States	Spain
Commanders and leaders
John Bernadou	Antonio Pérez Rendón
Strength
1 gunboat 1 torpedo boat	3 gunboats
Casualties and losses
none	3 gunboats damaged

The First Battle of Cardenas was a naval action fought in May 1898 during the Spanish–American War. A force of three Spanish gunboats attempted to lift the blockade of Cardenas, Cuba but were repulsed and sent back into harbor by two United States Navy warships.

During the Spanish–American War, Cardenas proved to be one of Spain's strongholds though it was considered a minor port. When war was declared and the United States Navy began their blockade of Cuba, three Spanish gunboats were trapped within the river. These vessels skirmished with two American vessels on April 27 and in the brief action one of the Spanish vessels was damaged. At the beginning of May 1898, the small 142 ton torpedo boat USS Winslow, under Lieutenant John Bernadou, and gunboat USS Machias blockaded Cardenas. On May 8, USS Machias left the blockade for a patrol, leaving the Winslow as the only American vessel at Cardenas. This tempted the Spanish gunboats to try to break the blockade. USS Winslow was armed with three rapid fire 1-pounders and three 18-inch (457 mm) torpedo tubes with a crew of twently officers and men. Machias was a much larger gunboat armed with eight 4-inch guns, four 6-pounders and four 1-pounders. Machias had a crew of about 150 men and officers. She participated only in the last few minutes of fighting.

Spanish forces included the Antonio Lopez, the Alerta and the Ligeria. All armed with one rapid fire 6-pounder each and had a crew on average of twenty men. The Spanish garrison of Cardenas manned two shore batteries, one was a stone battery occupied by a few guns and gunners, the other was filled with at least three field pieces and about 100 infantry with long range rifles but neither of these forces were capable of engaging as the battle was fought outside of their range. American forces also suspected that the Spanish had laid a sea mine field around the harbor with only one avenue for entering or exiting the port. A buoy was placed beyond the mine field which marked the extent at which the Spanish gunboats could fire. Spanish naval forces were under the command of Lieutenant Antonio Pérez Rendón.

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