Spanish cruiser Vizcaya

Vizcaya sometime between 1893 and 1898
History
Spain
Name:	Vizcaya
Namesake:	Spanish name for Biscay, a Spanish province.
Builder:	Bilbao, Spain
Laid down:	1889
Launched:	8 July 1891
Completed:	1893
Fate:	Sunk 3 July 1898
General characteristics
Class and type:	Infanta Maria Teresa-class armored cruiser
Displacement:	6,890 tons
Length:	364 ft 0 in (110.95 m)
Beam:	65 ft 2 in (19.86 m)
Draft:	21 ft 6 in (6.55 m) maximum
Installed power:	13,700 ihp (10,200 kW)
Propulsion:	2-shaft vertical triple expansion
Speed:	20.2 kn (37.4 km/h; 23.2 mph) (forced draft)
Endurance:	1,050 tons of coal (normal)
Complement:	484 officers and enlisted
Armament:	2 × 11 in (279 mm) guns 10 × 5.5 in (140 mm) guns 8 × 12 pdr quick-firing guns 10 × 3 pdr Hotchkiss revolvers 8 × Nordenfeld machine guns, 2 × Maxim machine guns 8 × torpedo tubes (2 submerged)
Armor:	Belt: 12–10 in (305–254 mm); Barbettes: 9 in (229 mm) Conning tower: 12 in (305 mm) Deck: 2–3 in (51–76 mm)

Vizcaya was an Infanta Maria Teresa-class armored cruiser of the Spanish Navy that fought at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish–American War.

Vizcaya was built at Bilbao, Spain. She was laid down in 1889, launched on 8 July 1891, and completed in 1893. She had two funnels and was fast and well armed. Her main armament was mounted on the center line in single barbettes fore and aft. Her armor was poor: her 11-inch (279 mm) guns had only lightly armored hoods, her 5.5-inch (140 mm) 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.

Vizcaya was visiting New York City on a friendly visit to reciprocate for the visit of battleship USS Maine to Havana, Cuba, when Maine exploded and sank at Havana on 15 February 1898. Vizcaya then steamed to Havana, where she rendezvoused with her sister ship Almirante Oquendo. Ordered back across the Atlantic as war approached, both ships was assigned to the Spanish Navy's 1st Squadron, which was concentrating at São Vicente in Portugal's Cape Verde Islands under Vice Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete. They arrived at São Vicente on 19 April 1898. It was noted that Vizcaya badly needed drydocking because of a badly fouled bottom, her 5.5-inch guns had defective breech mechanisms and had been supplied with defective ammunition, and the fleet had a shortage of stokers.