Atlas of Battles

naval engagement, nineteenth century

First Battle of Cárdenas

First Battle of Cárdenas was a naval engagement fought on 8 May 1898 at Cárdenas, in what is now Cuba. It was part of the Spanish–American War. The recorded result: American victory. Recorded strength: 1 gunboat; 1 torpedo boat against 2 gunboats; 1 armed tug.

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USS Winslow (TB-5) photographed circa 1898, with a small water taxi rowing past her bow. Courtesy of Jack Howland, 1985. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.
USS Winslow (TB-5) photographed circa 1898, with a small water taxi rowing past her bow. Courtesy of Jack Howland, 1985. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.. Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought8 May 1898
WhereCárdenas, Cuba23.036N, 81.207W
OutcomeAmerican victory
BelligerentsUnited StatesagainstSpain
Casualties and lossesNoneand2 gunboats damaged; 1 armed tug damaged
Part ofSpanish–American War1898

Where it sits in the Spanish–American War

Capture of Guam, 1898Action of 25 April 1898, 1898Battle of Manila Bay, 1898First Battle of Cárdenas, 1898Battle of Cienfuegos, 1898Battle of Guantánamo Bay, 1898Second Battle of San Juan, 1898Battle of Las Guásimas, 1898Third Battle of San Juan, 1898First Battle of Manzanillo, 1898Battle of San Juan Hill, 1898Battle of El Caney, 1898Second Battle of Manzanillo, 1898Third Battle of Manzanillo, 1898Battle of Nipe Bay, 1898Battle of Fajardo, 1898Battle of Manila, 189818981898First Battle of Cárdenas, 1898
17 placed engagements of the Spanish–American War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date8 May 1898
PlaceCárdenas, Cuba
23.036N, 81.207W
KindNaval engagement, nineteenth century
Strength1 gunboat; 1 torpedo boat2 gunboats; 1 armed tug
Casualties and lossesNone2 gunboats damaged; 1 armed tug damaged
Commanders
  • John Bernadou
First Battle of CárdenasFirst Battle of CárdenasAction of 25 April 1898Battle in the Bay of MatanzasBattle of HavanaBattle of HavanaBattle of the Hotel Nacional of CubaAction of 25 April 1898Battle in the Bay of MatanzasBattle of HavanaBattle of HavanaSanta ClaraCienfuegosSancti SpíritusArtemisaSagua la GrandeNueva Gerona100 km23.036N, 81.207W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1898

First Battle of Cárdenas is one of 3,507 engagements of the 19th century in the atlas and one of 61 in present-day Cuba.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q5452507, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article First Battle of Cárdenas, revision 1370618565, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.