Battle of Manila Bay
Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasarón, who had been dispatched rapidly to the Philippines, was equipped with a variety of obsolete vessels. Efforts to fortify his position amounted to little. The corrupt Spanish colonial bureaucracy may have worked against the effort, sending explosives meant for mines to friendly construction companies. Reinforcements promised from Madrid resulted in only two poorly armored scout cruisers. Montojo compounded his difficulties by retreating from the range of Spanish fortress guns—guns that might have evened the odds—and choosing to anchor in a relatively shallow anchorage. His intent seems to have been to preserve the families of the Spanish sailors in Manila from bombardment, and to allow survivors of his fleet to swim to safety. The harbor was protected by four batteries.
At daybreak on 1 May, George Dewey aboard the protected cruiser USS Olympia led a small squadron of ships into Manila Bay. Two mines were exploded but ineffectively. At 5:10 a.m., the Spaniards opened fire. At 5:30 with the now famous phrase, "You may fire when ready, Gridley," the Olympia's captain was instructed to begin the barrage that resulted in the destruction of Spain's fleet.
The U.S. squadron swung in front of the Spanish ships and forts in single file, firing their port guns. They then passed back, firing their starboard guns. This was repeated five times, each time at closer range. Most of the Spanish ships were either destroyed or surrendered. The Spanish fleet fought back with ferocity, but many crews were caught unaware—painting their vessels, or at Mass. The eleven Spanish ships and five land batteries fought back for two and a half hours. The American ships withdrew at 7:45 a.m., then attacked again at 10:40. The Spanish colors were struck in surrender at 12:40 p.m. The results were decisive; Dewey won the battle with only a single fatality among his crew, an engineer on the McCulloch from heart attack.