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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060
Online
Library of Selected Images
Spanish American War:
U.S. NAVY SHIPS -- Cruisers
U.S. Navy cruisers
came in great variety in 1898, all armed with medium caliber or
smaller guns. Excluding the larger armored cruiser type, these
warships were "protected cruisers", with a steel armored
deck covering machinery and ammunition magazines. In some smaller
cruisers, however, this armor was so thin that the ships really
deserved to be called gunboats. Cruiser missions included providing
presence throughout the World, fleet scouting, commerce protection
and raiding, all vital missions for a maritime nation.
Generally, the Navy's
cruisers were fairly fast by the standards of their day and had
good seagoing characteristics. While a few still retained sails
to enhance operating range, the introduction of triple-expansion
engines a decade earlier had made possible a high standard of
endurance under steam alone.
During the Spanish-American
War, the U.S. Navy actively employed fifteen ships rated as cruisers:
To the best of our
knowledge, the pictures provided here are all in the public domain,
and can therefore be freely downloaded and used for any purpose.
If better quality reproductions than these digital images
are desired, follow this link to "How
to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."
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28 February 1998