Pascual Cervera
Pascual Cervera y Topete (born February 18, 1839 in Medina-Sidonia , † April 3, 1909 in Puerto Real ) was an admiral of the Spanish Armada .
Life
In 1888 he was, along with José Ferrándiz y Niño as the second in command, the commandant of the Spanish liner Pelayo . He was a man with extensive military experience and when the Spanish-American War broke out he managed to outsmart the blockade of the Spanish Antilles by the American navy.
On July 3, 1898, he faced Admiral William Thomas Sampson and his fleet in the waters of Santiago de Cuba . However, after a heroic battle, his fleet was defeated by the numerically superior Americans. After this fight, he and his superiors discussed how to proceed in this war. But he seldom obeyed orders. Cervera's decision to leave Santiago during the day and very close to the coast can be explained by the fact that he believed the war was lost even before the start and tried to minimize the casualties.
This way of thinking corresponds to his first decision to avoid the battle with the state fleet and wait in wait in port. But this decision turns out to be terribly wrong and counterproductive, since he had to face the fleet anyway, only in a much more unfavorable situation than if he had to fight on the open sea, since his ships all had to set off and fight individually. The port of Santiago de Cuba is considered a safe retreat, as no large fleet can enter it at the same time, but at the same time it was also a mousetrap for the Spaniards.
Even if one has to admit that the Spanish fleet was inferior to the American one from the start, Cevera was unable to work out a suitable and structured military strategy. His captains Fernando Villaamil and Joaquín Bustamante suggested offensive strategies to make the enemy fall back, or step-by-step procedures at night , but he paid no heed and instead stood idly.
Cervera was then a prisoner of war, Villaamil died during the battle. Bustamante left his ship before the Spanish attack began and died after a serious injury sustained during the battle on the hills of San Juan .
After the war, Cervera and his surviving soldiers were charged, but due to his popularity with the public, he was eventually honorably discharged.
Cervera was a decorated veteran of the Spanish Armada . He earned awards during the Carlist Wars before retiring and becoming Minister of the Navy. Since his death there has always been a ship named Almirante Cervera in the Spanish fleet.
He died eleven years after his release.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Cervera, Pascual |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Cervera y Topete, Pascual |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Spanish military, Admiral of the Spanish Armada |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 18, 1839 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Medina-Sidonia |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 3, 1909 |
| Place of death | Puerto Real |