History
USS Maine
- 01/1898, Maine is sent from Key West, Florida, to Havana, Cuba, to protect American interests during the ongoing Cuban War of Independance.
- 02/15/1898, At 21:40 on Feb 15, an explosion occured aboard Maine while at anchor in Havana Harbor. Later investigations revealed that more than 5.1 tons of poweder charges for the main and secondary guns in the ships forward magazine had detonated, obliterating the forward third of the ship. The remaining wreckage rapidly settled to the bottom of Havana Harbor. The majority of Maine's crew were resting in the enlisted quarters, located in the forward parat of the ship, when the explosion occured. 261 men in total were lost due to the explosion, 2 officers and 251 enlisted sailors and marines died from the initial explosion or drowning, 7 more sailors died from thier injuries after being rescued, and 1 officer died from shock. Most of the officers, including Captain Sigsbee, survived since thier quarters were located in the aft end of the Ship. A total of 94 of Maine's crew survived, only 16 of which were uninjured.
- 03/21/1898, On Mar 21, a Naval Board of Inquiry declared that a naval mine was the cause of the explosion, stating "At frame 18 the vertical keel is broken in two and the flat keel is bent at an angle similar to the angle formed by the outside bottom plating. ... In the opinion of the court, this effect could have been produced only by the explosion of a mine situated under the bottom of the ship at about frame 18, and somewhat on the port side of the ship.".
- 05/09/1910, For several years, the wreck of the Maine lay on the bottom of Havana Harbor, although it was evident the wreck would have to be removed as silt buildup threatened to create a shoal. On May 9, Congress authorized funds for the removal of the wreck from Havana Harbor, the proper internment of the dead 70 dead still inside the wreck at Arlington National Cemetary, and the relocation of the ships main mast to Arlington National Cemetary.
Gallery
Images & Captions
Image 1
1 / 1Construction of USS Maine published in the Scientific American
Service History
Commissionings
| Commissioned | Decommissioned | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 1895-09-17 |
Specifications
Overview
- Class
- N/A
- Builder
- New York Naval Shipyard
- Keel Laid
- 1888-10-17
- Launch Date
- 1890-11-18
- Displacement
- 6,789 Tons
- Speed
- 16.5 Knots
- Power Plant
- 8 x Boilers, 2 x Triple-Expansion Engines, 2 x Screws
- Armor
- Belt Armor: 12in, Deck Armor: 2in - 3in, Turret Armor: 8in, Conning Tower Armor: 10in, Bulkhead Armor: 6in
- Final Disposition
- Exploded and sunk in Havana Harbor, Cuba, 15 February 1898. Remains raised and scuttled at sea, 16 March 1912
Weapons
Armament
- Primary
- 4 x 10"/30 Caliber Mk 2 Guns (2x2)
- Secondary
- 6 x 6"/30 Caliber Guns (6x1), 4 x 18" Above-Water Torpedo Tubes
- Tertiary
- 7 x 6-Pounder Guns (7x1), 4 x 1-Pounder Hotchkiss Guns (4x1), 4 x 1-Pounder Driggs-Schroeder Guns (4x1)
- Additional
- 4 x 45-70 Gatling Guns