page_title: Ramón Acha Caamaño
section_title: Bombardment of San Juan
hierarchical_section_title: Ramón Acha Caamaño / Spanish–American War / Bombardment of San Juan
caption_attribution_description: Cannon - Fort San Cristobal San Juan. Spanish Ordóñez 15 cm Modelo 1885 gun.
context_page_description: Ramón Acha Caamaño was a brigadier general in the Spanish Army. As Captain in charge of the Spanish Artillery in San Juan, he defended Puerto Rico against U.S. attack during the Spanish–American War.
  Caamaño was awarded the Cruz de la Orden de Merito Naval Primera Clase by the Spanish government for his role in the rescue of the cargo of the SS Antonio López, a Spanish transoceanic steamer. In 1921, while Spain was involved in the Rif War, Caamaño served as commander of the Artillery Corps in defense of Valladolid, Spain.
context_section_description: The Bombardment of San Juan, or the First Battle of San Juan (not to be confused with the Battle of San Juan Hill or the Battle for the Río San Juan de Nicaragua), refers to an American naval attack on the fortifications of San Juan, Puerto Rico during the Spanish–American War.
  For weeks, the United States Navy had been awaiting the arrival of the Spanish fleet under Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete, unaware that he had already eluded them and slipped his squadron into the Bay of Santiago.
  On May 12, U.S. Admiral William T. Sampson and a fleet of ten American ships arrived in San Juan to bombard the city's citadels. Caamaño and Capt. José Antonio Iriarte were among those who defended the city from their positions in Fort San Felipe del Morro. They had three batteries under their command, which were armed with at least three 15 cm (6 in) Ordóñez cannons each. The battle lasted three hours and resulted in the death of Justo Esquivies, the first Puerto Rican soldier to die in the Puerto Rican Campaign. Caamaño was awarded the Cruz de la Orden de Merito Militar Primera clase (The Cross of the Order of the Military Merit 1st class) for his actions.
  After causing much damage to the Spanish defenses and receiving minor damage, low on coal and ammunition, Sampson ordered a cease fire and returned to Havana, Cuba and then to Florida for repairs and supplies.
  On June 28, 1898, two American cruisers fought with a squadron of Spanish warships. This squadron consisted of one cruiser, two gunboats and one blockade runner. During the engagement the "SS Antonio López," a transoceanic steamer belonging to the Compañía Transatlántica Española which had a cargo of military supplies, was pursued by USS Yosemite until it ran aground at Ensenada Honda, Puerto Rico with its valuable cargo. The men under Capt. Caamaño's command quickly removed as much as possible of the stranded ship's cargo. The desperate efforts proved fruitful, and nearly the entire cargo was salvaged from the hulk. Only one cannon and some minor articles fell overboard during the salvage operation.
  On 15 July, USS New Orleans arrived to relieve Yosemite, and the next day it quickly finished off the "SS Antonio Lopez" by firing twenty incendiary shells into the vessel and sinking it. Though the Antonio Lopez had been sunk, she successfully delivered her cargo, ensuring that any American assault on San Juan would be met with stronger resistance. Caamaño was awarded the Cruz de la Orden de Merito Naval Primera clase (The Cross of the Order of the Naval Merit 1st class) by the Spanish government.
caption: Ordoñez 15 cm cannon which opened fire on Admiral Sampson's fleet
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