|
The Capture of Guam was a bloodless event between the United States and the Kingdom of Spain during the Spanish–American War. The U.S. Navy sent a single cruiser, the , to capture the island of Guam, then under Spanish control. However, the Spanish garrison on the island had no knowledge of the war and no real defenses. They surrendered without resistance and the island passed into American control. The event was the only conflict of the Spanish–American War on Guam. ==Background== Guam had been under Spanish control since 1668. By the time of the war, however, Guam had been neglected and there were only light defenses. The last message the authorities on Guam had received from Spain was dated 14 April 1898, a month before war was declared. Henry Glass, Captain of ''Charleston'', was en route from California to Manila when in Honolulu he was joined by three transport ships, ''City of Peking'', ''City of Sydney'', and ''Australia''.〔Patrick McSherry, (The Capture of Guam ), Spanamwar.com〕 Then in the Pacific he opened his sealed orders which said,
The message created intense excitement and enthusiasm among the seamen. Many of them immediately went to the ship's library and eagerly scrutinized charts, geographies, histories, and encyclopedias for information.〔 While the sailors were in the ship's library learning this information about the island of Guam, Captain Glass altered the direction of the cruiser toward the new destination. The soldiers and sailors on the transports were stirred when they noticed the change in direction, and rumors started instantly. Some thought the expedition was to hoist the American flag over the Caroline Islands and remain there until reinforcements arrived for a stronger descent upon Manila. Others guessed that ''Charleston'' was sailing to some mysterious island of Spain, complete with impregnable fortifications, a formidable force of Spanish soldiers, and vast quantities of coal. The rumor mongering stopped the next day, when the correct news was wigwagged to the transports.〔Walker p.5〕 Along with the sealed orders were warnings of possible Spanish Men of War in San Luis d'Apra, the main port of Guam, and notification of it being protected by a heavy battery of guns. The existence of the heavy armament was verified by reputable travelers who had visited the island within the two or three years before 1898. Definite information of the size of the Spanish garrison was not given, and in the absence of direct knowledge, the captain of the cruiser had to assume that there might be more than a thousand fighting men on the island who were thoroughly familiar with the terrain. Glass held a conference on ''Australia'', and invited General Anderson, Commander William C. Gibson, naval officer in charge of the transports, and the captains of the three troop carriers were invited to participate in the discussions. Also present at the meeting was T. A. Hallet, third officer of ''Australia'' and a former whaling captain, who had been to the Mariana Islands many times. Hallet told the group that on his last visit to Guam, San Luis d'Apra was strongly fortified. Fort Santa Cruz and the battery on Point Orote, he stated, were efficiently manned and equipped. After a complete appraisal of all the known and unknown factors in the impending battle, the officers completed the arrangements for the attack on Guam.〔 It was soon noticed by the troops that ''Charleston'' was expecting a fight, because the cruiser began shooting subcaliber ammunition at boxes tossed from ''City of Peking''. This mild training continued until the afternoon of 15 June, when the American cruiser started circling and firing service charges at pyramidal cloth targets set adrift from the cruiser herself. The range was about , and the gun crews, which were composed largely of the green recruits under the command of Second Lieutenant John Twiggs Myers, were shooting accurately enough to cause Captain Glass to smile pleasantly. By the time the convoy crossed the 180th meridian, the officers and men felt they were ready for the enemy.〔Walker p.6〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Capture of Guam」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|