Wrecks of Spanish warships investigated according to the Dutch newspaper Sumatra courant dated 24 August 1898

Spanish Infanta Maria Teresa-class armoured cruisers consisting of Infanta Maria Teresa, Almirante Oquendo and Vizcaya

Spanish armoured cruiser Christoforo Colon (1895) 1897-1898. 

Dutch newspaper De grondwet dated 24 May 1898

An item reported that an American commission examined the wrecks of the Spanish armoured ships lying off the Cuba coast. She reported that the Maria Teresa and Christobal Colon could be salvaged. The Vizcaya and Amirante Oquende were considered to be lost although their guns could be salvaged. The Amirante Quendo had 61, Vizcaija 24, Maria Teresa 33 and the Christobal Colon 80 holes caused by hits from the American warships. The commission concluded that no longer wood was to be used for building warships and that battleships were not to be fitted out with torpedoes. The Vizcaija sunk when hit by one of her own torpedoes. Quick firing guns were of great value for battleships was another conclusion.(1)

Note

1. The Spanish navy suffered heavily in the battle off Santiago de Cuba on 3 July 1898 against the US Navy loosing 4 armored cruisers, 2 destroyers and 343 men killed.