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Friday, 11 October 2013

American auxiliary cruiser St. Paul captured Spanish transport Alfonso XIII according to the Dutch newspaper Middelburgsche Courant 3 June 1898

An item reported that at Key West rumours were spread that the American auxiliary cruiser Saint Paul (1) captured the Spanish transport Alfonso XIII with 1,200 men and a large quantity of stores on board.(1)

Notes
1. Steel built passenger ships of the International Navigation Company. Launched on 10 April 1895 a the yard of William Cramp&Sons at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, chartered on 12 March three years later, commissioned on 20 April and decommissioned on 2 September and handed over to her owner again. The United States Shipping Board take her in service again in 27 October 1917 now as transport for the Ward Department, April 1918 transferred to the Navy and became the SP-1643 until 14 January one year later when she was decommissioned and again handed over to her owner on 24 March. In 1923 was she broken up in Germany. With a displacement of 14,910 long tons/15,150 tons were her dimensions 168,61 x 19 x 8,5 metres or 553’2”x 63 x 28’. Her crew numbered 381 men and she had a speed of 22 knots. The armament consisted of 6-5” guns, 6-6pdr guns and 6-3pdr guns.
2. The USA and Spain were between 25 April and 12 August 1898 involved in the Spanish-American War. The formal peace treaty was not earlier signed as on 10 December and ratified by the US Senate on 6 February of the next year.