HISZPAŃSKI KRĄŻOWNIK PANCERNY INFANTA MARIA TERESA

Infanta Maria Teresa was a Spanish armored cruiser (according to some classifications - armored cruiser) from the end of the 19th century. The keel was laid for this unit in 1889, the launch took place in August 1890, and in 1893 the ship was commissioned. Its length at the time of launching was 110.9 meters and a width of 19.9 meters. The displacement reached approx. 6,900 tons, and the maximum speed - up to approx. 20 knots. The armament included, among others: 2 280 mm guns, 10 140 mm guns and 8 57 mm guns. The Infanta Maria Teresa was the leading unit of the class of three cruisers of the same name. Ships of this class were built in view of the mounting Spanish-American tensions. Units of this type had good top speed and good armament, but at the same time relatively poor armor. Moreover, a lot of wood was used to finish them, which increased the risk of fire in the event of a battle. Infanta Maria Teresa was built in the Bilbao shipyard, and in April 1898 (along with other ships of her class) she was directed to the Caribbean Sea. Already in May, all ships were blocked by US Navy units in the port of Santiago de Cuba. While trying to break through the blockade of Infanta Maria Teresa, she was sunk on July 3, 1898.