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Osprey Campaign #419
Manila Bay 1898: Dawn of an American Empire
An illustrated history of the first Pacific War," which saw the United States transform itself into an outward-looking, expansionist great power.
In April 1898, the United States and Spain declared war on each other. Led by Commodore George Dewey, the small US Asiatic Squadron departed China and attacked the Spanish naval squadron defending Manila Bay on May 1. Simultaneously, a Filipino insurrection under a charismatic young native named Aguinaldo liberated most of the Philippines on its own and laid siege to Manila. This resulted in three warring sides vying for supremacy, with each fixed on their own unique political goals.
Here, respected author Brian Lane Herder explores why the 1898 US campaign in the Philippines permanently transformed US foreign policy, and highlights the importance of the Filipino rebels in defeating the Spanish. Illustrated with stunning battlescenes, photographs, and informative maps and diagrams, this work covers the May 1 naval battle between the US and Spanish cruiser squadrons, the May–August Philippines land campaign, the capture of Guam, and the annexation of Hawaii. The resultant work is one of the first to address the entire Pacific theater of the Spanish–American War, including both military and diplomatic developments."
In April 1898, the United States and Spain declared war on each other. Led by Commodore George Dewey, the small US Asiatic Squadron departed China and attacked the Spanish naval squadron defending Manila Bay on May 1. Simultaneously, a Filipino insurrection under a charismatic young native named Aguinaldo liberated most of the Philippines on its own and laid siege to Manila. This resulted in three warring sides vying for supremacy, with each fixed on their own unique political goals.
Here, respected author Brian Lane Herder explores why the 1898 US campaign in the Philippines permanently transformed US foreign policy, and highlights the importance of the Filipino rebels in defeating the Spanish. Illustrated with stunning battlescenes, photographs, and informative maps and diagrams, this work covers the May 1 naval battle between the US and Spanish cruiser squadrons, the May–August Philippines land campaign, the capture of Guam, and the annexation of Hawaii. The resultant work is one of the first to address the entire Pacific theater of the Spanish–American War, including both military and diplomatic developments."
- GenresHistory
96 pages, Paperback
First published September 25, 2025
2 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Brian Lane Herder
18 books7 followersBorn in 1981, Brian Lane Herder graduated with a BA in History from the University of Kansas in 2003, and a Masters of Library Science from Emporia State University in 2009.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 2, 2025
Most students of US history know the importance of the Spanish-American War, particularly with regard to the nascent American imperialism of the late 19th Century. The shattering of the Spanish fleet at Manila Bay in May 1898 played a significant role in fostering US control over the Pacific. In this book in Osprey’s Campaign series, Brian Lane Herder examines the actions that led to the fall of Manila and its place in the broader flow of events.
Herder places the battles at Manila Bay in their strategic context, setting them against the declining Spanish empire and a rising United States, which was stretching its wings across the seas after consolidating its internal land ‘frontiers’. In the Pacific Ocean, the US dominated Hawaii with a view to annexation. Then came the Filipino Revolution of 1896 and, in 1898, the Cuban Crisis and the ‘Maine Incident’, prompting a US ultimatum for the Spanish to evacuate the island. That led directly to war in April 1898.
Of the commanders at Manila Bay, Herder finds that the Spanish were ‘gloomy, fatalistic’ generals under threat of execution if they did not defend at all costs. For the Americans, Commodore George Dewey stands out as the leading commander. For the Filipinos, Herder highlights Generalissimo Emilio Aguialdo y Famy and General Mariano Noriel as inspirational revolutionary leaders. Herder considers the forces involved in the fighting, including the Spanish defences at Manila Bay, which looked better on paper than in practice. Herder also covers the main naval squadrons and the army, commanded by an obsolete officer class. The US navy was greatly underestimated although it had reinvented itself in the late 19th Century to become a modern, powerful fleet. The US army had also expanded and modernised by 1898. The Filipino insurgency also fielded an ‘effective and disciplined’ but logistically limited army. Herder argues that the Spanish knew they would lose the war, but that they must do so with honour. Defending the Philippines, however, offered their best chance of success. The Americans adopted a strategic approach, part of which was to attack the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay. The Filipinos wanted revolution, and supporting the US was their best shot at that, although they operated in an atmosphere of mutual distrust.
Moving on to the campaign, Herder describes the extensive US preparations for war and their resolve to attack the Spanish in the Philippines. The US fleet in the region, under Dewey, inspected an empty Subic Bay, which meant the Spanish were in Manila Bay. The firing began with the shore batteries, but the US fleet ploughed on. They found the Spanish fleet off the Cavite Peninsula and opened fire. Herder narrates the action in what was a decidedly one-sided affair. With the Spanish fleet defeated, the Americans blockaded Manila. European ships soon arrived to observe, including the belligerent Germans who seemed to side with the Spanish for reasons still unknown. On land, the insurgents placed Manila under siege. Other insurgent operations led to the declaration of independence on 12 June. It took a while to organise the US land force for a Philippines expedition, and they didn’t sail until June, though they seized Guam along the way. Meanwhile, a powerful Spanish fleet that had sailed for the Philippines had to return to Spain to prevent a feared US naval assault. Back in Manila, the US expeditionary force had arrived. After a precarious start, the Americans built their strength to the point where the Spanish agreed to surrender the city but only after a fake battle to save their honour, which turned into the real thing. Spanish surrender was inevitable, however, and came on 13 August. The Filipinos were all but shut out of the city, but they would go on later to fight the Americans in a bloody war that lasted until 1901. The Philippines would not gain independence until 1946.
The Spanish-American War still causes controversy amongst historians, and Herder does well to include those issues within a tightly written narrative of events. Clearly, there is much more to all this, particularly on the political side, but Herder does enough to set the action at Manila Bay into its strategic context. This brief survey, therefore, scratches an itch while leaving the door open to further reading for those so inclined. As is customary, Osprey’s production values shine through with some excellent illustrations and graphics and a useful collection of photographs, especially of the various ships involved. Manila Bay 1898 is an interesting and entertaining read for anyone interested in US military and imperial history.
Herder places the battles at Manila Bay in their strategic context, setting them against the declining Spanish empire and a rising United States, which was stretching its wings across the seas after consolidating its internal land ‘frontiers’. In the Pacific Ocean, the US dominated Hawaii with a view to annexation. Then came the Filipino Revolution of 1896 and, in 1898, the Cuban Crisis and the ‘Maine Incident’, prompting a US ultimatum for the Spanish to evacuate the island. That led directly to war in April 1898.
Of the commanders at Manila Bay, Herder finds that the Spanish were ‘gloomy, fatalistic’ generals under threat of execution if they did not defend at all costs. For the Americans, Commodore George Dewey stands out as the leading commander. For the Filipinos, Herder highlights Generalissimo Emilio Aguialdo y Famy and General Mariano Noriel as inspirational revolutionary leaders. Herder considers the forces involved in the fighting, including the Spanish defences at Manila Bay, which looked better on paper than in practice. Herder also covers the main naval squadrons and the army, commanded by an obsolete officer class. The US navy was greatly underestimated although it had reinvented itself in the late 19th Century to become a modern, powerful fleet. The US army had also expanded and modernised by 1898. The Filipino insurgency also fielded an ‘effective and disciplined’ but logistically limited army. Herder argues that the Spanish knew they would lose the war, but that they must do so with honour. Defending the Philippines, however, offered their best chance of success. The Americans adopted a strategic approach, part of which was to attack the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay. The Filipinos wanted revolution, and supporting the US was their best shot at that, although they operated in an atmosphere of mutual distrust.
Moving on to the campaign, Herder describes the extensive US preparations for war and their resolve to attack the Spanish in the Philippines. The US fleet in the region, under Dewey, inspected an empty Subic Bay, which meant the Spanish were in Manila Bay. The firing began with the shore batteries, but the US fleet ploughed on. They found the Spanish fleet off the Cavite Peninsula and opened fire. Herder narrates the action in what was a decidedly one-sided affair. With the Spanish fleet defeated, the Americans blockaded Manila. European ships soon arrived to observe, including the belligerent Germans who seemed to side with the Spanish for reasons still unknown. On land, the insurgents placed Manila under siege. Other insurgent operations led to the declaration of independence on 12 June. It took a while to organise the US land force for a Philippines expedition, and they didn’t sail until June, though they seized Guam along the way. Meanwhile, a powerful Spanish fleet that had sailed for the Philippines had to return to Spain to prevent a feared US naval assault. Back in Manila, the US expeditionary force had arrived. After a precarious start, the Americans built their strength to the point where the Spanish agreed to surrender the city but only after a fake battle to save their honour, which turned into the real thing. Spanish surrender was inevitable, however, and came on 13 August. The Filipinos were all but shut out of the city, but they would go on later to fight the Americans in a bloody war that lasted until 1901. The Philippines would not gain independence until 1946.
The Spanish-American War still causes controversy amongst historians, and Herder does well to include those issues within a tightly written narrative of events. Clearly, there is much more to all this, particularly on the political side, but Herder does enough to set the action at Manila Bay into its strategic context. This brief survey, therefore, scratches an itch while leaving the door open to further reading for those so inclined. As is customary, Osprey’s production values shine through with some excellent illustrations and graphics and a useful collection of photographs, especially of the various ships involved. Manila Bay 1898 is an interesting and entertaining read for anyone interested in US military and imperial history.
Displaying 1 of 1 review