USS Maine (ACR-1)

The USS Maine (ACR-1), an armoured cruiser of 6,789 tons commissioned into the US Navy on 17 September 1895. Despatched to Havana, Cuba to protect American interests during the Cuban revolt against Spain, Maine was anchored in Havana harbour on the night of 15 February 1898 when, at 9:40pm, she exploded without warning, killing 258 of her 374 crew. The sinking of the Maine directly contributed to the American declaration of war against Spain in April 1898, with the rallying cry 'Remember the Maine!' being used by proponents to galvanise American public support for war.

An exhibit concerning the destruction of the USS Maine in Havana harbour on 15 February 1898 and the subsequent Spanish-American War. Photo taken 3 April 2018, Nauticus maritime museum, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.

A salvaged gun sight for the forward 10-inch gun turret on the USS Maine, displayed in Mallory Square, Key West, Florida.  While a U.S. government inquiry into the explosion and sinking of the Maine held in Key West could not conclusively determine the cause, American newspapers fanned public outrage by suggesting that Spanish colonial authorities had been responsible. The sinking of the Maine and the deteriorating relations between the United States and Spain that it caused contributed to the outbreak of the Spanish-American War later in April 1898. The bodies of 19 sailors from the USS Maine are buried in Key West Cemetery. Photo taken 27 January 2016, Mallory Square, Key West, Florida, USA.

A model of the USS Maine at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum, Norfolk, Virginia, USA. Photo taken 4 April 2018.

USS Maine (ACR-1) - Specifications:
Displacement:  6,789 tons
Length: 98.9 metres (324 feet 4 inches)
Beam: 17.4 metres (57 feet)
Draught: 6.9 metres (22 feet 6 inches)
Propulsion:  2 x triple-expansion steam engines
Speed: 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h)
Range: 3,600 nautical miles (6,700 km) at 10 knots
Principal Armament: 2 x twin 10" guns; 6 x single 6" guns; 4 x 18" torpedo tubes
Armour: 12" belt; 2-3" deck; 8" turrets; 10" conning tower; 6" bulkheads
Complement: 374 officers and ratings