Segismundo Bermejo y Merelo
Segismundo Bermejo y Merelo | |
---|---|
Alfonso XIII of Spain | |
Prime Minister | Práxedes Mateo Sagasta |
Preceded by | José María Beránger |
Succeeded by | Ramón Auñón y Villalón |
Personal details | |
Born | San Fernando, Spain | March 9, 1832
Died | December 2, 1899 Madrid, Spain | (aged 66)
Military service | |
Allegiance | Spain |
Branch/service | Spanish Navy |
Years of service | 1846–1898 |
Rank | Almirante (Admiral) |
Commands | Ministry of the Navy Naval staff Home squadron Torpedo School |
Battles/wars | Spanish–American War |
Admiral Segismundo Bermejo y Merelo (9 March 1832,
Early life and service
Born in 1832 in
War with the United States
When tensions between the United States and the Kingdom of Spain escalated during the spring of 1898, Admiral Bermejo was confident that the Spanish Navy was capable enough to defeat the U.S. Navy. For Spain's war strategy, Bermejo proposed a blockade of the American East Coast and an attack on Key West, Florida.[3] Rear Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete, a friend of his,[6] pointed out the absurdity of such a plan, stating the Spain did not have the ability carry it out and that the American fleet was much more formidable than theirs. Bermejo continued to remain optimistic nonetheless, and on April 23, he led a meeting of Spanish naval officers to discuss the situation. Ultimately, they accepted the proposal of sending Admiral Cervera to Cuba and Puerto Rico (he was at the time awaiting their decision at Cape Verde).[7] Bermejo's plan was adopted by the government and the only modification was allowing Cervera—who was appointed to lead the fleet—to choose his specific destination in the region.[3]
By early May, when the Pacific Squadron under Rear Admiral
Bermejo died in Madrid in 1899.[3][9]
Personal life
He had written literary works and was an author of science fiction.[9]
Notes
- ^ Reales decretos nombrando, Jefe de Estado Mayor general de la Armada, á D. Segismundo Bermejo; Director del personal del Ministerio de Marina, á D. Marcial Sánchez, y Vocal del Centro Consultivo de la Armada, á D. Antonio de la Rocha. Gaceta de Madrid núm. 296, de 22/10/1896, página 237.
- ^ Reales decretos disponiendo cesen en sus destinos D. José Reguera, Comandante de la Escuela de instrucción: D. Segismundo Bermejo, Jefe de Estado Mayor de la Armada; D. Manuel de la Cámara, Jefe de la Comisión de Marina en Londres, y Don Joaquín Lazaga, Comandante de Marina de Manila. Gaceta de Madrid núm. 91, de 01/04/1897, página 2.
- ^ a b c d Tucker (2009), p. 55–56
- ^ Gaceta de Madrid, issue no. 296, p. 237, from 22 October 1896. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
- ^ Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee, 1897. The London Gazette (March 1898), p. 1611
- ^ Keenan (2001), p. 72
- ^ Information from abroad: War notes, Issues 1-8 (1899) Office of Naval Intelligence. pp. 58–64
- ^ Keenan (2001), p. 73
- ^ a b Segismundo Bermejo. Library of Congress. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
Sources
- Keenan, Jerry (2001). Encyclopedia of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 157607093X.
- Tucker, Spencer (2009). The Encyclopedia of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars: A Political, Social, and Military History. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1851099511.