The U.S. Navy fought Spain at Manila Bay. On May 1, 1898, Commodore George Dewey’s Asiatic Squadron entered Manila Bay and destroyed the Spanish Pacific Squadron near Cavite in the Philippines.
Dewey’s force included cruisers and gunboats such as USS Olympia, his flagship, along with Baltimore, Raleigh, Boston, Concord, and Petrel. The American ships repeatedly passed the Spanish line while firing at close range. By the end of the battle, the Spanish squadron had been destroyed, while the American force suffered no combat fatalities and only limited damage.
The victory was strategically important because it eliminated Spain’s naval power in the Philippines and gave the United States control of Manila Bay. Navy forces then occupied the Cavite arsenal and supported the later blockade and capture of Manila. The Army participated in the Philippines campaign after troops arrived, and Marines served in naval operations, but the battle itself was a fleet action led by the Navy. It is therefore not best classified as an Army or Marine Corps battle.