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 Rh for the position was discussed. The declaration of war in April, 1898, followed by the proclamation of neutrality by Great Britain, made it necessary for the United States fleet to leave Hongkong. Meantime he had received orders from the navy department, at Washington, to capture and destroy the Spanish Pacific squadron then in the harbor at Manila, Philippine Islands. He sailed out of the harbor of Hongkong April 25, 1898, his broad pennant flying from the masthead of the Olympia, followed by the Baltimore, Boston, Raleigh, Concord, Petrel, revenue cutter McCulloch, collier Nanshan and supply ship Zafiro. His squadron of nine vessels, manned by 1,694 officers and men, reached the entrance to the harbor of Manila April 30, 1898, 11.30, and crept silently up the channel with apparent disregard of any obstructing torpedoes or other unseen dangers, and had apparently been unobserved until the greater part of the fleet had passed in safety within the bay, when a shot from a Spanish shore battery announced to the Spanish fleet the presence of an enemy. When it became light enough to discover objects on shore, the United States squadron stood off the city of Manila and at 5.15, May 1, 1898, five batteries defending the' city (two at Cavite and three at Manila) opened fire, followed by broadsides from the Spanish fleet at anchor, composed of the Reina Cristina, Castilla, Don Antonio de Ulloa, Don Juan de Austria, Isla de Cuba, Isla de Luzon, General Lezo, Marques del Duero, El Correo, Velasco, Isla de Mindanao, the transports Rapido and Hercules and two torpedo boats, under command of Admiral Montojo. At 5.41, Dewey's fleet, in a line parallel to the anchored Spanish fleet, steamed past it, firing as it passed. The line then counter-steamed, and as each vessel came within range of an opponent they exchanged broadsides. The Spanish admiral made an effort to weigh anchor and steam his flagship the Reina Cristina, out of the line so as to ram the Olympia. Commodore Dewey, witnessing the maneuver, directed a full weight of metal from the guns of the Olympia against the Spanish flagship which forced the Spanish admiral to retire behind the shelter of Cavite Point where the Reina Cristina burned and finally sank, her crew escaping in her boats to shore. At 7.35, Commodore Dewey carried his fleet out of range of the enemy's guns for redistribution of ammunition, and ordered the crews to breakfast. At 11.16, on attempting to renew the engagement, the Commodore found the Spanish ships deserted and in flames, and by 12.30