Crossfire
Spain built the stone fort to your right, called San Juan de la Cruz, or “El Canuelo”, to create a deadly crossfire with the guns of Castillo San Felipe del Morro on the other side of the bay.
Just imagine yourself as an English ship captain around 1640 thinking about entering San Juan’s harbor to attack the city. To keep your distance from El Morro’s mighty cannon you might try to sail on this side of the bay. But the guns of San Juan de la Cruz were waiting here to stop you.
San Juan de la Cruz may have been small, but it played a key role in San Juan’s defenses.
A Spanish ship (right) passes safely between San Juan de la Cruz and El Morro The guns of San Juan de la Cruz joined those of El Morro to create a gauntlet of crossfire to deter enemy ships from entering San Juan Harbor.
In English, San Juan de la Cruz means Saint John of the Cross.
Marker is on Puerto Rico Route 870.
Courtesy hmdb.org
