USS Olympia (C-6) Ensign
Ensign flown aboard the Olympia during the Battle of Manila Bay, 1 May 1898
![Full sized view of the USS Olympia National Flag flown at Manila Bay May 1, 1898 Full sized view of the USS Olympia National Flag flown at Manila Bay May 1, 1898](/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/artifacts/ship-and-shore/Flags/NationalFlags/ensign-uss-olympia--c-6--manila-bay/_jcr_content/body/media_asset/image.img.jpg/1502392091914.jpg)
Title: Ensign, National, US, USS Olympia (C-6), Battle of Manila Bay
Accession #: NHHC 1963-318-A
Circa: 1898
Size: 90 x 42
Medium: Fabric
Location: Headquarters Artifact Collection, Naval History and Heritage Command
One rectangular cotton flag of the United States of America. The flag consists of seven red and six white stripes with a blue canton in the top left corner containing 36 white stars. The reverse of the hoist is stamped in black ink "U.S.S. OLYMPIA MANILA BAY MAY 1 1898."
This 36-star national ensign of the United States of America was flown aboard the USS Olympia, Commodore Dewey’s flagship, during the Battle of Manila Bay on 1 May 1898.
The Battle of Manila Bay was the first major engagement of the Spanish-American War. The American squadron, under the command of Commodore George Dewey, defeated the Spanish fleet in a matter of hours.
![Hoist marked U.S.S. OLYMPIA MANILA BAY MAY 1 1898. Hoist marked U.S.S. OLYMPIA MANILA BAY MAY 1 1898.](/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/artifacts/ship-and-shore/Flags/NationalFlags/ensign-uss-olympia--c-6--manila-bay/_jcr_content/body/media_asset_1115387064/image.img.jpg/1514989332711.jpg)