<P> Maine is best known for her loss in Havana Harbor on the evening of 15 February 1898 . Sent to protect U.S. interests during the Cuban revolt against Spain , she exploded suddenly , without warning , and sank quickly , killing nearly three quarters of her crew . The cause and responsibility for her sinking remained unclear after a board of inquiry investigated . Nevertheless , popular opinion in the U.S. , fanned by inflammatory articles printed in the `` yellow press '' by William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer , blamed Spain . The phrase , `` Remember the Maine ! To hell with Spain ! '' , became a rallying cry for action , which came with the Spanish -- American War later that year . While the sinking of Maine was not a direct cause for action , it served as a catalyst , accelerating the approach to a diplomatic impasse between the U.S. and Spain . </P>
where was the u.s.s maine when it exploded in 1898
Havana Harbor