USS ''Merrimac'' (sometimes mistakenly called USS'' Merrimack'') was a United States Navy collier during the Spanish–American War. It was the only American vessel sunk by the Spanish Navy in that conflict although it had managed to leave some smaller ships quite damaged in skirmishes such as the

Battle of Cárdenas The Battle of Cárdenas was a minor naval engagement of the Spanish–American War fought on 11 May 1898 in the port of Cárdenas, Cuba, between an American squadron of 5 ships under Captain Chapman C. Todd and 3 small Spanish vessels under Maria ...

or the Battle of Manzanillo.

History

''Merrimac'', a

steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

, was built by Swan & Hunter shipyard as SS ''Solveig'' in Wallsend, England, in November 1894. It was purchased by the US Navy in April 1898. Rear Admiral William T. Sampson ordered her to be sunk as a blockship at the entrance of

Santiago Harbor Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains t ...

, Cuba, in an attempt to trap the Spanish fleet in the harbor. On the night of 2–3 June 1898, eight volunteers attempted to execute this mission, but ''Merrimac''s steering gear was disabled by the fire of Spanish land-based

howitzer A howitzer () is a long- ranged weapon, falling between a cannon (also known as an artillery gun in the United States), which fires shells at flat trajectories, and a mortar, which fires at high angles of ascent and descent. Howitzers, like ot ...

s. The American steamer was later sunk by the combined gunfire and the torpedoes of the armored cruiser ''Vizcaya'', the unprotected cruiser ''Reina Mercedes'', and the

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...

''Plutón'' without obstructing the harbor entrance. Its crewmen were rescued by the Spanish and made

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold priso ...

. After the Battle of Santiago de Cuba destroyed the Spanish fleet a month later, the men were released. All eight were awarded

Medals of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. Th ...

for their part in the mission.Hobson, p. xxiv

Volunteers

The eight volunteer crewman of the ''Merrimac'' were: * Lieutenant

Richmond P. Hobson Richmond Pearson Hobson (August 17, 1870 – March 16, 1937) was a United States Navy rear admiral who served from 1907–1915 as a United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from Alabama. A veteran of the Spanish–American Wa ...

* Coxswain Claus K. R. Clausen * Coxswain Osborn W. Deignan * Coxswain

John E. Murphy John Edward Murphy (May 3, 1869 – April 9, 1941) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Spanish–American War. Biography Murphy enlisted in the ...

* Chief Master-At-Arms Daniel Montague * Gunner's Mate First Class George Charette * Machinist First Class George F. Phillips * Watertender Francis Kelly File:Lieut Richmond Pearson Hobson 001.jpg, File:Claus K R Clausen.jpg, File:Osborn W Deignan.jpg, File:John E Murphy (MOH).jpg, File:Daniel Montague (MOH).jpg, File:George Charrette.jpg, File:George Frederick Phillips.jpg, File:Francis Kelly (MOH).jpg,

Notes

References

Sinking of the U.S. Navy Collier ''Merrimac''
* Hobson, Richmond Pearson (1899). ''The Sinking of the Merrimac''. Classics of Naval Literature. Naval Institute Press. * * Ships built on the River Tyne Steamships of Norway Steamships of the United States Navy 1894 ships Spanish–American War naval ships of the United States Maritime incidents in 1898 Shipwrecks in the Caribbean Sea Shipwrecks of the Spanish–American War Battles and conflicts without fatalities Ships sunk with no fatalities Ships built by Swan Hunter {{US-mil-ship-stub