USS Merrimac (1894)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Merrimack.

USS Merrimac at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, 23 April 1898, while completing outfitting for U.S. Navy service.
History
Name	1894: Solveig 1897: Merrimac
Namesake	Merrimack River
Port of registry	1894: Norway 1897: United States
Builder	Swan & Hunter, Wallsend
Yard number	194
Completed	November 1894 (as Solveig)
Acquired	12 April 1898
Commissioned	11 April 1898
Fate	Sunk, 2 June 1898 by Vizcaya, Reina Mercedes, and Plutón
General characteristics
Type	steamship
Tonnage	3,362
Length	322 ft 9 in (98.37 m)
Beam	44 ft 2 in (13.46 m)
Depth	27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)
Propulsion	1 × triple-expansion steam engine

The wreck of USS Merrimac.

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 or the Battle of Manzanillo.

History

Main article: Spanish–American War

Merrimac, a steamship, 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, 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 howitzers. 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 Plutón without obstructing the harbor entrance. Its crewmen were rescued by the Spanish and made prisoners of war.

"¡Bien, muy bien! ¡Sois unos valientes! ¡Os felicito!"
"Good, very good! You are brave! I congratulate you!"

— Spanish admiral Pascual Cervera congratulating the American prisoners after their failed attempt,

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 for their part in the mission.

Volunteers

The eight volunteer crewman of the Merrimac were:

• Lieutenant Richmond P. Hobson
• Coxswain Claus K. R. Clausen
• Coxswain Osborn W. Deignan
• Coxswain John E. Murphy
• Chief Master-At-Arms Daniel Montague
• Gunner's Mate First Class George Charette
• Machinist First Class George F. Phillips
• Watertender Francis Kelly

• 
  Richmond Hobson
• 
  Claus Clausen
• 
  Osborn Deignan
• 
  John E Murphy
• 
  Daniel Montague
• 
  George Charrette
• 
  George F Phillips
• 
  Francis Kelly

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. ISBN 0-87021-632-5
•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• "US People – Montague, Daniel, Chief Boatswain". Naval Historical Center. 3 May 2006. Retrieved 2 December 2006.