USS Merrimac (1894)

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

USS Merrimac
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
General characteristics
Type	steamship
Displacement	3,362 long tons (3,416 t)
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 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.

Merrimac, a steamship, was built by Swan & Hunter shipyard as SS Solveig in Wallsend, England, in November 1894. She 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. Her crewmen were rescued by the Spanish and made prisoners-of-war. 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.

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. 2006-05-03. Retrieved 2006-12-02.