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 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 Merrimacs 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. 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 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