Who commanded the mission to scuttle the USS Merrimac in Santiago Harbor?

Richmond P. Hobson commanded the mission to scuttle USS Merrimac in Santiago Harbor. On June 3, 1898, the young Navy lieutenant led a volunteer crew into the harbor during the Spanish-American War.

Hobson’s plan was to sink the collier across the narrow channel, trapping Admiral Pascual Cervera’s Spanish squadron inside Santiago. The ship was fitted with explosives and an anchor intended to help position it in the channel. Heavy Spanish fire disabled Merrimac’s steering gear, however, so the vessel grounded short of the intended location and failed to block navigation.

Spanish forces ultimately sank Merrimac, and Hobson and his crew were captured after abandoning ship. Admiral Cervera personally rescued them and treated them respectfully as prisoners. Hobson became a national hero in the United States, was exchanged on July 6, 1898, and received the Medal of Honor along with the surviving members of his volunteer crew.