On This Day In Alabama History: Hobson Sank His Own Ship, And Became A Hero

By Alabama NewsCenter Staff

Richmond Pearson Hobson was a Greensboro native and Naval Academy graduate. During the Spanish-American War, then-Lt. Hobson and a crew of seven attempted a daring mission to block Cuba’s Santiago Harbor in support of the U.S. blockade. Their weapon was the collier USS Merrimac, which they intended to sink at the harbor’s entrance. The Merrimac quickly came under heavy Spanish fire, and its steering disabled before Hobson and his crew could blow the ship’s torpedoes. By the time they sank their own vessel, it had drifted beyond the narrow entrance of the harbor, leaving it open to the Spanish.

To read the full article click here to visit the Alabama Newscenter website.

Tags: exp8

Category: ALL POSTS, Partner News Stories