Confederate Navy - An Honorable Fleet of Many Ships and Nationalities: August 2012

Friday, August 10, 2012

The CSS Florida - A Bright Star of the Confederate Fleet

The CSS Florida - A Bright Star of the Confederate Fleet

In late 1861, the keel of the SS Oreto was laid at the shipyards of William Miller and Sons in Liverpool, England. The ship was designed to be one of the fastest ships afloat in the 1860's. She was fitted with her engines by the preeminent firm of Faucett, Preston and Company, which was known for building some of the fastest maritime engines in the 19^th century.

On March 22, 1862, the SS Oreto was sent on her maiden voyage as a civilian ship. She was bound for the port of Nassau, Bahamas. The ship was possibly carrying war supplies for the Confederate States on this voyage. It would have a short career as a civilian merchant ship but would later make her place in history as a Confederate cruiser.

Upon arrival in the Bahamas, the SS Oreto was quickly purchased by agents of the Confederate Navy and was outfitted with weapons and an able crew. The ship was renamed the CSS Florida. It would be the first of several Confederate commerce raiders that would come to wreak havoc on the merchant fleet of the United States over the next several years.

Under the guidance of the Confederate Navy's agents in Nassau, the ship was armed with six 6-inch rifles on the port and starboard sides, two 7-inch rifles mounted on fore and aft swivel mounts, and a 12 pound cannon that could be used as a bow or stern chaser gun. The crew was to be 146 officers and men. However, the CSS Florida didn't get its career off to a quick start. Yellow fever was raging in the Bahamas in the spring and summer of 1862, as the ship was being outfitted. This disease decimated the crew and forced the ship to seek refuge in the port of Cardenas, Cuba, in an effort to escape the disease.

Because of the situation with the crew being incapacitated by disease the CSS Florida was forced to leave before being fully equipped with all of its equipment. While the cannons were mounted, it didn't have the ammunition and implements needed to operate as a warship. As a result of this situation the daring commander, Lieutenant John Newland Maffitt, decided to run the Union blockade into the nearest southern port that could supply naval stores.

The port that was selected was that of Mobile, Alabama. In a hail of shells, shot, and rockets, the CSS Florida ran full steam into the harbor of Mobile in the fall of 1862. The move was especially daring considering that most of the crew was barely recovering from the yellow fever disease. When the men and officers arrived in Mobile, after braving the blockade, they were received as heroes.

While in Mobile, the ship was fully equipped and received her full crew. On January 16, 1863 with the ship fully prepared, the CSS Florida ran the gauntlet of the United States Navy's blockade and exited the harbor of Mobile. Now would begin an extraordinary career over about the next year and a half that would see the cruiser cross the Atlantic twice while destroying ships of the US merchant fleet.

The spring and summer of 1863 saw the CSS Florida destroy and US ship it came across in the West Indies and the mid Atlantic. During this time it would make Nassau, Bahamas its main base of operations. As a result of the large number of ships the Confederate raider was sinking or capturing the US Navy sent a large squadron to pursue the ship. Because of this the officers of the ship decided to move the base of operations to Europe in the late summer of 1863.

Continuing to capture and sink ships on the cruise to Europe, the CSS Florida arrived in August of 1863 needing to make repairs. The ship docked in the port of Brest, France where it was impounded for the next few months under France's neutrality laws but was secretly repaired at the same time. In February 1864, the ship left France under the command of Lieutenant Charles M. Morris.

Under the command of Lieutenant Morris, the ship would sail back across the Atlantic to the shores of Brazil. The CSS Florida continued to wreak havoc on the US merchant fleet for the next 6 months. The ship would meet its final end as a Confederate cruiser through an intelligence move and violation of international law by the US Government.

In the October of 1864, the CSS Florida found itself docked in the port of Bahia, Brazil refitting and allowing the crew to relax. The US Consulate in Bahia began operations spying upon the activities of the ship and then communicated with the US Navy ships operating in the area. In violation of international laws respecting the rights of neutral powers in a conflict, Commander Napoleon Collins of the USS Wachusett attacked the CSS Florida while it was at anchor in Bahia.

Catching the CSS Florida unprepared for combat, the USS Wachusett rammed the ship and forced it to surrender. The USS Wachussett then towed the CSS Florida to the US Navy's base at Hampton Roads, VA. While the CSS Florida was at anchor in Hampton Roads, diplomats of Brazil and several other countries filed legal protests against the US and the actions of Commander Collins. The US courts held that Commander Collins had indeed violated the international laws and treaties of the US and ordered the ship to be returned to Brazil. Before this could happen however, the CSS Florida was sunk in a questionable collision with the US Army Transport Alliance in late November of 1864. Commander Collins for his actions was court-martialed, but was held up as a hero by the public of the north.

The CSS Florida, in spite of meeting such an ignominious end, did have a stellar career as a Confederate cruiser. She was directly credited with 37 US ships either sunk or captured. In addition to this her crew took two ships that were commissioned as Confederate cruisers, the CSS Tacony and CSS Clarence. These two ships were credited with another 23 US ships sunk or captured. Through these daring and bold actions, the officers and crew of the CSS Florida ensured a place for themselves and their ship in the annals of naval warfare history.

Sources

“CSS Florida”, Civil War Wiki

http://civilwarwiki.net/wiki/CSS_Florida

“USS Cumberland and CSS Florida”, Naval Heritage and History Command – Underwater Archeology Branch

http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/org12-6f.htm

“CSS Florida”, Dept. of the Navy – Naval Historical Center

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-us-cs/csa-sh/csash-ag/florida.htm

The Innovative History of the CSS H.L. Hunley

The Innovative History of the CSS H.L. Hunley

The American Civil War saw innovation in naval warfare like no other war before it. In the face of an ever tightening blockade and loss of ports due to advances by the Union Army, the Confederate States were forced to be innovative in their efforts to break the blockade. One of the most effective an innovative efforts that the Confederate Navy developed was that of submarines.

The most famous of the Confederate submarines is the CSS H. L. Hunley. The CSS H. L. Hunley was designed by Horace L. Hunley and the machinists of the Singer Submarine Corps of Mobile, Alabama. Through the use of cylindrical boilers, the submarine was constructed and given a screw propeller that was powered by seven men who turned the crank on the propeller shaft. The submarine was steered by an officer who stood in a conning tower in the front of the ship. For armament, a 90 pound black powder spar torpedo was fitted to the front of the ship.

The ship was tested in the waters of Mobile Bay in Alabama. In the process of the testing, the ship sank twice. The first was at her moorings when it was swamped by a rogue wave and sank killing 5 of the ship's crewmen. The second time was on October 15, 1863, during diving trials. In the second sinking the ship's chief designer, Horace L. Hunley died. In spite of sinking twice, the ship was raised and refitted. This was due to the dire need of the Confederate States to break the strangling blockade that the US Navy had off of its coast.

The third set of tests for the ship proved to be successful. This brought the ship to the notice of Charleston's commander, General P. G. T. Beauregard. General Beauregard upon hearing of the ship asked the Confederate Navy to have it shipped to Charleston in an effort to help break the blockade of that port.

On the night of February 17, 1864, the CSS H. L. Hunley was readied for its mission that would forever place its name in the history books. The submarine moved up on the USS Housatonic and placed its spar torpedo into the side of the US Navy ship before the crew realized the submarine was attacking it. When the USS Housatonic's crew finally realized they were under attack they engaged the ship's engines to get away from the CSS H. L. Hunley but it was too late. The charge from the Confederate submarine was detonated and sank the USS Housatonic. In the ensuing wake that was caused by the sinking of the USS Housatonic, the submarine was pulled under the water and sank as well.

The exact ending of the CSS H. L. Hunley was unknown for 131 years. Finally in May of 1995, an underwater archeology expedition led by author Clive Cussler found the ship on the bottom of Charleston harbor. On August 8, 2000, the ship was raised and is now sitting at the former Charleston Navy Base in a conservation facility being restored. The crew of the CSS H. L. Hunley was given a proper military burial by Civil War reenactors a few months later. The legacy of the Confederate submarine has been felt by navies around the world since proving that a submarine could successfully sink a surface ship. The actions of the CSS H. L. Hunley directly led to the development of famous submarines like the German U-Boats of World War 1 and World War 2.

Sources

“Submarine H. L. Hunley (1863-1864)”, Department of the Navy – Naval Historical Center

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-us-cs/csa-sh/csash-hl/hunley.htm

“The Civil War and Charleston”, Friends of the Hunley

http://www.hunley.org/main_index.asp?CONTENT=CIVILWAR

“H. L. Hunley”, Historic Naval Ships Association

http://www.hnsa.org/ships/hunley.htm

The Astounding History of the CSS Sumter

In the spring of 1861, as the battles began raging in the American Civil War, a dashing naval officer took command of a swift cruiser that would give him the necessary training for later exploits that would carve forever his and his country's name in the annals of naval warfare. The dashing naval officer was Commander Rafael Semmes. The ship that he trained on was the CSS Sumter. The CSS Sumter would be the first warship the world would see carrying the flag of the new Confederate States of America.

Originally built in Philadelphia as the merchant ship Habana, the CSS Sumter was purchased by the Confederate Government in April of 1861, and outfitted as a warship. She was purchased in New Orleans and was fitted there by the Confederate Arsenal of New Orleans with one 8 inch 68 pound gun mounted on a swivel mount and with four 32 pound naval guns mounted two to either side. Then she was given a crew of 114 officers and men. Once the ship was ready in early June, she was moved down towards the mouth of the Mississippi River before slipping through the Union blockade at the end of the month. As the CSS Sumter slipped through the blockade she was chased by the USS Brooklyn.

The CSS Sumter was able to successfully slip past the chase of the USS Brooklyn however and was able to head out to the open sea. She then cruised the Caribbean and the South Atlantic down to the port of Maranhao, Brazil. In this part of her career she showed her capabilities under the adept leadership of Commander Semmes by capturing several prizes. Following the cruise to Maranhao, Brazil, the CSS Sumter headed for Martinique where she met the USS Iroquois. Again the Union Navy attempted to stop the CSS Sumter but the crew was able to maneuver the ship in such a fashion that the USS Iroquois lost her.

The next phase of the career of the CSS Sumter saw her take prizes on the way to Cadiz, Spain. In this phase of the CSS Sumter's career the US Navy attempted to stop her in St. Pierre only to be foiled yet again in their efforts. Finally in January of 1862, she was forced to sail into the port of Gibraltar because she was too damaged to continue voyages without repairs. As a result of the damage and needed repairs, she was sold to the Fraser-Trenholm Company. They would refit her and continue her service to the Confederate cause as a blockade runner under the name of the SS Gibraltar. Under the command of Captain E. C. Reid, the scourge of the US Navy would continue as the CSS Sumter/ SS Gibraltar brought several loads of cannon and other war materials into the port of Wilmington, North Carolina, throughout 1863, and 1864.

In her career as a commerce raider under the command of Commander Rafael Semmes, the CSS Sumter managed to capture a total of 18 enemy ships. Of these ships, 9 were released on bond and 8 were burned. Although Commander Semmes led the CSS Sumter for only a few months from June of 1861 to January of 1862, the command gave him invaluable experience that would come out in his later exploits. The CSS Sumter/ SS Gibraltar finally met her match and sank in a gale off of the coast of France in 1867.

Sources

“CSS Sumter”, Civil War Wiki

“CSS Sumter”, Carlisle Cavern of Carnage

“Ships of the Confederate States – CSS Sumter”, Naval Historical Center

Thursday, August 9, 2012

The Illustrious Career of the CSS Shenandoah

The Illustrious Career of the CSS Shenandoah

In August of 1863, the steamship SS Sea King slid down the launching dock at Glasgow, Scotland. This ship was designed to be one of the fastest of its day. It would soon gain fame and see the world under a unique captain.

The Confederate States in 1863 were still in the midst of their effort to try to gain independence from the United States. As a result they had agents throughout Europe looking to negotiate the building and purchase of ships capable of being made into ocean going commerce raiders. The agents in Scotland had heard of the SS Sea King and had their eyes upon the ship. Through their connections the agents of the Confederate Navy were able to purchase the ship and add it to their fleet of commerce raiders.

The SS Sea King was purchased in 1864 by the Confederate Navy and was sent to sea under secrecy with the cover that she was headed for India on a commercial voyage. Once at sea the ship was directed to Madiera where she was outfitted with cannon and crew and was commissioned as the CSS Shenandoah. The ship was commanded by Commander James Iredell Waddell. Under Waddell's command, the CSS Shenandoah would be the only Confederate Navy ship to circumnavigate the world.

As the first leg of her circumnavigation voyage, the CSS Shenandoah cruised through the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. In this leg of the voyage the ship met success and captured 9 US ships during the voyage. The ship then arrived in Melbourne, Australia in January of 1865.

After getting needed repairs in Melbourne, the ship set sail for the rich whaling grounds of the North Pacific. This was after finding out that the American South Pacific whaling fleet had been warned of the CSS Shenandoah's presence in the region. In the voyage to the North Pacific, the ship stopped in the Eastern Carolines where it captured and sank four US merchant ships.

Arriving in the North Pacific in June of 1865, the ship attacked and sank or captured 24 vessels. This success was soon tinged with sad news however for the crew. The CSS Shenandoah set course to attack San Francisco, California but on the way received news from an English sailing vessel that the Confederate Government had been forced to surrender thus ending the American Civil War.

Rather than face the possibilities of receiving ruthless treatment at the hands of US authorities the officers and crew of the ship decided to head for Liverpool, England, by way of South America. The ship stored its armaments and was repainted to look like a standard merchant ship of the era. Leaving the North Pacific in August of 1865, the ship arrived in Liverpool in early November of 1865. The ship then surrendered to British authorities who took ownership of the ship.

The ship in her short one year career managed to take 38 prizes and traveled over 58,000 miles. Also it gained the recognition of being the only Confederate ship to circumnavigate the globe. In 1866 it was sold to the Sultan of Zanzibar and was renamed the El Majidi. The ship finally met its end in 1879 and was reported as lost at sea with all hands.

Sources

“CSS Shenandoah”, Civil War Wiki

http://www.civilwarwiki.net/wiki/CSS_Shenandoah

“When Liverpool was Dixie”, CSA Dixie

http://www.csa-dixie.com/liverpool_dixie/shenandoah.htm

“CSS Shenandoah (1864-1865)”, Department of the Navy – Naval Historical Center

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-us-cs/csa-sh/csash-sz/shendoah.htm