CSS Scorpion
| History | |
|---|---|
 Confederate States | |
| Name | Scorpion |
| Ordered | 1864 |
| Fate | Abandoned and captured |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Length | 46 ft (14 m) |
| Beam | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Depth of hold | 3 ft 9 in (1.14 m) |
| Armament |
|
| Armor | None |
CSS Scorpion was a Squib-class torpedo boat procured late in 1864 by the Confederate States Navy and armed with a spar torpedo fitted to her stem. She performed picket duty in the James River under command of Lieutenant E. Lakin, CSN.[1]
On January 23 to January 25, 1865, torpedo boats Scorpion, Hornet and Wasp, under the overall command of Lieutenant Charles W. Read, CSN, joined Flag Officer J.K. Mitchell's James River Squadron in the abortive attack on General Ulysses S. Grant's main supply base at City Point, Virginia. Attempting to rejoin her consort, the ironclad CSS Richmond ran aground above Trent's Reach; Scorpion ended up fast ashore also and was severely damaged by the magazine explosion which destroyed nearby gunboat CSS Drewry, on January 24. Abandoned, she fell into Federal hands.[1]
Construction and characteristics
During the American Civil War, the Union blockade was slowly suffocating the breakaway Confederate States of America. In an attempt to break the blockade, the torpedo boat CSS David attacked the Union ironclad USS New Ironsides on October 5, 1863, damaging the Union vessel. Afterwards, the Confederates continued to build additional torpedo boats. While some were built on a similar pattern to David, a group, known as the Squib-class, were built at Richmond, Virginia, on a different pattern, with Lieutenant Hunter Davidson playing a significant role in the design.[2] One of the Squib-class torpedo boats was Scorpion. She was constructed in late 1864, and was 46 feet (14 m) long, had a beam of 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m), and a depth of hold of 3 feet 9 inches (1.14 m).[3] Tonnage for the class is unknown.[4] The Squib-class ships were powered by two oscilliating condensing engines, which had a 7-inch (18 cm) diameter cylinder and a 6-inch (15 cm) stroke, as well a single boiler. Her steering gear was towards the front of the vessel. According to a Union engineer, she could go at "a fair speed for a boat of her kind".[5] The Squib-class vessels were manned by a crew of five or six.[6] They were armed with a single spar torpedo. The torpedoes were 5 inches (13 cm) in diameter, and the spar shaft itself was either 18 feet (5.5 m)[3] or 16 feet (4.9 m) long.[7] The spar could be raised or lowered by the ship's crew using a chain and tackle system.[8] Thin plates of iron served as armor on the ships's sides.[6]
References
- ^ a b c "Confederate Navy Ships (S)". hazegray.org. 2002. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
- ^ Pry & Zeitlin 1984, pp. 384–385.
- ^ a b "Scorpion". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
- ^ Silverstone 1989, p. 219.
- ^ Campbell 2000, p. 105.
- ^ a b Pry & Zeitlin 1984, p. 385.
- ^ Coski 2005, pp. 125–126.
- ^ Coski 2005, p. 126.
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