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CSS Scorpion

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For other ships with the same name, see USS Scorpion and HMS Scorpion.
History
Confederate States
NameScorpion
Ordered1864
FateAbandoned and captured
General characteristics [1]
Length46 ft (14 m)
Beam6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Depth of hold3 ft 9 in (1.14 m)
Armament
  • 1 × 5 in (130 mm) gun
  • 18 ft (5.5 m) spar with percussion torpedo
ArmorNone

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]

Service history

Main article: Battle of Trent's Reach

After construction, Scorpion entered Confederate service with the James River Squadron.[9] Under the command of Lieutenant Edward Lakin,[10] she performed guard duty in the James River. Beginning on January 23, 1865, the James River Squadron began an offensive against the Union supply depot at City Point, Virginia.[3] To reduce the chance of collisions in the narrow river between the Confederate ships, the wooden vessels of the fleet were lashed to the ironclads: the gunboat CSS Hampton and the torpedo boat CSS Hornet to the ironclad CSS Fredericksburg, the gunboat CSS Beaufort and the armed tender ship CSS Drewry to the ironclad CSS Richmond, and the gunboat CSS Nansemond and the tender CSS Torpedo to the ironclad CSS Virginia II. The torpedo boat CSS Wasp was towed by Drewry, and Scorpion was towed by Torpedo.[11] Moving during the night, the Confederate vessels passed a Union shore position known as Fort Brady, which fired upon them.[12] At around 09:00, the Confederate vessels reached Union obstructions in the river at Trent's Reach.[10]

Scorpion was then sent forward to perform depth sounding, with a pilot from Virginia II aboard. The pilot claimed that the channel was not open, but Charles Read, who commanded all of the torpedo boats in the James River Squadron, found that a passage could be made; the pilot may have become unnerved by Union shore fire.[12] Fredericksburg then managed to clear the obstructions at around 01:30 on January 24. Read later took Scorpion to look for Hampton, but after not finding her, took the ship to Virginia II to get a lantern for lighting the passage. Virginia II had run aground, and the same fate had befallen Richmond as well. Drewry then ran aground trying to free Richmond. Moving towards Virginia II, Scorpion ran into a hawser strung between the former ship and Beaufort, and also ran aground. Hornet then ran aground trying to free Scorpion.[13] The Confederate vessels that were not aground withdrew upriver before daylight.[14] At 06:55, the crew of Drewry was taken onto Richmond, and at 07:10, Union fire caused Drewry to explode. The force of the explosion knocked Scorpion downriver out of control; two men onboard were killed and four others swept overboard.[15] After dark on January 24, Read tried to take Beaufort downriver to rescue Scorpion, but as Beaufort could not be controlled due to a strong wind, and a smaller vessel was sent to Scorpion. Scorpion was found to have taken on water, and after the Union illuminated the area with a Drummond light, the efforts to rescue the vessel were abandoned.[16] She was later captured by Union forces.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Confederate Navy Ships (S)". hazegray.org. 2002. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  2. ^ Pry & Zeitlin 1984, pp. 384–385.
  3. ^ a b c d "Scorpion". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  4. ^ Silverstone 1989, p. 219.
  5. ^ Campbell 2000, p. 105.
  6. ^ a b Pry & Zeitlin 1984, p. 385.
  7. ^ Coski 2005, pp. 125–126.
  8. ^ Coski 2005, p. 126.
  9. ^ Coski 2005, p. 125.
  10. ^ a b Campbell 2000, p. 111.
  11. ^ Coski 2005, p. 198.
  12. ^ a b Coski 2005, pp. 199–202.
  13. ^ Coski 2005, pp. 201–203.
  14. ^ Campbell 2000, p. 112.
  15. ^ Coski 2005, p. 204.
  16. ^ Campbell 2000, p. 114.

Sources

  • Campbell, R. Thomas (2000). Hunters of the Night: Confederate Torpedo Boats in the War Between the States. Shippensburg, Pennsylvania: Burd Street Press. ISBN 1-57249-202-3.
  • Coski, John M. (2005) [2006]. Capital Navy: The Men, Ships, and Operations of the James River Squadron. New York: Savas Beatie. ISBN 978-1-932714-15-9.+
  • Pry, Peter; Zeitlin, Richard (1984). "Torpedo Boats: Secret Weapons of the South". Warship International. 21 (4): 384–393.
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (1989). Warships of the Civil War Navies. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-783-8.


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