| A Look At Some Warships Used In The Civil War |
|
The civil war in the US had a significant impact on all walks of life. From the daily lifestyle to the profession, everything was affected. However, the most prominent impact of the civil war was on US naval warfare. It was the civil war that brought an end to the use of wooden sailing ships.
The civil war stirred the use of armored and ironclad warships. There were numerous warships used during the civil war. Let us take a look at some of them. The USS Cumberland is one of the most prominent warships that were used during the civil war. Launched in1842, this warship was initially built as a 50-gun frigate. The ship was rammed into by Virginia, Confederate's new warship in the Battle of Hampton Roads. As a result, the ship sunk on March 8, 1862. It was due to the sinking of Cumberland by Virginia that the use of the age old wooden ships came to an end. Another notable warship used in the US civil war was the USS Cairo. The USS Cairo were typical ironclad gunboats, which were employed by the US Navy on the western rivers. This warship made use of a shallow draft. This shallow draft ensured that the ship can maneuver effectively and adapt itself to the changing conditions of the Mississippi river system. This ship was used to attack the Fort Pillow. It was of great aid in defeating the Confederate gunboats off Memphis. The ship sunk on December 12, 1862 as a result of ramming into a mine near Haines Bluff. CSS Florida is also a popular warship used in the US civil war. This ship was built in Liverpool under the name of Oreto. However, it was commissioned into confederate service only on August 17, 1863, with Lt. John N. Maffitt in command. This warship was used against Union shipping in Atlantic and Carribbean. This warship has a whooping 22 prizes to its credit. It was sent to Brest, France for a period of 8 months where it underwent massive refitting. After the 8 month period, the ship was again put back in the sea where it captured 11 more Union ships. Yet another noteworthy ship used in the US civil war is the H.L. Hunley. This submarine was built by Parks & Lyons in Mobile. It was a forty feet long submarine and made use of a hand cranked propeller. The submarine sank twice killing five of its crew members. There were many more warships that were used in the US civil war. The role played by these warships in the civil war can never be understated. Related Articles |