CSS Scorpion: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Squib-class torpedo boat procured late in 1864 by the Confederate States Navy}}

{{Other ships|USS Scorpion|HMS Scorpion}}

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|Ship captured=

|Ship fate=Abandoned and captured

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'''CSS ''Scorpion''''' was a [[Squib-class torpedo boat|''Squib''-class]] [[torpedo boat]] that served in the [[Confederate States Navy]] during the [[American Civil War]]. Armed with a single [[spar torpedo]], she originally served guard duty on the [[James River]] after being built in late 1864. Along with the rest of the James River Squadron, ''Scorpion'' moved downriver on January 23, 1865, and participated in the [[Battle of Trent's Reach]]. After performing [[depth sounding]]s near Union obstructions, ''Scorpion'' moved to get a lantern from the [[ironclad]] [[CSS Virginia II|CSS ''Virginia II'']], but ran into a [[hawser]] and then [[ran aground]]. At 07:10 on the morning of January 24, Union fire struck the abandoned [[tender ship|tender]] [[CSS Drewry|CSS ''Drewry'']], which then exploded. The force of the explosion swept ''Scorpion'' out of control downriver. An attempt to rescue her that night failed, and she fellwas intocaptured by Union handsforces.

==Construction and characteristics==

During the [[American Civil War]], the [[Union blockade]] was slowly suffocatingdestroying the breakawayeconomy of the rebelling [[Confederate States of America]]. InThe anfirst attemptuse to break the blockade, theof [[torpedo boat]]s [[CSSin David|CSSattempting ''David]]to attackedbreak the Unionblockade [[ironclad]]came [[USSin NewOctober Ironsides|USS1863. ''New Ironsides'']]The onattack Octoberdamaged 5,a Union 1863vessel, damagingand the Unionpartial vessel.success Afterwards,led the Confederates continued to build additional torpedo boats. WhileMultiple somedesigns were builtused, to a similar pattern to ''David'',including a group, known as the [[Squib-class torpedo boat|''Squib''-class]], were built at [[Richmond, Virginia]], to a different pattern,. with [[Lieutenant]] Hunter Davidson playing a significant role in the design.{{sfn|Pry|Zeitlin|1984|pp=384{{endash}}385}}

CSS ''Scorpion'', Oneone of the ''Squib''-class torpedo boats was ''Scorpion''. She, was constructed in late 1864, and was {{convert|46|ft|m}} long, had a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|6|ft|3|in|m}}, and a [[depth of hold]] of {{convert|3|ft|9|in|m}}.<ref name="DANFS">{{cite web |title=Scorpion |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/confederate_ships/scorpion.html |publisher=Naval History and Heritage Command |access-date=27 February 2022}}</ref> [[Tonnage]] for the class is unknown.{{sfn|Silverstone|1989|p=219}} The ''Squib''-class ships were powered by two [[oscillating engine|oscilliatingoscillating condensing engines]], which had a {{convert|7|in|cm|adj=on}} diameter [[cylinder (engine)|cylinder]] and a {{convert|6|in|cm|adj=on}} [[stroke (engine)|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".{{sfn|Campbell|2000|p=105}} The ''Squib''-class vessels were manned by aHer crew of five or six.{{sfn|Pry|Zeitlin|1984|p=385}} operated Theysteer weregear armedthat withwas alocated singletowards [[sparthe torpedo]].front of The torpedoes werethe vessel.{{convertsfn|5Campbell|in2000|cmp=105}} in diameter,Her andarmament thewas a single [[spar shafttorpedo]] itselfmounted wasto a spar shaft that eithermeasured {{convert|18|ft|m}}<ref name="DANFS" /> or {{convert|16|ft|m}} long.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=125{{endash}}126}} The spar could be raised or lowered by the ship's crew using a chain and tackle system.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=126}} Thin plates of iron served as armor on the ships's sides.{{Sfn|Pry|Zeitlin|1984|p=385}}

==Service history==

{{main|Battle of Trent's Reach}}

After construction, ''Scorpion'' entered Confederate service with the [[James River Squadron]].{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=125}} Under the command of Lieutenant Edward Lakin,{{sfn|Campbell|2000|p=111}} 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]].<ref name="DANFS" /> To reduce the chance of collisions in the narrow river between the Confederate ships, the wooden vessels of the fleet were lashed to the [[ironclad]]s:. the [[gunboat]] [[CSS Hampton|CSS ''Hampton'']] andOverall, the torpedoConfederates boathad [[CSS11 Hornet|CSSships ''Hornet'']]present: tothree theironclads, ironcladthree [[CSS Fredericksburg|CSS ''Fredericksburg''gunboat]]s, thethree gunboattorpedo [[CSS Beaufort|CSS ''Beaufort'']]boats, and the armedtwo [[tender ship|tenders]]. [[CSS Drewry|CSS ''DrewryScorpion'']] towas thetowed ironclad [[CSS Richmond|CSS ''Richmond'']], andby the gunboattender [[CSS NansemondTorpedo|CSS ''NansemondTorpedo'']], andwhich thewas tenderin [[CSSturn Torpedo|CSS ''Torpedo'']]lashed to the ironclad [[CSS Virginia II|CSS ''Virginia II'']]. The torpedo boat [[CSS Wasp|CSS ''Wasp'']] was towed by ''Drewry'', and ''Scorpion'' was towed by ''Torpedo''.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=198}} Moving during the night, the Confederate vessels passed a Union shore position known as Fort Brady, which fired upon them.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=199{{endash}}202}} At around 09:00, the Confederate vessels reached Union obstructions in the river at [[Trent's Reach]].{{sfn|Campbell|2000|p=111}}

''Scorpion'' was then sent forward to perform [[depth sounding]], with a [[maritime pilot|pilot]] from ''Virginia II'' aboard. The pilot claimed that the channel was not open, but [[Charles Read (naval officer)|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.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=199{{endash}}202}} The ironclad [[CSS Fredericksburg|CSS ''Fredericksburg'']] then managed to clear the obstructions at around 01:30 on January 24. Read later took ''Scorpion'' to look for the gunboat [[CSS Hampton|CSS ''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 the ironclad [[CSS Richmond|CSS ''Richmond'']] as well. The tender [[CSS Drewry|CSS ''Drewry'']] then ran aground trying to free ''Richmond''. Moving towards ''Virginia II'', ''Scorpion'' ran into a [[hawser]] strung between the former ship and the gunboat [[CSS Beaufort|CSS ''Beaufort'']],{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=201{{endash}}203}} losing her torpedo and spar in the process. Not long afterwards, she ran aground.{{sfn|Campbell|2000|p=114}} The torpedo boat [[CSS Hornet|CSS ''Hornet'']] then ran aground trying to free ''Scorpion''.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=201{{endash}}203}} The Confederate vessels that were not aground withdrew upriver before daylight.{{sfn|Campbell|2000|p=112}} 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 onboardon board were killed and four others swept overboard.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=204}} 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.{{sfn|Campbell|2000|p=114}} She was later captured by Union forces,<ref name="DANFS" />{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=204}} and may have been burned.{{sfn|Silverstone|1989|p=219}}{{Sfn|Pry|Zeitlin|1984|p=392}}

==References==

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==Sources==

* {{cite book |last=Campbell |first=R. Thomas |title=Hunters of the Night: Confederate Torpedo Boats in the War Between the States |publisher=Burd Street Press |date=2000 |___location=Shippensburg, Pennsylvania |isbn=1-57249-202-3}}

* {{cite book |last=Coski |first=John M. |title=Capital Navy: The Men, Ships, and Operations of the James River Squadron |publisher=Savas Beatie |date=2005 |orig-year=20061996 |___location=New York |isbn=978-1-932714-15-9}}

* {{cite journal |last1=Pry |first1=Peter |last2=Zeitlin |first2=Richard |title=Torpedo Boats: Secret Weapons of the South |journal=Warship International |date=1984 |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=384{{endash}}393}}

* {{cite book |last=Silverstone |first=Paul H. |title=Warships of the Civil War Navies |publisher=Naval Institute Press |___location=Annapolis, Maryland |date=1989 |isbn=978-0-87021-783-8}}

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{{Squib class torpedo boat}}