CSS Scorpion: Difference between revisions

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

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

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|Ship country=Confederate States

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|Ship name=CSS ''Scorpion''

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|Ship ordered=1864

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|Ship in service=Late 1864

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|Ship class=[[Squib-class torpedo boat|''Squib''-class torpedo boat]]

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|Ship length={{Convert|46|ft|m|abbr=on}}

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|Ship armament= 1x [[spar torpedo]]

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|Ship armament=1 x 5 in (127 mm), 18 ft (5.5 m) spar with percussion torpedo

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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 was captured by Union forces.

'''CSS ''Scorpion''''' was a [[Squib class torpedo boat|''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 (Virginia)|James River]] under command of Lieutenant E. Lakin, CSN.

==Construction and characteristics==

On January 23 to January 25, 1865, torpedo boats

During the [[American Civil War]], the [[Union blockade]] was slowly destroying the economy of the rebelling [[Confederate States of America]]. The first use of [[torpedo boat]]s in attempting to break the blockade came in October 1863. The attack damaged a Union vessel, and the partial success led the Confederates to build additional torpedo boats. Multiple designs were used, including a group known as the [[Squib-class torpedo boat|''Squib''-class]] built at [[Richmond, Virginia]]. [[Lieutenant]] Hunter Davidson playing a significant role in the design.{{sfn|Pry|Zeitlin|1984|pp=384{{endash}}385}}

''Scorpion'', [[CSS Hornet|CSS ''Hornet'']], and [[CSS Wasp|CSS ''Wasp'']], under overall command of Lieutenant [[Charles Read (naval officer)|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|CSS ''Richmond'']], 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|CSS ''Drewry'']], January 24. Abandoned, she fell into Federal hands.

CSS ''Scorpion'', one of the ''Squib''-class, 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|oscillating 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]]. According to a Union engineer, she could go at "a fair speed for a boat of her kind".{{sfn|Campbell|2000|p=105}} Her crew of five or six{{sfn|Pry|Zeitlin|1984|p=385}} operated steer gear that was located towards the front of the vessel.{{sfn|Campbell|2000|p=105}} Her armament was a single [[spar torpedo]] mounted to a spar shaft that measured {{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}}

See also [[USS Scorpion|USS ''Scorpion'']] and [[HMS Scorpion|HMS ''Scorpion'']].

==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, the wooden vessels of the fleet were lashed to the [[ironclad]]s. Overall, the Confederates had 11 ships present: three ironclads, three [[gunboat]]s, three torpedo boats, and two [[tender ship|tenders]]. ''Scorpion'' was towed by the tender [[CSS Torpedo|CSS ''Torpedo'']], which was in turn lashed to the ironclad [[CSS Virginia II|CSS ''Virginia II'']].{{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 on 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==

{{Reflist}}

==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=1996 |___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}}

{{Squib class torpedo boat}}

{{CSN torpedo boats}}

{{1865 shipwrecks}}

{{coord missing|Virginia}}

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[[Category:NavalTorpedo shipsboats of the Confederate States of America|ScorpionNavy]]

[[Category:Torpedo boats]]

[[Category:Shipwrecks of the American Civil War]]

[[Category:Shipwrecks of the James River]]

[[Category:TorpedoCaptured boatsships]]

{{AmericanCivilWar-stub}}

[[Category:Maritime incidents in January 1865]]

{{Mil-ship-stub}}

[[Category:Squib-class torpedo boats]]