CSS Scorpion: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 04:18, 9 March 2022

Revision as of 04:24, 9 March 2022

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==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}} ''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'',{{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}} ''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 onboard 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}}