CSS Alabama

[Subdeacon Joe]

The CSS Alabama was the most successful and notorious of the Confederate commerce raiders. Built secretly in Liverpool England in 1862, the vessel was commissioned in August of that year, under the command of Captain Raphael Semmes. Semmes was a native of Maryland who was living in Mobile, Alabama when the war broke out. At the beginning of hostilities, he resigned his commission in the U.S. Navy and joined the Confederate navy. A few of his officers aboard the Alabama were Southerners, but the rest (and all the crew) were British volunteers.

For two years the Alabama sailed across the globe, capturing or destroying 65 U.S. merchant ships and taking over 2,000 prisoners. In June 1864 Semmes sailed his ship into Cherbourg France, for much needed resupply and repairs.

The USS Kearsarge had been pursuing and searching for the Alabama for months. Captain John Winslow, a North Carolina born Unionist, was delighted when he sailed the Kearsage into Cherbourg and finally found his elusive prey. Because France was neutral, he could not attack the Alabama in port. Instead, he sailed the Kearsarge out to the mouth of the harbor and dropped anchor, daring Semmes to come out and fight.

After a few days of preparation, the Alabama hoisted her sails and headed out to the waiting Kearsarge, while hundreds of Cherbourg citizens lined the shore to watch the fight.

To the probable dismay of the spectators, the fight was decidedly one-sided. The Alabama fired first, missing wildly, and continued to fire as rapidly as her guns could be loaded, as the two ships slowly sailed in a circle around each other. The Kearsarge gunners were much more deliberate, firing more slowly—and more accurately. Of the almost 400 shots fired by the Alabama, only two struck the Kearsarge and they did little damage. Meanwhile, the Kearsarge fired fewer than half that many shots, but the Alabama was riddled with shells and badly crippled. About an hour after the fight had begun, with his ship sinking, Semmes struck his flag and surrendered.

After Captain Semmes and the surviving crew abandoned their sinking ship, a private British steam yacht raced in, picked up Semmes and 40 other survivors, and carried them off the England. Winslow was infuriated but resisted the temptation to fire on the yacht.

Following his escape, Semmes made it back to the Confederacy, where he was promoted to admiral and given command of the flotilla on the James River. After the war he was a professor of philosophy and literature at Louisiana State University. He died in 1877 at age 67.

Winslow’s victory made him a hero in the North and won him a promotion to Commodore. After the war he commanded the U.S. Pacific Squadron. He died in 1873 at age 61.

The battle between the CSS Alabama and the USS Kearsarge occurred off Cherbourg France on June 19, 1864, one hundred fifty-eight years ago today. 

The painting is Edouard Manet’s “The Battle of the Kearsarge and the Alabama” (1864) which today hangs in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

 

 

 

 

[DeaconKC]

[Subdeacon Joe]

https://youtu.be/0QKDpPaHnAE

[Alpo]

So they didn't believe in territorial waters back then?

 

He couldn't attack the Alabama in the harbor, because the harbor was in France and France was neutral. So he sat in the mouth of the harbor.

 

Wouldn't that be considered French territorial waters, and therefore still neutral? Ye olde "12 mile limit"?

[Subdeacon Joe]

28 minutes ago, Alpo said:

So they didn't believe in territorial waters back then?

 

He couldn't attack the Alabama in the harbor, because the harbor was in France and France was neutral. So he sat in the mouth of the harbor.

 

Wouldn't that be considered French territorial waters, and therefore still neutral? Ye olde "12 mile limit"?

 

See;

 

Quote

 

"Captain Winslow spotted the departing Confederate raider, so they turned his ship around to take the impending battle out of French territorial waters. Once out, Kearsarge turned about again, hoisted the United States Navy Jack, and lined up for a broadside. Captain Winslow ordered his gunners to hold their fire until the range closed. CSS Alabama fired the first shots. They are not known to have hit. Eventually Kearsarge was under way, and the range closed to within 1,000 yards (910 m) when she fired her first shot. The two warships maneuvered on opposite courses throughout the battle. Kearsarge and Alabama made seven spiraling circles around each other, moving southwest in a 3-knot (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) current. Both Captain Semmes and Captain Winslow attempted to cross each other's bow, hoping to inflict heavy raking fire. The battle continued in this manner for several minutes; in the meantime, on the French coast, hundreds watched the battle. Kearsarge's armor cladding sustained two hits during the engagement.^{[citation needed]}

The first shell, a 32-pounder, struck within the starboard gangway. The shot cut part of the chain armor and dented the wooden planking underneath.^[4] The second shot was again a 32-pounder that exploded and broke a link of the chain. Both hits struck the chain five feet above the waterline and therefore did not threaten the boilers or machinery. The gunnery of USS Kearsarge was reportedly more accurate than that of the Confederates. She fired slowly with well-aimed shots, while Alabama fired rapidly. CSS Alabama fired a total of over 370 rounds during the fighting; it is not known how many Kearsarge fired, but it is known that she fired many fewer than the Confederates did. Eventually, after just over an hour of exchanging artillery fire, Alabama had received shot-holes beneath the waterline from Kearsarge's Dahlgren guns and began to sink. Captain Semmes struck the Confederate colors, but still Kearsarge continued firing until a white flag was seen, raised by one of the Confederate sailors with his hand. The battle was over, so Captain Semmes sent his remaining dinghy to Captain Winslow, to ask for aid.^{[citation needed]}

During the battle, 40 Confederate sailors were casualties (19 killed in action or drowned and 21 wounded). Another seventy or so were picked up by Kearsarge. Thirty or so were rescued by Deerhound, a British yacht, which Captain Winslow asked to help evacuate Alabama's crew, and three French pilot boats. Captain Semmes and fourteen of his officers were among the sailors rescued by Deerhound. Instead of delivering the captured Confederates to Kearsarge, Deerhound set a course for Southampton, thus enabling Captain Semmes' escape. This act severely angered Kearsarge's crew, who begged their captain to allow them to open fire on the British yacht. Captain Winslow would not allow this, so the Confederates got away and avoided imprisonment. Three men were wounded aboard the United States' vessel, one of whom died the following day."^[5]

 

 

[Duffield, SASS #23454]

"I fought her until she could no longer swim, then I gave her to the waves."

Captain Raphael Semmes"

[Utah Bob #35998]

Wooden ships and iron men.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

I think it was a three mile limit (if even that far) in those days cause that was as far as the gunnery could shoot.

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

5 hours ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

Wooden ships and iron men.

 

Q:   What is the only U.S. Navy ship still in commission that has sunk an enemy ship?

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A:   USS Constitution (Old Iron Sides).

 

[Sedalia Dave]

2 hours ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

I think it was a three mile limit (if even that far) in those days cause that was as far as the gunnery could shoot.

 

In 1782 maritime law established that a nations territiral waters extened 3 from the coast. This was considered the limit of shore batteries at the time. After WWII nations began to extend this limit to 12 miles. However this limit was contended often as several well established shipping lanes fell within the 12 mile limit. Between 1958 and 1982 the 12 mile limit was debated upon many times in maritime law. Today most nations claim a 12 mile limit however they still allow the passage of foreign flagged ships as long as the passage meets the definition of "innocent" passage. However this limit is still hotly contested by several nations.

 

WHERE DO INTERNATIONAL WATERS BEGIN?

This long-contentious question remains hotly disputed today

 

 

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

More from the 97th....  

 

 

 

[Bart Slade]

A few years ago I was into reading old Harper's Weeklies from the late 1860's and early 1870's; during that period the U.S. was pressing England HARD for reparations over the C.S.S. Alabama.  Wound up getting them too, as I remember.