Shipbucket

Georgia class (CSA):



The last pre-dreadnoughts built by the Confederacy; the Georgia class was arguably the most powerful in the Americas when they commissioned in mid-1909, albeit still obsolete compared to HMS Dreadnought and her successors.

Based on the one-off CSS Maryland, the new ships were both larger and heavier at 469 feet long overall and displacing 17,600 tons. The main battery was identical to the previous class; four 12”/45 Mk.X’s in two twin turrets mounted fore and aft. The secondary battery was greatly enhanced with eight 9.2”/45 Mk.IV’s in four twin turrets and eight single casemate-mounted 7.5”/45 Mk.IX guns. Finally, sixteen 4.7”/45 Mk.VIII anti-torpedo boat guns – the same as mounted on the Maryland – were carried.
Armor was heavier than previous classes with an 11” belt, 3” (average) deck, 12” main turrets and barbettes, and 7” casemates.
The Georgia’s were driven by three 7,800 hp triple expansion engines (and would be the last Confederate capital ships so equipped) fired by eighteen Yarrow double-ended boilers. With a total of 23,400 hp available, both ships easily exceeded their 19.5 knot design speed during trials. In fact, they routinely averaged between 19.8 and 20.5 knots in service making them the fastest pre-dreadnoughts ever built save for the 22.0 knot Italian Regina Elena class.

After entering service, both ships joined the Atlantic Fleet – CSS Georgia as flagship – and like all Confederate pre-dreadnoughts served quietly, first in front-line service, later as second-line or training ships.
With the outbreak of war in 1922, the two ships were immediately involved, primarily as shore bombardment ships or escorts for high-priority convoys. After the reversals suffered by the CSN in the first half of the conflict, however, the Georgia’s saw more direct combat with US ships.

Georgia was sunk during the Second Battle of the Caribbean in May of 1924. After a tremendous pounding from US dreadnoughts reduced the ship to a burning hulk, she was scuttled by her surviving crew.

Oklahoma was also present at the battle, but despite severe damage, managed to reach port. Quickly repaired the ship subsequently survived a torpedo hit from a US submarine six months later and then escaped with minimal damage from Charleston during the bombing that sank the Mississippi.
Considered a “lucky” ship, Oklahoma was retained by the postwar Confederate Navy. Unlike other surviving ships of her vintage, however, she was given a major overall during 1928-29 where, among other improvements, she was reequipped with oil-fired boilers.
Serving for another seven years, Oklahoma was finally decommissioned in March of 1936; with the ship being scrapped by the end of 1937.

Next up: Those pesky torpedo boats and destroyers.

Cheers!
StealthJester

A class TB (CSA):



The first torpedo boats built in the Americas, the A class were based on early British examples but built in Confederate shipyards. They were advanced for their time and were sited by later naval historians as one of the triggers for the escalating arms race between the US and the CSA which began during the late 1800’s.

The A class (Confederate torpedo boats were not named) were 140 feet long and displaced 110 tons. They were armed with two 6-pounder (57mm) guns and three 18” torpedo tubes – one bow-mounted and two on swivels – carrying license-built Whitehead torpedoes.
These ships were powered by two triple expansion engines producing 1,700 hp and had a design speed of 18.5 knots.

Four ships were built to this design – designated as A.1 through A.4. They were laid down in 1878 and commissioned in 1880. Considered experimental in nature, they rarely ventured out to sea and served more as coastal patrol craft, although they did prompt the construction of the US’s Ogden class in response. They were decommissioned in 1904 and scrapped by the end of 1905.

B class TB (CSA):



The follow-on to the A class, the B class was an essentially enlarged version of the previous class with more powerful engines.

The new ships were 150 feet long and displaced 134 tons. Armament was identical to the A class, while two 930 hp triple expansion engines propelled the B class to a top speed of 20.1 knots.

Only two ships were built to this design; B.1 and B.2, which were laid down in 1882 and entered service by the end of 1884. As with the A class, the two ships served primarily as coastal patrol craft. They were both decommissioned in 1905 and were broken up two years later.

C class TB (CSA):



The next Confederate torpedo boats; the C class, were a significant improvement over the preceding B class ships.

The C class was 160 feet long and displaced 159 tons nominal. The larger hull was designed for greater stability and sea-keeping improved considerably as a result allowing the new ships to operate much further into the ocean, and for the first time, a rudimentary bridge was installed. Armament, meanwhile, remained the same as in the B class. More powerful engines allowed the ships to easily reach a design speed of 21.7 knots, and all members of this class exceeded 22.0 knots in service.

This class consisted of five ships; C.1 to C.5, which were laid down in 1886 and commissioned during 1888. All five saw service during the Spanish-Confederate War (1895-1897) and C.3 and C.4 were credited with sinking the Spanish cruiser Almirante Oquendo during the battle for San Juan in February of 1896. Both torpedo boats approached to near point-blank range to release their “fish” despite a hail of fire from the Spanish ship and were hit multiple times, but were only lightly damaged.
After the war, the class continued on active service with the CSN until they were decommissioned in 1908-09. All were scrapped between 1910 and 1911 save for CSS C.3, which was preserved as a memorial in Mobile Bay.

Next up: Confederate D to F class torpedo boats.

Cheers!
StealthJester

D class TB (CSA):



Commissioned in 1892, the three ship D class continued the Confederate Navy’s progressive refinement of their torpedo boats.

These ships were 170 feet long overall and displaced 183 tons. They abandoned the bow mounted torpedo tube and ram-style bow of their predecessors for a conventional bow and four swivel mount 18” launchers firing to port and starboard. The gun battery of two 6-pounders remained the same as in the C class. Two triple expansion engines producing a total of 1,980 hp drove these ships to a top speed of nearly 24 knots.

After entering service, the new torpedo boats, designated as D.1 to D.3, were very active in the Atlantic and Caribbean, and also served in the Spanish-Confederate War where they formed an escort for the slow and vulnerable Virginia class monitors. In a battle off Cuba in October of 1895, the CSS Louisiana, accompanied by the D.1 and D.3, were attacked by a mixed force of Spanish gun and torpedo boats – which resulted in the sinking of both the Louisiana and the D.1, with her sister-ship severely damaged in one of the only decisive victories for Spain in the conflict.
After the war ended in 1897, the heavily damaged D.3 (which was recalled after the battle and saw no further action) was immediately decommissioned and scrapped, while the D.2 soldiered on until 1912 when she too was retired.

E class TB (CSA):



The four-ship E class represented the first major change in Confederate torpedo boat design although still drawing some features from previous classes.

They were 180 feet long overall and displaced 207 tons. Armament remained the same as on the D class but propulsion was significantly improved with not only a triple-shaft layout, but also the first use of quadruple expansion steam engines. With a more hydrodynamic hull the new ships were designed for a top speed of 26.0 knots but bettered that in service – CSS E.2 achieving 27.5 knots on trials for example.

Designated as E.1 through E.4, the class was laid down during 1894 and commissioned two years later. They were popular with their crews and considered quite successful. They joined the CSN fleet for the final year of the Spanish-Confederate War and only saw limited action, emerged from the conflict unscathed.
The class remained in service after the war, and was scheduled to be retired around 1916, but in late 1911 the Confederate government was approached by Chile with an offer to purchase the entire class. The ships were formally decommissioned from the CSN in 1912 and transferred to the Chilean Navy where they served for another fifteen years before being retired.

F class TB (CSA):



The last Confederate torpedo boats to enter service, the F class continued the design established by the E class and together, were the progenitors of the first CSN destroyers.

Virtually identical to the E class save in length (190 feet overall) and displacement (232 tons nominal), the F class used the same armament as the E’s but were able to carry reload torpedoes for the first time. Two 18” Whitehead-type torpedoes were stowed on deck between the lifeboats, and a small collapsing crane to aid in loading was also carried. The same triple-shaft propulsion system as the previous class was retained, resulting in top speeds remaining right around 27 knots, although range did noticeably improve.

Five ships of this design entered service during 1900; F.1 through F.5, and all served in the Atlantic fleet for their entire service lives where they performed well. CSS F.4 ran aground in the Florida Keys in 1903 and was declared a total loss, but the rest of the class remained in service until 1920, when they were decommissioned.

Next up: Yankee torpedo boats and some early destroyers.

Cheers!
StealthJester

Loving this AU, very awesome designs.

_________________
“Kleptomaniac, pyromaniac, just plain maniac.”
― CeeLo Green

Banana
Watermelon
Playstation 5

I authored these forum threads:
GB Kolibriscale
GB Scale Caliber Index
TrucKola's Project/Image Dump

Ogden class TB (US):



The US’s first torpedo boats, the Ogden class were built in response to the Confederate A class of 1880 and commissioned the same year as their follow-on B class.

The Ogden’s were 145 feet long and displaced 107 tons. Armament consisted of three 18” torpedo tubes which, like their Confederate counterparts, fired license-built Whitehead torpedoes. The ships’ gun battery consisted of two 3-pounder (47mm) weapons while propulsion was provided by two quadruple expansion engines (the first in a US warship) producing 1,770 hp. Top speed was around 20.0 knots.

Four ships; Ogden, Jamison, Smyth, and Washburn, were built – all were in service by the end of 1884 – and unlike their Confederate counterparts, they were used for escort and deep water duties in addition to coastal patrol missions from the outset.
After commissioning, the ships were split between the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets and served quietly, albeit successfully, until they were retired in 1905 and subsequently scrapped.

Yarbrough class TB (US):



Progressive improvements on the Ogden class, the four-ship Yarbrough class first entered service in 1888 and essentially closed the design gap with the Confederacy that had been established by their earlier torpedo boats.

The Yarbrough class was 160 feet long overall and displaced 173 tons. Armament was the same as the earlier Ogden class save that four reload torpedoes were carried. More powerful quadruple expansion steam engines producing a total of 2,200 hp pushed these vessels to a design speed of 24.0 knots and beyond, much faster than the Confederate torpedo boats of the period, and in fact their speed would not be surpassed until the introduction of the CSN’s E class in 1896.

Laid down in 1886 four ships; Yarbrough, Matheson, Westcott, and Teller, were built of this class, again split between the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets for the majority of their service lives. Rapidly rendered obsolete by the advent of true destroyers after the turn of the century, they were decommissioned between 1908 and 1909 and broken up by the end of 1911.

Paige class TB (US):



The last class of US torpedo boats built, the Paige class was in many respects the prototype for the first US destroyers, and a number of design features carried over to the Blakely class TBD’s.

The Paige class was 185 feet long and displaced a nominal 239 tons. The hull was new from the keel up and featured a conventional instead of a ram-style bow and a small bridge/conning tower. The gun battery was changed to two 6-pounder guns while the torpedo battery was increased to four 18” launchers with four reloads stowed alongside the amidships funnel. The two-shaft propulsion configuration was retained with more powerful engines requiring an additional boiler and uptake. With 2,500 hp available, top speed in service was between 26.0 and 26.5 knots.

As before, four ships of this class were built; Paige, Jefferson, Barker, and Holcomb. After commissioning in 1893 they served in the United States Navy until 1910 by which time they were functionally obsolete. While debate continued on the ships’ ultimate fate, the government of Peru stepped in and offered to buy the ships.
They were formally transferred to the Peruvian Navy in October of 1910 – becoming the Tornado (ex-Paige), Tigre (ex-Jefferson), Tempestad (ex-Barker), and Tifon (ex-Holcomb). Under their new flag, they served until the late 1920’s, when they were decommissioned and scrapped.

Cheers!
StealthJester

Blakely class TBD/DD (US):



Intended to counter the increasing number of torpedo boats fielded by the Confederacy, the Blakely class were the first torpedo boat destroyers built in the Americas.

Starting out in 1892 as enlarged Paige class torpedo boats with a heavier gun battery at the expense of torpedo launchers, the design was modified several times before being finalized in 1894. As built, they were 255 feet long, displaced 432 tons nominal and 645 tons full load. They carried a pair of 3”/50 Mk.1’s fore and aft on raised platforms with a secondary battery of six 6-pounders. Torpedo armament was reduced to two 18” centerline launchers with a pair of reloads each.
The Blakely’s were powered by two four cylinder quadruple expansion engines generating 7,500 hp and had a design speed of 26.0 knots – although this was exceeded slightly in service.

Six ships of this class were authorized in 1894 (along with ten of the virtually identical Richardson follow-on class); Blakely, Hughes, Nielson, Bainbridge, Carlson, and Davis. They were laid down by the end of 1895 and commissioned during 1898.
Initially classified as Torpedo Boat Destroyers (TBD) under the 1902 system, the ships were split between the Atlantic and Pacific fleets for most of their service lives and remained in home waters during the Continental War.
Reclassified as Destroyers (DD – same hull numbers) in 1912, the ships remained in active service through the end of 1918 when they were decommissioned and scrapped.

Richardson class TBD/DD (US):



Authorized at the same time as the Blakely class, the ten-ship Richardson class was delayed one year to address design and construction issues encountered with the earlier ships. As finally laid down in 1896, they were very similar to the Blakely class save for being a little longer at 258 feet and heavier at 447 tons nominal and 679 tons full load.
Armament was identical to the earlier ships and machinery was also similar – albeit slightly more powerful at 7,800 hp which gave a top speed of between 26.8 and 27.0 knots.

Commissioned by the end of 1900, the class comprised Richardson, Hull, Mosley, Adamson, Leavitt, Ross, Taylor, Wilkes, Sumner, and McCord.
Also split between the US East and West Coasts, the ships were re-designated as destroyers in 1912 and were also held back to patrol home waters during the Continental War. The Richardson class was decommissioned within a year of the armistice and was scrapped between 1918 and 1919.

Cheers!
StealthJester

That is an excellent series of torpedo boats and destroyers.
This AU is an understated gem of good AU USN ships.

_________________
Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

Indeed, that's a great series.

Advent class TBD/DD (CSA):



Originally intended as a modified and enlarged successor to the E class torpedo boat, the Advent class was completely redesigned with the introduction of the US Blakely and Richardson class TBD’s. As was common practice during this period, the CSN consulted with the Royal Navy on the design and the resulting ships showed a definite influence – particularly of the British A class.

The Advent class was 223 feet long overall and displaced 376 tons nominal and 562 tons full load. They were armed with a single 12-pounder (3”) gun forward and five 6-pounders mounted broadside and aft, as well as two 18” torpedo tubes mounted along the centerline aft of the funnels and rear deckhouse. The ships were powered by a triple-shaft, quadruple expansion engine installation capable of top speeds in the 26.5 to 27.2 knot range.

Commissioned by the end of 1901, the class consisted of three ships; Advent, Alliance, and Avenger. Originally designated as Torpedo Boat Destroyers (TBD), the trio was reclassified as Destroyers (D) in 1914.
While successful in service, the Advent’s were quickly rendered obsolete by the rapid advance of technology during the early 20th Century, although they did form the basic for future classes, particularly the turbine-powered Brilliant class.
Decommissioned in 1915, the ships were sold off for scrapping by early 1917.

Brilliant class TBD/DD (CSA):



The first Confederate turbine powered destroyers, and in fact the first turbine powered warships in the Americas, the Brilliant class was authorized in 1901 and laid down the following year.

Based on the Advent class, the Brilliant’s were 228 feet long overall and displaced 402 tons nominal and 622 tons full load. The increase in length and displacement was directly related to the installation of steam turbines for the first time. Retaining the triple-shaft arrangement of the Advent class, these ships used Parsons direct-drive turbines imported from Britain. Generating nearly 5,600 hp, the new engines were capable of driving these ships to their design speed of 27.5 knots and beyond – CSS Barracuda (TBD.7) reaching 28.4 knots during trials.

The five ships of this class; Brilliant, Bold, Ballista, Barracuda, and Bulldog, were all in service by the end of 1904. They caused a stir in the United States and prompted the construction of the Mercer class of turbine-driven destroyers in response.
Re-classed as destroyers in 1914, the ships served for the next five years and were decommissioned between 1919 and 1920. They were broken up by the end of 1921.

Cheers!
StealthJester

Very nice destroyers.

_________________
Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft