Shipbucket

Or it could be used in the meaning of 'she's a majestic ship'.

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MS State Guard - 08 March 2014 - 28 January 2023

The Official IJN Ships & Planes List

#FJB

Greetings!

First off - I wanted to thank everyone for their kind words - I appreciate the interest in not only the ships and planes, but the background timeline as well.

Before I post the next group of ships I thought I'd address the questions that have been raised.

Firstly, the CSS Majestic derives her name - as do all Confederate armored cruisers - from positive or powerful adjectives (ex Valiant, Courageous, etc)

Second - I don't have a list as such. I am creating this AU on a decade block basis. As such I have to finish 1900-1910 before I move on to 1911-1920 and finally 1921-1930 (the decade of the War of the Americas), and the conflict is still somewhat in flux - Operation Citadel (the CSA's attempt to seize the Panama Canal) was added very recently for example. What I can do is add the battles in which the ship in question was lost to the class descriptions as I move through this period.

Hope this helps!

Again, thank you all - stay tuned for more goodies!

Cheers!
Stealthjester

Greetings!

Europa class (CSA):


The Europa class was designed in response to the US Lake Huron class scout cruisers. The goal was to out-class the US ships as it was unlikely the CSN would ever out-build their Northern rivals. Although the new cruisers carried four fewer 6” guns than the Huron’s, all were turret-mounted. In addition, the Europa’s were turbine-powered, slightly faster than the US ships, and with equivalent range. In all, seven of these new ships; Europa, Cyclops, Iapetus, Pegasus, Ajax, Hades, and Atlas, were built. Hull numbers ran from C-12 to C-18.

The Europa class was 410 feet long overall, with a 45 foot beam and a nominal draft of 19 feet. They displaced 6,910 tons normal and 7,360 tons full load. They were armed with eight Mk.VIII 6”/45’s in two twin turrets fore and aft and four single wing turrets. The secondary battery was twelve old pattern Mk.III 4”/40’s (and were the last new construction CSN ships to use them) in open deck mounts. Four 18” torpedo tubes in single deck mounts completed the armament suite. The Europa class was powered by four Wilkerson-Chadwick direct-drive turbines producing a combined 26,700 shaft horsepower – design speed was 24 knots but was often exceeded in service – CSS Ajax (C-16) reached nearly 26 knots in light ship conditions in 1908. Range was 6,000 nautical miles. Armor consisted of a 2” deck, 3” turrets and a 5” conning tower. Crew complement was 435.

Commissioned between 1906 and 1907, the Europa class was immediately given its baptism of fire during the Western Pacific War, where they quickly became respected for their speed and maneuverability (despite their single rudder they had an excellent tuning circle for their size). They also became notorious (along with their light cruiser descendants) as breeding grounds for talented and aggressive young captains. Notable among these were Jeb Harper of the aforementioned Ajax and Lawrence “Badger” Bartlett, captain of the Hades. In these days before radar and widespread aerial reconnaissance they used their ships almost as large destroyers – darting into harbors and anchorages (often under cover of darkness) on scouting missions for the Confederate fleet. They were also highly successful commerce raiders before the USN acquired sufficient numbers of escorts to counter them. During the Western Pacific War, three of these cruisers were lost: Pegasus in 1907 during the Guam Campaign and Europa, Cyclops, and Atlas all during the Second Battle for Hawaii in 1908.
After the war the survivors were refit with oil-fired boilers, new guns, and 21” torpedo tubes between 1919 and 1921. During the War of the Americas only one was lost; Hades was sunk in 1925 while running escort for CSS Lafayette during Operation Citadel. The two surviving ships were retired within a year of the end of the war in the post-Montreal Treaty draw-down of forces.

Cheers!
Stealthjester

Very nice work!

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MS State Guard - 08 March 2014 - 28 January 2023

The Official IJN Ships & Planes List

#FJB

Cassandra class (CSA):


The Cassandra class was based closely on the previous Europa class – differing primarily in turret arrangement. Although carrying two fewer 6” guns than their US counterparts of the Lake Pend Oreille and Lake St. Clair classes, they could bring the same number – eight – to either broadside. A total of eight of this design; Cassandra, Ares, Juno, Perseus, Bellerophon, Achilles, Agamemnon, and Ganymede were laid down between 1903 and 1906 and were commissioned between 1906 and 1909. Hull numbers ran from C-19 to C-26.

The Cassandra class was 420 feet long overall, with a 50 foot beam and a nominal draft of 22 feet. They displaced 7,070 tons normal and 7,780 tons full load. They were armed with ten Mk.VIII 6”/45’s in three twin turrets fore, amidships, and aft and two twin wing turrets. The secondary battery was twelve Mk.IV 4”/45’s in open deck mounts and eight Mk.III 3"/50 weapons mounted on the tops of A, B, D, and E turrets. Four 18” torpedo tubes in two twin deck mounts completed the armament suite. The Cassandra class was powered by four Wilkerson-Chadwick direct-drive turbines producing a combined 30,080 shaft horsepower and design speed was 25 knots. Range was 7,000 nautical miles. Armor consisted of a 3” belt, 2.5” deck, 4” turrets and a 5” conning tower. Crew complement was 450.

After entering service, the class was involved in the Western Pacific War, but only one was lost during the conflict; Perseus was sunk during the Second Battle for Hawaii in 1908. After the war the remaining ships were given refits similar to those of the Europa class between 1920 and 1922. During the War of the Americas the ships were present in every theater and saw considerable action with two being lost; Achilles was sunk during the First Battle of the Chesapeake in 1924 and Ganymede was torpedoed and sunk by the US submarine K.32 while retreating from the disastrous battle of Subic Bay in the Philippines in 1926. Following the war the surviving members of this class served in the peacetime CSN fleet. In 1929, two of these ships; Ares and Agamemnon were sold to the Chilean Navy becoming Valparaiso and Constitucion respectively, both fought during the Peru-Chilean War of 1932-1934 and weren’t retired until 1948. Of the remaining ships in CS service, Juno was destroyed in a magazine explosion in Mobile Bay in 1930 along with most of her crew (the CSN’s worst peacetime accident) while Cassandra and Bellerophon remained in active service until 1933 when they were retired and scrapped.

Up next: CSN destroyers and torpedo boats

Cheers!
Stealthjester

Awesome job!

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MS State Guard - 08 March 2014 - 28 January 2023

The Official IJN Ships & Planes List

#FJB

Greetings!

Carronade class (CSA):


The follow-on to the Brilliant class; the Carronade class was not only the first turbine-powered Confederate destroyers, but was also more heavily armed and faster than earlier classes – and more equal to US designs. A total of eight were built; Carronade, Citadel, Crescendo, Castle, Catapult, Cheetah, Crusader, and Corsair. Hull numbers ran from TD-13 to TD-20.

The Carronade class was 290 feet long overall, with a 28 foot beam and a nominal draft of 8 feet. They displaced 1,010 tons normal and 1,040 tons full load. Armament consisted of four 3”/50 Mk.III’s in single mounts, fore, port, starboard, and aft and two twin 18” torpedo tubes in centerline swivel mounts ahead and behind the after deckhouse. Sixteen reload torpedoes were carried. Two Wilkerson-Chadwick direct-drive turbines producing a combined 14,300 shaft horsepower were installed and design speed was 27 knots with a range of 4,000 nautical miles. Normal crew complement was 103.

Laid down between 1902 and 1904, the new TBD’s commissioned between 1905 and 1907 and were almost immediately involved in the Western Pacific War with nearly the entire class lost during the conflict; Citadel was sunk during 1906 at the First Battle of Hawaii, Carronade, Castle, and Cheetah during the eight-month Guam Campaign, and Crescendo, Catapult, and Crusader in 1908 during the Second Battle of Hawaii. The only survivor; Corsair, was re-classed as a destroyer (D-20) during her refit in 1921-22 where she also received oil-fired boilers, new guns, hydrophones and depth charge racks. She continued in second-line service with the CSN during the War of the Americas and managed to avoid serious damage until she was sunk at her moorings during the US air raid against Charleston Navy Yard in 1927 and was later broken up on site.

Daring class (CSA):


Designed as larger, more advanced versions of the Carronade class, the Daring class was virtually identical in appearance to the earlier ships but were built in larger numbers as part of the switch from a focus on torpedo boats to more destroyers – reflecting the CSN’s experience during the Western Pacific War. Laid down between 1906 and 1907, sixteen Daring’s were built; Daring, Dagger, Duster, Deterrent, Domain, Dazzle, Doughty, Drizzle, Duelist, Devastator, Dragon, Dossier, Duchess, Dart, Dominion, and Dramatic. Hull numbers ran from TD-21 to TD-36.

The Daring class was 300 feet long overall, with a 29 foot beam and a nominal draft of 10 feet. They displaced 1,075 tons normal and 1,100 tons full load. Armament was identical to that of the Carronade class save twenty reload torpedoes could be carried. A twin shaft turbine propulsion system was again used with a total output of 18,460 shaft horsepower. Design speed was 29 knots while range remained 4,000 nautical miles. The Daring’s were the first Confederate destroyers with twin rudders and were very maneuverable for their time. Normal crew complement was 110.

The new ships commissioned between 1909 and 1910 into the peacetime CSN. They proved quite successful and helped hasten the demise of the Confederate torpedo boat. Re-classed as destroyers (D-21 to D-36) in 1921, the Daring’s were refit during 1922 with oil-burning boilers, 21” torpedo tubes, hydrophones and depth charge racks. The oldest Confederate destroyers still considered front-line units – the Daring’s were heavily involved in the War of the Americas – losing half their number in the brutal naval battles that characterized this conflict. CSS Dominion had the dubious distinction of being the first Confederate warship lost during the war – being sunk in 1923 by the light cruiser USS Lake Superior during the CSN’s withdraw following the initial attacks against US West Coast targets. Several of these ships were lost on commerce raiding missions that marked the first half of the war; Duster in 1924, Dazzle and Devastator in 1925, and Drizzle in 1926. Dagger was sunk by the US submarine L.11 in 1927, and Doughty and Duchess during the Battle of Mobile Bay later that year. Following the war – the surviving eight ships continued in second-line service in the limited postwar CS fleet. Funds for refits were limited to more modern ships so the Daring’s retained their prewar appearance until they were finally retired during 1940. They were scrapped shortly thereafter.

G class (CSA):


The first Confederate torpedo boats of the Twentieth Century, the G class represented a significant change in design over the previous F class. They were intended to be more capable against US torpedo boat destroyers and were in fact based on the prototype Advent class of torpedo boat destroyers. This led to a curious situation where Confederate torpedo boats came to resemble smaller, less capable destroyers – with the effect of many being lost against more powerful US destroyers during the Western Pacific War. Twenty G class ships; G.I to G.XX, were built – commissioning during 1904.

The G class was 220 feet long overall with a 17 foot beam and draft of 7.5 feet. They displaced 475 tons normal and 510 tons full load and were armed with a 12-pounder (3”) Mk.II gun forward, and three 6-pounder guns to port, starboard, and aft. Torpedo armament consisted of four single 18” launchers with eight of the “long” Mk.IV or twelve “short” Mk.V torpedoes carried as reloads. Reverting to a twin-shaft arrangement, the G class was powered by four-cylinder quad-expansion engines producing a total of 12,880 horsepower. Design speed was 28.5 knots and range was 3,000 nautical miles. Crew numbered 52.

As previously mentioned, the Western Pacific War was one the CSN would have preferred to avoid as most of its leadership – led by Admiral Arthur – felt they weren’t ready to take on the USN with a realistic chance of victory. Ironically, this situation would be repeated in the years leading up to the War of the Americas – with similarly disastrous results. Like all Confederate torpedo boats, the G class was heavily involved in the Western Pacific War and twelve ships; G.II, G.IV, G.V, G.VII, G.IX, G.X, G.XII, G.XIII, G.XV, G.XVI, G.XVIII, and G.XX, were lost. After the war ending the remaining ships were relegated to second-line duties and were eventually decommissioned and scrapped between 1915 and 1916.

H class (CSA):


The follow-on to the G class, the H class torpedo boats continued the design trend started by the earlier class – as lighter, weaker “destroyers”. Sixteen; H.I to H.XVI, were built – all were in commission by the end of 1905.

The H class was 260 feet long overall with a 20 foot beam and draft of 8 feet. They displaced 595 tons normal and 647 tons full load and were armed with two 3”/50 Mk.III guns mounted fore and aft with two twin centerline 18” torpedo launchers. The H class was the first Confederate warships – along with the Carronade class – to be powered by steam turbines. Both classes used British Parsons units built under license by the firm of Wilkerson-Chadwick. Two direct-drive engines producing a total of 13,790 shaft horsepower gave a design speed of 29 knots while range remained 3,000 nautical miles. Crew numbered 68.
The class was cursed with bad luck outside the losses suffered during wartime. In 1905, mere weeks after commissioning, H.III broke up during a violent storm off Florida, while seven years later, H.VIII capsized during a typhoon off the Philippines with the lost of her entire crew. During the Western Pacific War ten of the class; H.I, H.IV, H.VI, H.VII, H.X, H.XI, H.XII, H.XIV, H.XV, and H.XVI, were sunk – most during the climatic Second Battle of Hawaii. Following the armistice, the four surviving ships entered the mothball fleet moored in Galveston. Why the slightly older G class ships remained in (limited) active service over the more advanced H class ships is something of a mystery today, but regardless, the ships remained in ordinary only until 1915 when they were quietly decommissioned and within a year, scrapped.

J class (CSA):


Although not originally designed as such, the changing nature of naval warfare surrounding the Western Pacific War would ensure that the J class would be the last torpedo boats built for the CSN (the proposed follow-on “K” class didn’t even pass the initial design review). A total of twenty-six J class ships were built – designated J.I to J.XXVI – with all in service by the end 1907.

The J class was 280 feet long overall with a 23 foot beam and draft of 8 feet. They displaced 670 tons normal and 720 tons full load and were armed with four 3”/50 Mk.III guns, located fore, port, starboard, and aft along with two twin centerline 18” torpedo launchers and sixteen reloads. The J class was propelled by two Wilkerson-Chadwick direct-drive turbines producing a total of 16,210 shaft horsepower – delivering a design speed of 30 knots making the J class the fastest ships in the CSN at that time. Range remained 3,000 nautical miles while crew complement increased to 75.

In many respects, the J class represented a step backward design wise. Although slightly faster and better armed, the J class was otherwise similar to the H class and also proved to be structurally suspect due to its long narrow hull. Several of the ships lost in combat were destroyed by hull failure amidships after hits from medium or even light caliber explosive shells and at least four which survived the war had hulls so badly warped by near misses they were immediately declared total losses and scrapped. Fourteen ships of this class; J.IV, J.VI, J.VII, J.IX, J.XI, J.XII, J.XIV, J.XV, J.XVII, J.XIX, J.XXII, J.XXIII, J.XXV, and J.XXVI, were lost during the Western Pacific War while the eight ships still on active duty postwar were retained primarily as training vessels. They were withdrawn from service beginning in 1918 with the last active ships decommissioned by the end of 1919.

Next up: Early Confederate submarines

Cheers!
Stealthjester

Love the CSA ships but the 1865 national ensign had a red stripe on the outer edge

Very nice work!

_________________

MS State Guard - 08 March 2014 - 28 January 2023

The Official IJN Ships & Planes List

#FJB

Early CS submarines, A to C class:


Although the US Navy had the first practical military submarines in North America, the Confederate Navy seized very quickly on the new weapon as a way to counter the superior numbers of its rival and from the outset produced advanced and powerful vessels. Plans for the British B class boats were obtained and turned over to the newly-established Kings Bay Submarine Works in St Marys, Georgia (which would later become the CSN’s principle submarine base) and construction began on the three boats of the A class.

The A class was 142.2 feet long overall, with a 12.5 foot beam and a nominal draft of 11.2 feet. They displaced 287 tons normal and 316 tons submerged. Armament consisted of a pair of 18” bow torpedo tubes with five Mk.V “short” torpedoes as reloads. They were single-shaft and powered by a 600 horsepower gas engine. Surface speed was a respectable (for the day) 12 knots while submerged speed was 6.5 knots. Range was 740 nautical miles and crew numbered 15.
Three A class boats designated A.I to A.III were in service by the end of 1906 and served as training vessels for an unusually long time. They were finally retired by the end of 1920.

The B class was in service by the fall of 1908 and was the first to be assigned to patrol duties – primarily in the Caribbean. Enlarged versions of the A class, the new submarines carried the same armament – two 18” bow torpedo tubes, but were faster, had a greater maximum diving depth, and longer range. They were 145 feet long, had a 14 foot beam and a normal draft of 13 feet. They displaced 338 tons normal and 348 tons submerged, were single-shaft and powered by an improved “A” engine producing 626 horsepower. They had a surface speed of 13 knots, a submerged speed of 8 knots and a maximum range of 1,200 nautical miles. Normal complement was 18.
After entering service; B.I, B.II, B.III, and B.IV were home ported out of Kings Bay Naval Base for the firs time and were considered quite successful. CSS B.III was lost in a collision with the protected cruiser CSS Ajax in 1912 while participating in maneuvers off Florida, but the remaining boats served until 1918, when they were retired and placed in ordinary. They languished there until early in the War of the Americas, when reactivating them was considered. Ultimately, however, they were considered too outdated to return to service so were sold off and broken up for usable materials after 1925.

The sole member of the C class commissioned in 1910 and would have a long and interesting career – not being decommissioned until 1928. Although similar in appearance to earlier Confederate subs, C.I was in fact a new design – the first twin shaft design as well as the first powered by diesel engines. She was 165 feet long, with a 15 foot beam and a nominal draft of 14 feet. She displaced 420 tons surfaced and 440 tons submerged. Armament increased to four 18” bow torpedo tubes and seven “short” or four “long” reload torpedoes could be carried. Two six-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 870 horsepower gave a surface speed of 14 knots and their electric motors 9 knots while submerged, while range increased to 1,800 nautical miles and diving depth to 155 feet. Crew increased to 30.
After entering service, C.I remained on active duty until 1920 and was considered very successful – many features of her design were in fact used in the D and E class boats that followed. After 1920, C.I was withdrawn from active patrol and became a test bed for new submarine technologies, including testing bow and stern plane configurations and conning tower design, as well as installing generators powered by the diesel engines allowing the batteries to be recharged at sea. She was also the first Confederate submarine to mount a deck gun – an old 3”/50 Mk.III was fitted from 1913 to 1917 for testing purposes. These features were later incorporated into production sub classes. At the outset of the War of the Americas, C.I was one of four obsolete but operational submarines assigned to Kings Bay as training vessels. After the war C.I was decommissioned and sold to a civilian maritime museum in Mobile, who restored the submarine to her appearance when first commissioned and placed her on display – where she can be seen today.

Next up: 1911-1920 – stay tuned!

Cheers!
Stealthjester