Shipbucket

Good looking ships with, in my opinion, a well thought out development line of ships, and of course the drawings themselves.

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Thank you Kim for the crest

"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"

Another great question.

When the American Civil War starts, thousands of sympathetic Texans cross the border to join up with the CSA. Most of those Texans were southern by birth and had extended families in places like Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia. Several of those expatriates are Texas Army officers who resign their commissions to go east. Enlisted men desert in droves between 1861 and 1863.

This is a diplomatic nightmare for Texas, because those men are fighting as Texans for the Confederacy. The US protests that and other, more neutral activities such as the sale of Texas beef cattle to the CSA (even though Texas is selling to both sides.) After the US Navy blockades CSA ports, which also includes the Sabine River, Texas ships are often stopped and searched. There are a few times when Texas Navy ships are mistaken for Confederate raiders and fired upon. Smuggling across the Sabine River becomes a way of life until the fall of Vicksburg, when the US effectively controls navigation on the Mississippi.

Other Texans, however, are sympathetic to the US, and enlist as a US Cavalry Regiment in the Trans-Mississippi Department (this is actual history that I've adapted here.) Texas leverages their incorporation as US volunteers to cool the issue over expatriates fighting for the CSA. However, Kansas Jayhawkers that the US cannot control are raiding into North Texas by 1863, and only when Texas threatens to cut off sales of beef cattle does the US decide to do anything about it.

The French Intervention in Mexico (1862-1866) causes little trouble at first because it has the support of the British. But as the French established a monarchy in Mexico, Texas officially protests and refuses navigation on the Rio Grande to French troops. This brings Texas and France to the brink of war but by 1865 the French had more problems with Mexican guerillas and let the matter drop. The Texas Navy will maintain a constant presence off Brazos Santiago between 1862 and 1866. Again, shots are exchanged every now and then to make a point on both sides.

Texas will avoid war at all costs between 1861 and 1866 because of problems with hostile Indians on her frontier. 90% of her army is deployed in an attempt to contain their raids and attacks on settlements, but with marginal success. If you read about this period in Texas history, you'll learn that the frontier was pushed back 100 miles because there weren't enough troops to cover the ground.

Those are my short answers to some very good questions.

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Redhorse

Current Projects:
Republic of Texas Navy
FD Scale F-14s

In 1886, Texas' semi-centennial year, Naval expansion continues and Naval strategy matures: the Navy protects the coast and major ports with two cruisers, two squadrons of corvettes for cruiser escort and/or commerce raiding, and a small squadron of gunboats for shallow-draft operations.

The old cruiser San Jacinto maintains her cruiser role, though her marginally armored wooden hull is clearly obselete. To that end, Texas orders the design of an iron-hulled cruiser to completment the iron-hulled corvettes already at sea. This ship is the Independence - the second Texas Navy ship to bear the name, and with a complex history from drawing board to duty:



Her dimensions (270' at the waterline) made her too large for the Levingston Yard or their competitors, Gray's Iron Works to construct. She was therefore competed abroad, with the final contract given to the British Elswick Yard, who could complete her according to the Navy's requirements.

Originally designed for an iron hull and augmented with sails in 1886, in 1887 the Elswick designers proposed a newer, stronger steel hull. The Texas Navy accepted, and later adjusted the design to omit the sails. Independence is therefore the first all-steam ship in service. She had a 5000 mile steaming range, more than 10 times the steaming range of the corvettes, but she was designed to cruise the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean as a deterrent to foreign fleet activity.

One point of contention over her design was the Navy's inistence on employing US-made ordnance. Independence was armed with 4 8"/30s and 8 5"/31s. Not the best ordnance available, but cheaper and more readily available. After builder's trials in England she sailed with her plankowner crew for fitting out at the Galveston Navy yard.

The prescribed changes delayed her commissioning, and Independence was put into service in 1890.

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Redhorse

Current Projects:
Republic of Texas Navy
FD Scale F-14s

Gents,

I'm currently deployed to Afghanistan, and I'll be her for about a year. Updates to the Republic of Texas will be sporadic and random, though I'll still be able to check in for comments.

Duty first.

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Redhorse

Current Projects:
Republic of Texas Navy
FD Scale F-14s

Amen brother...

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In Hoc Signo Vinces

By This Sign You Will Conquer

Take care over there... keep your powder dry.

Keep your head down, your eyes open and rifle towards the enemy, and come back safely.

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Thank you Kim for the crest

"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"

It puts things in perspective. God bless Redhorse.

Agreed one all last points

Afganistan sucks for sure

RedHorse, what unit are you with? You have all our prayers to come back to this safely.

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"It is better to type nothing and be assumed an ass, than to type something and remove all doubt." - Me