CSS Scorpion

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CSS Scorpion was a Squib-class torpedo boat that served in the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War. Armed with a single spar torpedo, she originally served guard duty on the James River after being built in late 1864. Along with the rest of the James River Squadron, Scorpion moved downriver on January 23, 1865, and participated in the Battle of Trent's Reach. After performing depth soundings near Union obstructions, Scorpion moved to get a lantern from the ironclad CSS Virginia II, but ran into a hawser and then ran aground. At 07:10 on the morning of January 24, Union fire struck the abandoned tender CSS Drewry, which then exploded. The force of the explosion swept Scorpion out of control downriver. An attempt to rescue her that night failed, and she was captured by Union forces.

Construction and characteristics

During the American Civil War, the Union blockade was slowly destroying the economy of the rebelling Confederate States of America. The first use of torpedo boats in attempting to break the blockade came in October 1863. The attack damaged a Union vessel, and the partial success led the Confederates to build additional torpedo boats. Multiple designs were used, including a group known as the Squib-class built at Richmond, Virginia. Lieutenant Hunter Davidson playing a significant role in the design.Template:Sfn

CSS Scorpion, one of the Squib-class, was constructed in late 1864, and was Template:Convert long, had a beam of Template:Convert, and a depth of hold of Template:Convert.<ref name="DANFS">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Tonnage for the class is unknown.Template:Sfn The Squib-class ships were powered by two oscillating condensing engines, which had a Template:Convert diameter cylinder and a Template:Convert stroke, as well a single boiler. According to a Union engineer, she could go at "a fair speed for a boat of her kind".Template:Sfn Her crew of five or sixTemplate:Sfn operated steer gear that was located towards the front of the vessel.Template:Sfn Her armament was a single spar torpedo mounted to a spar shaft that measured Template:Convert<ref name="DANFS" /> or Template:Convert long.Template:Sfn The spar could be raised or lowered by the ship's crew using a chain and tackle system.Template:Sfn Thin plates of iron served as armor on the ships's sides.Template:Sfn

Service history

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} After construction, Scorpion entered Confederate service with the James River Squadron.Template:Sfn Under the command of Lieutenant Edward Lakin,Template:Sfn 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, the wooden vessels of the fleet were lashed to the ironclads. Overall, the Confederates had 11 ships present: three ironclads, three gunboats, three torpedo boats, and two tenders. Scorpion was towed by the tender CSS Torpedo, which was in turn lashed to the ironclad CSS Virginia II.Template:Sfn Moving during the night, the Confederate vessels passed a Union shore position known as Fort Brady, which fired upon them.Template:Sfn At around 09:00, the Confederate vessels reached Union obstructions in the river at Trent's Reach.Template:Sfn

Scorpion was then sent forward to perform depth sounding, with a pilot from Virginia II aboard. The pilot claimed that the channel was not open, but 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.Template:Sfn The ironclad CSS Fredericksburg then managed to clear the obstructions at around 01:30 on January 24. Read later took Scorpion to look for the gunboat CSS 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 the ironclad CSS Richmond as well. The tender CSS Drewry then ran aground trying to free Richmond. Moving towards Virginia II, Scorpion ran into a hawser strung between the former ship and the gunboat CSS Beaufort,Template:Sfn losing her torpedo and spar in the process. Not long afterwards, she ran aground.Template:Sfn The torpedo boat CSS Hornet then ran aground trying to free Scorpion.Template:Sfn The Confederate vessels that were not aground withdrew upriver before daylight.Template:Sfn 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 on board were killed and four others swept overboard.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn She was later captured by Union forces,<ref name="DANFS" />Template:Sfn and may have been burned.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Sources

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