Editing CSS Albemarle (section)

==Service on the Roanoke River==
In April 1864 the newly commissioned Confederate States Steamer ''Albemarle'', under the command of [[Captain (naval)|Captain]] [[James W. Cooke]], got underway down-river toward [[Plymouth, North Carolina]]; its mission was to clear the river of all Union vessels so that [[General officer|General]] [[Robert F. Hoke]]'s troops could storm the forts located there. She anchored about three miles (5&nbsp;km) above the town, and the pilot, John Lock, set off with two seamen in a small boat to take [[Depth sounding|sounding]]s. The river was high and they discovered ten feet of water over the obstructions that the Union forces had placed in the Thoroughfare Gap. Captain Cooke immediately ordered steam and, by keeping to the middle of the channel, they passed safely over the obstructions. The ironclad's armor protected them from the Union guns of the forts at Warren's Neck and Boyle's Mill.

[[File:Sinking of the Southfield.jpg|thumb|''Albemarle'''s ram sinks ''Southfield'']]
However, two [[paddle steamer]]s, {{USS|Miami|1861|6}} and {{USS|Southfield}}, lashed together with [[spar (sailing)|spars]] and chains, approached from up-river, attempting to pass on either side of ''Albemarle'' in order to trap her between them. Captain Cooke turned heavily to [[starboard]], getting outboard of ''Southfield'', but running dangerously close to the southern shore. Turning back sharply into the river, he rammed the Union sidewheeler, driving her under; ''Albemarle''{{'}}s ram became trapped in ''Southfield''{{'}}s hull from the force of the blow, and her bow was pulled under as well. As ''Southfield'' sank, she rolled over before settling on the riverbed; this action released the [[death grip]] that held the new Confederate ram.

''Miami'' fired a shell into ''Albemarle'' at point-blank range while she was trapped by the wreck of ''Southfield'', but the shell rebounded off ''Albemarle''{{'}}s sloping iron armor and exploded on ''Miami'', killing her commanding officer, Captain [[Charles W. Flusser]]. ''Miami''{{'}}s crew attempted to board ''Albemarle'' to capture her but were soon driven back by heavy musket fire; ''Miami'' then steered clear of the ironclad and escaped into Albemarle Sound.

With the river now clear of Union ships, and with the assistance of ''Albemarle''{{'}}s rifled cannon, General Hoke attacked and took Plymouth and the nearby forts.

[[File:WoodVIron.jpg|300px|left|thumb|The encounter at Albemarle Sound, May 5, 1864. From left to right are {{USS|Commodore Hull}}, {{USS|Wyalusing}}, {{USS|Sassacus|1862|6}}, CSS ''Albemarle'', {{USS|Mattabesett|1864|6}} and {{ship|CSS|Bombshell}}]]

On May 5 ''Albemarle'' and {{ship|CSS|Bombshell}}, a captured steamer, were escorting the troop-laden {{ship|CSS|Cotton Plant}} down the [[Roanoke River]]; they encountered a flotilla of eight Union warships, including USS ''Miami'', {{USS|Mattabesett|1864|6}}, {{USS|Sassacus|1862|6}}, and {{USS|Wyalusing}}, in what would become known as the [[Battle of Albemarle Sound]]. All four of the listed ships combined mounted more than sixty cannons. ''Albemarle'' opened fire first, wounding six men working one of ''Mattabesett''{{'}}s two 100-pounder [[Parrott rifle]]s, and then attempted to ram her, but the [[sidewheeler]] managed to round the ironclad's armored bow. She was closely followed by ''Sassacus'', which then fired a broadside of solid {{convert|9|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} and 100-pound shot, all of which bounced off ''Albemarle''{{'}}s casemate armor. However, ''Bombshell'', being a softer target, was hulled by each heavy shot from ''Sassucus''{{'}}s broadside and was quickly captured by Union forces, following her surrender.
[[File:CSSAlbemarle1.gif|300px|right|thumb|''Battle between the Sassacus and the Albemarle, May 1864'']]

[[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Francis Asbury Roe]] of ''Sassucus'', seeing ''Albemarle'' at a range of about {{convert|400|yd|m}}, decided to ram. The Union ship struck the Confederate ironclad full and square, broadside-on, shattering the timbers of her own bow, twisting off her own bronze ram in the process, and jamming both ships together. With ''Sassucus''{{'}}s hull almost touching the end of the ram's Brooke rifle, ''Albemarle''{{'}}s gun crew quickly fired two point-blank rifled shells, one of them puncturing ''Sassucus''{{'}}s boilers; though live steam was roaring through the ship, she was able to break away and drift out of range. ''Miami'' first tried to use her [[spar torpedo]] and then to tangle the Confederate ram{{'}}s screw propellers and rudder with a [[seine net]], but neither ploy succeeded. More than 500 shells were fired at ''Albemarle'' during the battle; with visible battle damage to her [[smokestack]] and other areas on the ironclad, she steamed back up the Roanoke, soon mooring at Plymouth.