The greatest ships Captain in US history?

[Capt Coxetter]

I was referring to the Hatteras. When he fought the Kearsarge, his vessel was handicapped by its own old powder, and his opponent's chain-mail armoring.

Capt. Coxetter

[OpnDownfall]

Although approximately the same size, there was a great disparity in armaments. The Hatteral had 4 x 32 pdrs and 1 x 20 pdr, while Semmes' ship had 6 x 32, 1 x 110 and 1 x 68, pdrs.
Although a war ship in the US Navy, the Hatteras was not a purpose built war ship, I believe she was built as a pilot boat, but I cold be mistaken.
The first purpose built war ship Alabama fought was the USS Kersarge.The captain and crew of the Kersarge, uimprovised a form of chain mail armor to further protect the ships engine rooms.

[cash]

Originally Posted by Capt Coxetter

I was referring to the Hatteras. When he fought the Kearsarge, his vessel was handicapped by its own old powder, and his opponent's chain-mail armoring.

Capt. Coxetter

Making excuses doesn't cut it. Semmes had a great advantage over the Hatteras, and he exploited that advantage the way any good commander should.

As a good commander making a decision to fight the Kearsarge, he should have known the state of his powder and taken that into account. Blaming it on the powder is, in my opinion, a cop-out.

Winslow was able to give himself an advantage and was able to exploit it the way any good commander should.

In the fight between Alabama and Kearsarge, Winslow showed himself to be a better sea captain than Semmes. The excuse-finding is nothing more than a rehash of "the dog ate my homework" and has no credibility.

Regards,
Cash

[whitworth]

has eaten too many of Stonewall Jackson's raw lemons.

[trice]

Originally Posted by Capt Coxetter

I was referring to the Hatteras. When he fought the Kearsarge, his vessel was handicapped by its own old powder, and his opponent's chain-mail armoring.

Capt. Coxetter

Hatteras was a converted merchant ship built by Harland and Hollingsworth in Wilmington, DE in 1861 as the St. Mary's. She was commissioned in October 1861 after being armed and outfitted as a blockade vessel.

From Farragut & Our Naval Commanders, J. T. Headley, 1867:

<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">"She was originally built at Wilmington, as a passenger vessel between Galveston and New Orleans, and of the slightest construction, for an iron ship. She was of a thousand tons burden, and drawing but seven feet of water.

[Capt Coxetter]

Originally Posted by whitworth

has eaten too many of Stonewall Jackson's raw lemons.

As every sailor knows, it fights the scurvy!

Capt. Coxetter