Would the Keokuk have proved useful on inland waters?

georgew

First Sergeant
Joined
Oct 1, 2010
Location
southern california
There were a number of interesting features in the Keokuk as well as small displacement with heavy ordnance that seem applicable to use on inland waterways. In particular, her gun houses were high enough to allow them to fire down into field fortifications and heavy enough to severely damage most riverine vessels of the period. Her ironing was marginal, essentially in a tin-clad class, sort of a classic "eggshell armed with sledgehammers".
 
Always been a favourite of mine, her captain said that if she'd been 20ft longer she would have been perfect . Given the alternate timber and iron strakes of her protection, that wasn't true, but he loved his little ship. To answer the question, I think she would have done well on inland waters, so long as no one hit her with a heavy projectile.
 
In particular, her gun houses were high enough to allow them to fire down into field fortifications

Not sure I understand this. I haven't been able to find a plan with actual dimensions, but her gunports appear to be at most a couple of feet higher than monitors or other ironclads, not enough to dominate batteries on shore (well, maybe Fort Henry :wink:).
 
Always been a favourite of mine, her captain said that if she'd been 20ft longer she would have been perfect . Given the alternate timber and iron strakes of her protection, that wasn't true, but he loved his little ship. To answer the question, I think she would have done well on inland waters, so long as no one hit her with a heavy projectile.
Actually it took quite a number of heavy projectiles and a fair period of time to put her under. Her "protection" was more similar to a screen or grating. I suspect she was vulnerable to the RDS rams as her heavy guns would not have a high rate of fire against a vessel approaching at 10 kts or higher with an additional 2-3 knots if the ram was moving down river.
 
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