Ironclad A Very Bad Idea?

[Reconstructed Rebel]

Wouldn't this make the vessels more highly flammable??

"Two days before the running of the blockade at Vicksburg, a little company of us went over from the Sanitary boat to bid Captain Walke godspeed and farewell.

He had just completed the task of pouring two barrels of coal-oil over his gunboat, and white- washing the lower deck, where the guns were to be loaded by the light of the whitewash.

The oil was to prevent solid shot from adhering ; striking a smooth oiled surface they would be more likely to fly off on a tangent, he explained by way of apology, as the gangway was reached, and the dresses of the ladies were besmeared with coal-oil. The sides of the Carondelet were more than three feet thick, and consisted of alternate layers of wood and iron."

Quoted from: UNDER THE GUNS
A WOMAN'S REMINISCENCES OF THE CIVIL WAR
BY MRS. ANNIE WITTENMYER

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

I'm not familiar with the use of "coal oil" there. There are a number of other inaccuracies that would lead me to question Mrs. Wittenmyer's recollection-- among them the description of the Carondelet's armor (no more than two feet, and that only on the bow face, with a single layer of iron over wood), and the fact that Walke was no longer in command of the Carondelet when they ran past Vicksburg; he was commanding the Lafayette, and had been for some months.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

I'm not familiar with the use of "coal oil" there. There are a number of other inaccuracies that would lead me to question Mrs. Wittenmyer's recollection-- among them the description of the Carondelet's armor (no more than two feet, and that only on the bow face, with a single layer of iron over wood), and the fact that Walke was no longer in command of the Carondelet when they ran past Vicksburg; he was commanding the Lafayette, and had been for some months.

Thank you for your reply. I had never heard of this, but she mentions it twice in her book. My online search yesterday did confirm Walke as commander but we all know how much dubious information is out there. I'll keep digging. Any online sources for such battle preparations would be appreciated.

 

[bankerpapaw]

Coal oil is Kerosene.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

Coal oil is Kerosene.

Right! And the whole concept of it somehow making the solid shot less destructive seems bizarre. Maybe they were having a little fun with the ladies? Annie was a seemingly high placed member of the Sanitary Commission and friends with the generals, including Grant, and their wives.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

Here is her other reference to this "procedure." In Annie's defense, she never said specifically that Walke commanded the "Carondelet" although that is how I read her paragraph too.

RUNNING THE BLOCKADE AT VICKSBURG.

"THE ship canal, and all other plans for getting below Vicksburg with enough boats to transport his troops across the Mississippi River, having failed, General Grant determined to run the blockade. Seven gunboats and three wooden steamers were put in condition to make the perilous trip.

The iron sides of the gunboats were drenched with coal oil, and the floors were whitewashed, that the gunners might load their guns by the light of the whitewash.

The important working machinery of the wooden steamers was protected by bales of cotton and bales of hay. The smoke-stacks and pilot-houses were taken down; and the pilots must needs stand at their wheels, and the captains on the upper decks, with nothing to shield them from the sharpshooters on the wharves of Vicksburg.

All this preparation was done as secretly as possible."

 

[RedRover]

Wouldn't this make the vessels more highly flammable??

"Two days before the running of the blockade at Vicksburg, a little company of us went over from the Sanitary boat to bid Captain Walke godspeed and farewell.

He had just completed the task of pouring two barrels of coal-oil over his gunboat, and white- washing the lower deck, where the guns were to be loaded by the light of the whitewash.

The oil was to prevent solid shot from adhering ; striking a smooth oiled surface they would be more likely to fly off on a tangent, he explained by way of apology, as the gangway was reached, and the dresses of the ladies were besmeared with coal-oil. The sides of the Carondelet were more than three feet thick, and consisted of alternate layers of wood and iron."

Quoted from: UNDER THE GUNS
A WOMAN'S REMINISCENCES OF THE CIVIL WAR
BY MRS. ANNIE WITTENMYER

A few different statements...

From the Official Records...

From post-war:

From the Confederate side...

Lt. Cmdr. W.H. Parker, notes before going out to fight the blockaders at Charleston in January, 1863, the ironclad rams Chicora and Palmetto State had their "shields" (casemates) "greased with Slush," just as the Merrimac had done at Hampton Roads the previous year.

Seaman Robert Watson of the Confederate Ironclad ram CSS Savannah, at Savannah, GA, in 1864 mentions painting the iron casemate over with "coal tar" (and a very dirty job it was said he).

Slush is a general term for greasing or lubricating...

I believe coal-tar is essentially creosote... and perhaps mixed with tallow, etc. to make the grease for the armor a black or gray color...

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

A few different statements...

From the Official Records...

View attachment 415569

View attachment 415570

View attachment 415571

From post-war:
View attachment 415568


From the Confederate side...

Lt. Cmdr. W.H. Parker, notes before going out to fight the blockaders at Charleston in January, 1863, the ironclad rams Chicora and Palmetto State had their "shields" (casemates) "greased with Slush," just as the Merrimac had done at Hampton Roads the previous year.

Seaman Robert Watson of the Confederate Ironclad ram CSS Savannah, at Savannah, GA, in 1864 mentions painting the iron casemate over with "coal tar" (and a very dirty job it was said he).

Slush is a general term for greasing or lubricating...

View attachment 415572
I believe coal-tar is essentially creosote... and perhaps mixed with tallow, etc. to make the grease for the armor a black or gray color...

Wow. Fascinating. Excellent. Thank you so much.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

Animal fat was definitely used, and there are a number of references to the smell it produced on a hot Southern day...

 

[rebelatsea]

Mark is right about animal fats being used, Coal tar as often used as an anti - rust coating, and depending on the coal from which it came and how it had been processed, the colour could be anything from off white to matt black and shades in between. I should think the most common tar was from relatively simple town coal gas plants.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

So my initial question is still wasn't this highly flammable? An exploding projectile against the side of a ship treated this way sounds like it would set this "slush" on fire.
Dousing the sides of a ship with a petroleum product and piling bales of cotton and hay on it, then offering it as a target to explosives seems illogical.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

Coal tar as paint/rust protection makes a lot more sense to me than as 'anti shot slush'. (Nonflammable paints weren't invented yet, anyway...)

Flammable, sure; but the opposing sides were generally not shooting flamethrowers at each other. There was always risk of fire on a vessel whether it was armored or unarmored. The primary effect of a shell exploding is usually the concussive/explosive force; it's not primarily an incendiary. And against ironclads, solid shot would tend to be used.

Now, the true effectiveness of applying the fat or whatever vs. incoming shot is questionable. I personally doubt it would have made much of a difference; but if the boat's skipper thought it would help, it was done.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

As noted by @RedRover I guess they didn't know until they tried.

View attachment 415718

Now, the true effectiveness of applying the fat or whatever vs. incoming shot is questionable. I personally doubt it would have made much of a difference; but if the boat's skipper thought it would help, it was done.

 

[USS ALASKA]

Animal fat was definitely used, and there are a number of references to the smell it produced on a hot Southern day...

That might not have been a bad idea...talk about a great distraction to Union crews... "Hey - I smell bacon! Do you smell that? I'm hungry..."

Just funnin'
USS ALASKA