CSS Albemarle - Ironclad Ram

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It was the Union’s turn to suffer. For three years its forces had steadily grown stronger along the North Carolina coast. Federal soldiers occupied most of the eastern part of the state. Few ports remained open, and even those were increasingly restricted by the dishearteningly effective Union blockade. Now, it was early 1864, and Confederate North Carolina was in dire straits. As their once consistent stream of supplies slowed to a trickle, Confederate leaders sought a way to break the Union blockade. Their solution came in the form of a mammoth ironclad ram named after the Albemarle Sound, where she had been built and where she would terrorize Union ships for months to come. She was the Albemarle, and there was not a Federal vessel afloat that could stop her.
continued: https://www.historynet.com/css-albemarle-confederate-ironclad-in-the-american-civil-war.htm
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I believe given half a chance the CS Navy could have really seen some results with this one. Alot of planning and scarce resources went into this ship and I believe it could have been a force to reckon with. We will never know!
This ship could have been wildly successful in the Sound and still had no effect on the war. The area near the Sound, east of the Wilmington & Weldon RR, produced nothing but corn and cotton and all the slaves and most of the Confederates had long before left for safer regions.
 
Powered by two single cylinder horizontal direct acting engines designed to produce 9knots, 6 -7 more likely, she could certainly move and turn quickly when required.
Hi Rebel. Do you suppose that in some cases there were serious mismatches between the engines and the propellers? Diameter and pitch are critical for thrust. What are the odds that both engines were of the same design? If not, then a given propeller design might have been functional on one engine but less efficient with another.
 
Hi Rebel. Do you suppose that in some cases there were serious mismatches between the engines and the propellers? Diameter and pitch are critical for thrust. What are the odds that both engines were of the same design? If not, then a given propeller design might have been functional on one engine but less efficient with another.
I would've never have thought of that. Good question. :thumbsup:
 
Georgew, propellor design was still an evolving science at this time, particularly where relatively small fast running machinery was concerned. A mismatch between the two could make all the difference, even the RN could get it wrong as several ships had changes of propellor in an effort to improve performance. I don't know who designed the machinery for the Albemarle type, but with both her and Fredericksburg they seemed to have go it right.
 
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