CSS Albemarle

[NC Squadron]

The Union might have the solution to the Albemarle problem if the Casco class monitor program had been managed properly. That's the sort of situation the shallow-draft monitors were intended for, and AFAIK the original Ericsson design was basically sound. Without all the changes that both delayed and ultimately ruined the ships, the first Cascos should have been in service in time to engage Albemarle.

Albemarle and her Union opponents had drafts of 9' or less, while the Passaic class monitor drew about 10 1/2'. Was that enough to keep them from operating in the North Carolina sounds, or were they considered more needed at points like Charleston?

Albemarle Sound is rather shallow. 10'+ drafts would be problematic. The canals from Norfolk were too shallow for them to come down and only Hatteras Inlet would normally be deep enough for them to enter through, and then they would have to deal with the inside bar shoaling up to 7 or 8 feet.

 

[NC Squadron]

Two questions:

1. Was the Albemarle a twin of the Neuse, or were there any major differences?

2. What was her bottom covered in? Copper or tar?

That floating model looks impressive, but aren't her proportions - particularly the casemate - out of whack?

The casemate doesn't look to scale to me, either. If it was to scale, there wouldn't be much wiggle room. The superstructure is mounted on pontoons.
Concerning question #2: On May 18, 1865, an in-depth review of her structure was completed by Commander Henry N. T. Arnold, Naval Constructor J. Hanscom, and Chief Engineer John H. Long. They found that: "The bottom is not covered with anything to protect it from worms, and in the repairs it is contemplated to cover it with sheet. zinc." That definitely eliminates copper having covered her bottom.

 

[NC Squadron]

This model definitely looks authentic with the grated roof on the casemate.

 

[OwenRichards]

Made some progress. I'm tempted to make an interior for the casemate.

 

[AndyHall]

That's looking very good, @OwenEgan !

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

I'm tempted to make an interior for the casemate.

Do it !

 

[AndyHall]

Do it !

Do you have ANY IDEA how tiny the little digital hammers and nails are?

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Do you have ANY IDEA how tiny the little digital hammers and nails are?

None whatsoever.

I just enjoy seeing the amazing digital images ya'll create !

 

[OwenRichards]

Do you have ANY IDEA how tiny the little digital hammers and nails are?

Oh, I'm well aware of that, but I have come up with a special solution to the problem
But with that special solution, I'm dreading when this happens...

I mean, I can try pointing out the irony of the situation, what with them working on a Confederate ship, but I dunno how that will pan out.

 

[OwenRichards]

I've blocked out the interior spaces. I've gone on this image at the Port-O-Plymouth website :

I've got no reference to what the machinery looks like.

 

[OwenRichards]

Just chucked a few textures on for giggles to see what it would look like. All very WIP and nowhere near final.

Once I've finished messing around with the hull/interior, I'll cut in the forward and aft gunports.

Does anyone have any info on the interior arrangement apart from what's in that pic?

 

[corn-fed-erate]

There were three "Albemarles" begun, only one fully completed. So far as I know the Tarboro vessel " CSS Pamlico" and CSS Albemarle would have been twins, CSS Neuse had the quarter ports which the original plan called for but the fist two didn't have. She also never received her deck armour ,only the casemate was ironed as she was dreadfully overweight.
I have always thought the hulls were tarred.
Wasn't that replica built on a small boat?

Yes. The replica was built on a pontoon party boat.

 

[corn-fed-erate]

I hadn't realized until I started drawing it out to scale how small and cramped the interior of that casemate must've been. We think of these vessels as being enormous beheamoths, but that's frequently not the case.

The 1:1 of the Neuse is very surprising. First to imagine something that size in the river right beside it. The Neuse replica sits 100 yards from where the Neuse hull was recovered. Second, visitors can go inside and see/feel how cramped it was. The foward gun and pilot house platform and bracing make it tight. Reenactors have tried loading procedures on the gun and found that the only way to get the rammer in the tube is to stick the end out of an open gun port.

 

[rebelatsea]

The 1:1 of the Neuse is very surprising. First to imagine something that size in the river right beside it. The Neuse replica sits 100 yards from where the Neuse hull was recovered. Second, visitors can go inside and see/feel how cramped it was. The foward gun and pilot house platform and bracing make it tight. Reenactors have tried loading procedures on the gun and found that the only way to get the rammer in the tube is to stick the end out of an open gun port.

I'm nor sure the replica is 1:1 It looks too small.
That's what they did in early periods too. There is a description I think from HMS Royal Sovereign at Trafalgar of how one poor guy was shot by a sharpshooter as he leaned out of the port with the rammer in his hand.

later in the ironclad era the end the chain rammer was invented, but that was forced by the guns being too large to run fully back in turrets, together with the arrival of quick firers.

 

[bekosh]

I'm nor sure the replica is 1:1 It looks too small.

I think he's referring to the full size replica that the museum in Kingston built on land not the scale one on the river.

 

[bekosh]

I think this video is better. Lower quality but it shows the ship without the inaccurate commentary.

 

[Carronade]

The 1:1 of the Neuse is very surprising. First to imagine something that size in the river right beside it. The Neuse replica sits 100 yards from where the Neuse hull was recovered. Second, visitors can go inside and see/feel how cramped it was. The foward gun and pilot house platform and bracing make it tight. Reenactors have tried loading procedures on the gun and found that the only way to get the rammer in the tube is to stick the end out of an open gun port.

Another option would be to use a flexible rammer. These were made of thick rope. The end was placed in the muzzle, then by twisting it one direction it would stiffen enough to ram the charge or projectile home. They were used by the British navy in the Napoleonic period, not sure how widespread they were.

 

[OwenRichards]

Thanks for those Neuse vids! Much appreciated.

Creating a height-map for the armour plating.

Quick and dirty rendering of the interior forward crew area. No textures or details yet.

 

[OwenRichards]

Still potato textures, but she has fore and aft gunports with shutters.

 

[OwenRichards]

Some progress. Got most of the exterior detail done.

I'm not 100% sure that she had lacquered wood on the interior. I'm thinking whitewash or 'tar paint'. But these are only to show scale until I get something better.