Lard on Armor

[DaveBrt]

As the Albemarle steamed away from battle, a Union sailor wrote that she glistened -- as though she had been coated in lard. He was certain lard would make the Union balls less able to penetrate the armor.

Is there any proof of the value, or not, of lard on armor to improve its resistance to shot? Logic says there was none, but is there anything definite?

 

[AndyHall]

I dimly recall seeing vague references to using grease or lard in this way, but am unaware of data that supports it, and am similarly dubious as to its value.

There is another possibility in the case of Albemarle, though, that lard or grease was applied to the casemate to discourage attempts at boarding.

 

[Kazziga]

A thick coating of tallow, or "ship's grease," was sloshed over the CSS Virginia's casemate before the battle of Hampton Roads. but I don't remember reading about the same being applied to the Albemarle.

I guess in 1864 they may have already been aware of the fact that it was useless.

 

[Story]

I thought this was going to be a thread about fat sailors.

Like Admirals and such....

 

[Story]

I dimly recall seeing vague references to using grease or lard in this way, but am unaware of data that supports it, and am similarly dubious as to its value..

Slippery armor makes cannonballs bounce off faster, because it pushes the coefficient of friction (µ ) closer to 0.0.

I guess in 1864 they may have already been aware of the fact that it was useless.

Untrue! Kept Yankee boarders off, kind of like the way I coat the birdfeeder shaft with axle grease so's I can watch the Squirrels wallow in frustration.

I'm a cruel, cruel individual.

 

[redbob]

If nothing else, when a hotshot hit it would smell like bacon frying; however, after a little while in the sun, it would just smell rancid. I always found it interesting that when steamships needed to get steam up quickly, they would use " fatwood" (the resin filled pine heartwood) and sides of bacon in the furnaces for fast heat.

 

[shipmodeler]

A thick coating of tallow, or "ship's grease," was sloshed over the CSS Virginia's casemate before the battle of Hampton Roads. but I don't remember reading about the same being applied to the Albemarle.

I guess in 1864 they may have already been aware of the fact that it was useless.

I read somewhere that lard or grease was applied as an anti-rust agent on Confederate unpainted ironclads. Case in point was the CSS Arkansas that literally rusted to a bright orange as pictured in many artists renderings of the ship. The ship was put into service so hurriedly, the captain didn't wait for paint or grease/lard and in a matter of days she was covered with rust. Anyone else read this? I can understand why the theory at the time was to glance enemy shot from the case mates.

 

[shipmodeler]

I dimly recall seeing vague references to using grease or lard in this way, but am unaware of data that supports it, and am similarly dubious as to its value.

There is another possibility in the case of Albemarle, though, that lard or grease was applied to the casemate to discourage attempts at boarding.

I hadn't thought of that. Makes sense.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

I read somewhere that lard or grease was applied as an anti-rust agent on Confederate unpainted ironclads. Case in point was the CSS Arkansas that literally rusted to a bright orange as pictured in many artists renderings of the ship. The ship was put into service so hurriedly, the captain didn't wait for paint or grease/lard and in a matter of days she was covered with rust. Anyone else read this? I can understand why the theory at the time was to glance enemy shot from the case mates.

I've read both that (A) Arkansas was an unpainted rusty color, and that (B) she was painted a brownish rusty color. I have not seen conclusive evidence on either side, although my personal opinion is that Isaac N. Brown had plenty on his hands already and painting was something that could safely be left for later, if there was to be a later...

 

[shipmodeler]

I really can't buy into the fact that Arkansas was ever painted orange. The book Iron Afloat, is where I read about the reason she ended up in that color. Moreover, if I am not mistaken (please correct me if I'm wrong), paint colors such as orange, red and the like were hard to come by in the Confederate states during the war, so painting a vessel that God awful, bright, and distinctive color (a bulls eye would have been less noticeable) when funds were extremely limited in the Confederacy, further suggests the rust theory is correct.

 

[WJC]

I read somewhere that lard or grease was applied as an anti-rust agent on Confederate unpainted ironclads. Case in point was the CSS Arkansas that literally rusted to a bright orange as pictured in many artists renderings of the ship. The ship was put into service so hurriedly, the captain didn't wait for paint or grease/lard and in a matter of days she was covered with rust. Anyone else read this? I can understand why the theory at the time was to glance enemy shot from the case mates.

Makes sense. Lard was readily available.
I know of no evidence to support the ability of grease to deflect or slow down bullets or shells....

 

[USS ALASKA]

Wouldn't the lard / grease be a major fire hazard?

USS ALASKA

 

[Story]

Wouldn't the lard / grease be a major fire hazard?

USS ALASKA

Goes along with why those ironclads were fitted with rams. In the dire-est of cases, the commanders were suppose to ignite the lard when they closed within 100 yards of the Yankee ship targeted for ramming. (That was tongue-in-cheek history, for the Literalists in the Peanut Gallery)

 

[USS ALASKA]

This does provide for an excellent PSYOP mission.

'CSS Ironclad headed down the bay...Union ships prepare for battle...closer ships and shore batteries begin to fire upon CSS...Union Captain quickly surveys his crew and ship - all in order for the coming fight...what the H**L?!? "D**N*T ALASKA! What the H**L are you doing?!? Get back to your post!!! Why do you have a knife and fork?!?"


"....I smell BACON!!!'"

Talk about a distraction for most of us low IQ males...Homer Simpson...Bacon...Humm

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[JohnDLittlefield]

My understanding of the use of lard was three fold: as a rust deterrent, to facilitate the ricochet of projectiles, and to deter boarding.

 

[rebelatsea]

I read somewhere that lard or grease was applied as an anti-rust agent on Confederate unpainted ironclads. Case in point was the CSS Arkansas that literally rusted to a bright orange as pictured in many artists renderings of the ship. The ship was put into service so hurriedly, the captain didn't wait for paint or grease/lard and in a matter of days she was covered with rust. Anyone else read this? I can understand why the theory at the time was to glance enemy shot from the case mates.

Her armour was rusty to start with as it had spent sometime at he bottom of the river on a sunken barge

 

[DaveBrt]

My understanding of the use of lard was three fold: as a rust deterrent, to facilitate the ricochet of projectiles, and to deter boarding.

I agree with your three reasons-- the question is, "Was there any proof to support, or not, the idea that lard would affect shot?"

 

[Mr. King]

Shelby Foote mentions that at the Ironclad attack on Fort Sumter on April 7, 1863 by Du Pont, the Union ironclads were slathered in lard, and in some cases, covered with wet untanned hides in order to deflect shots and shells.

He also mentions the CSS Arkansas being covered in lard as well in 1862.

 

[NC Squadron]

Wouldn't the lard / grease be a major fire hazard?

USS ALASKA

It burned so well the Albemarle burned it to keep up the boiler pressure once the smokestack got so riddled that it wasn't drawing well. This was after the battle fought in Albemarle Sound, on the way back to Plymouth.

 

[donna]

I have read in several sites that lard was used on different Ironclads.

Actually when they(Ironclads) got very hot when temperature rose. the lard made them stink worse than ever. It was lard gone rancid, so no bacon smell.