Ironclader
Private
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2015
- Location
- Rocklin, CA
James R. Arnold's "Grant Wins the War", in describing Adm. Porter's passage of Vicksburg (page 75), listed a number of means to protect the ships and increase their stealth:
* divert exhaust steam into paddle wheel housing to muffle engine noise
* offload all animals to assure silence
* lash coal barges to the side facing enemy fire to protect hulls
* stack hay and cotton bales and sand bags around machinery and magazines
* buttress thin stern armor with logs and wet hay bales
* double-bale bulwarks on frail transports.
Maintaining return fire shrouded the ironclads in smoke, causing the rebels to fire high. And during the later passage of empty transports, still winds improved screening by emitted steam.
Just off-hand, I can think of other ad hoc defensive innovations during the naval war:
* Adm. Farragut habitually lashed a smaller ship to the sheltered side of his sloops-of-war when passing batteries, for their protection and as backup propulsion.
* Capt. Winslow armored USS Kearsarge's machinery with draped anchor chain. Sometimes such chain armor was boxed over.
* Ellet and Porter had ironclad casemates greased with lard to foil boarding attempts.
Can forum members come up with other "after-market" methods to improve upon a CW warhip's effectiveness or gain a tactical advantage?
* divert exhaust steam into paddle wheel housing to muffle engine noise
* offload all animals to assure silence
* lash coal barges to the side facing enemy fire to protect hulls
* stack hay and cotton bales and sand bags around machinery and magazines
* buttress thin stern armor with logs and wet hay bales
* double-bale bulwarks on frail transports.
Maintaining return fire shrouded the ironclads in smoke, causing the rebels to fire high. And during the later passage of empty transports, still winds improved screening by emitted steam.
Just off-hand, I can think of other ad hoc defensive innovations during the naval war:
* Adm. Farragut habitually lashed a smaller ship to the sheltered side of his sloops-of-war when passing batteries, for their protection and as backup propulsion.
* Capt. Winslow armored USS Kearsarge's machinery with draped anchor chain. Sometimes such chain armor was boxed over.
* Ellet and Porter had ironclad casemates greased with lard to foil boarding attempts.
Can forum members come up with other "after-market" methods to improve upon a CW warhip's effectiveness or gain a tactical advantage?