I really don 't want to usurp John's field, anymore than he would mine on the ironclads, but here is what I collected on the South's torpedo craft.
SPAR TORPEDO BOATS, SEMI SUBMERSIBLES & SUBMARINES OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES
SPAR TORPEDO BOATS
SEMI SUBMERSIBLES
DAVID TYPE
single screw, 40 - 60 ft x 5.5 - 6ft, crew 5, speed 10 knots.Armament: 1 x 50 -100pdr spar torpedo and small arms. Protected against small arms fire. Could carry up to 6 spare warheads.
David
Builder and designer Theodore Stoney & Julian Ravenal, constructed at Charleston SC in 1863, seriously dmaged USS New Ironsides in October 1863, unsuccessfully attacked USS Memphis, March 6th , and USS Wabash April 19th 1864
Midge
Built at Columbia & Charleston SC, captured and taken to Brooklyn navy yard.
50ft x 5.5ft
Nos 1 -5
& 7 - 8
Built 1864 -5 at Charleston SC. Captured at fall of Charleston,
one lost at sea, others taken to Annapolis and Brooklyn Navy Yards.
160ft x 11ft 7 ins
Bow solid, reinforced for ramming.
No 6
Built 164-65 captured incomplete at Fall of Charleston. This is probably the one photographed at Charleston.
Steel hull ,60ft x 12ft x 7ft, 2 screws, 10knots
6 un-named
Ordered by Navy Secretary Mallory August 1864 ,building at Mare & co Millwall, London. Never delivered. (Sold to Russia?)
160ft X 28ft X 11ft
steam, 1 screw, 2ft freeboard, 4 tube mounted spar torpedoes, 1 each bow & stern, port & starboard
1 un-named
Selma Alabama 1863
1 un-named
Wilmington Nc. 1863
Dimensions unknown
2 Un-named
Built at Mars Bluff Navy Yard Sc. At least one sent to Charleston, final fates unknown.
2 un- named
Built at Wilmington for the CSA. Destroyed by accidental fire.
SQUIB TYPE TORPEDO LAUNCHES
Surface picket / patrol / torpedo boat, steam, single screw. Crew 12 speed 10 - 11 knots, 46ft x 6ft 3 ins x 3ft 9 ins.
Armament : 1 - 18ft 50pdr spar and small arms.
Designed by William Graves
Hornet
Built at Richmond Va 1862 - 64, sunk in collision with CSS Allison
January 26th 1865.
Scorpion
Built at Richmond Va, completed 1864, tooke part in the attack on city point 23 -24th January 1865, burned after grounding.
Squib
Built at Richmond Va, successfully torpedoed USS Minnesota April 9th 1864, sent by rail to Wilmington Nc, destroyed Jan / Feb 1865
Wasp
Built at Richmond Va, career details unknown.
Un-named
Built at Mobile Ala, career details unknown
Un-named
Built at Mars Bluff Navy yard Sc . Completed February 1865, fate unknown.
Viper
Building at Columbus Ga, captured complete, lost at sea May 26 1865
Un- named
Building at Columbus Ga, fate unknown.
Un-named
Building at Wilmington, destroyed by accidental fire.
40 -50ft x 5 - 6ft x 3 ft,
crew 15. 2 -12pdr howitzers, 1 spar torpedo
Nos 1 -4
Building at Richmond Va, engines sent through the blockade, September 1864, uncertain if they ever arrived.
6 un-named
Building in various yards, engines, built by Clyde Bank Foundry, sent through the blockade, all sent from Mobile Ala to Yazoo river February 22nd 1865.
Dimensions uncertain, 4 x 40 -100 pdr spar torpedo, twin screws, 10 plus knots, with a 3ft draft crew 5
6 un-named
Contracted for August / September 1864.Built by Thorneycroft, Chiswick England , sold to Russia.
ROCKET TORPEDO BOAT
Designed by Colonel E H Angamer, this had twin hulls powered by oars with the rocket boat between them “drawing 18ft”. It was completed by July 1863 at a cost of C$20,000. Further history unknown.
CONVERSIONS FROM MERCHANT STEAMERS
Equator
Sidewheel steamer, converted in Cape Fear river, burned at Wilmington 1865. One gun.
Gunnison
70ft x 15ft x 7ft, 54 tons, 2 - 6pdr, 1 - 150pdr spar torpedo. Crew 10 Converted at Mobile Ala in 1863, captured 1865.
Shrapnel
Screw steam tug converted at Richmond Va, burned April 1865
Torpedo
70ft x 16ft x 6ft 6 ins, 2 - 20pdr, 1 spar torpedo. Converted at Richmond Va. Partially burned in the James river April 4th 1865. Sent to Norfolk Navy Yard in damaged condition
Torch
110ft x 20ft ,Converted from an unfinished Maury gunboat by F.D.Lee CSN in 1863. Armed with 3 - 70pdr spar torpedoes on a 12ft spar, crew 11, speed 8 knots. She unsuccessfully attacked USS New Ironsides off Charleston Harbour August 20th 1863. Became rapidly worn out and discarded.
General Whiting
Converted at Point Peter on the Cape Fear River, either from an existing vessel or assembled from parts sent through the blockade
SUBMARINE BOATS
REV. FRANKLYN SMITH DESIGN
19ft 6ins x 6ft, 4 tons displacement, 1 screw hand worked, 3 crew, armament unlnown
Un-named
1861 built at New Orleans, possibly by Manassas’ builders. In service summer 1861 - April 1862. Scuttled, recovered in 1879 and put on display.
Un-named
1861-2 built at Mobile Ala. Builder unknown, sunk by “some reprobate” January 1862
Un-named
Triton Company proposal for one to be built at Charleston SC, plans captured by USN, may have been under construction at the end of the war.
WILLIAM CHEENEY DESIGN
Dimensions unknown, 1 46 inch screw hand worked, 3 crew, carried a diver in a bow compartment, intended to fix a torpedo to enemy hulls
Un-named
Builder: Tredegar Ironworks Richmond Va. Operated in Hampton roads from october 1861, made at least one attack (Oct 17th). Fate unknown.
Un-named
Larger sister to the above, building December 1861, delivered to the CSN May 13th 1862. possibly had an electrically detonated towed torpedo. Fate unknown.
CHARLES P LEAVITT PROPOSAL
Dimensions unknown, 50 tons burden, shaped like Ross Winans “cigar steamer”.
But oval, steam, 1 screw. Armed with one “underwater” mortar.
Un-named
Technically advanced, not constructed.
JAMES McLINTOCK & BAXTER WATSON DESIGN
34ft x 4ft x 4 ft, round conical ends, 1 screw hand worked, 3 crew, painted black, 1 clockwork torpedo.
Pioneer
Built at New Orleans La, commissioned as a privateer. Sank in Bayou St John 1862 during an attack on USS New London, raised and sold for scrap 1868.
CHARLES G WILKINSON & CHARLIE CARROLL DESIGN
2 crew, no other details known
Un-named
Built at Savannah Ga, sank on trial February 23rd 1862, due to a faulty valve
SINGER SUBMARINE CORPORATION DESIGNS
Pioneer II
36ft x 3ft x 4ft , 1 screw, hand worked, speed 2.5 knots, crew 5, 1 clockwork torpedo.
Designed by H.L. Hunley, Mclintock & Watson, built at Park & Lyons workshop, Mobile Ala, completed in 1862, the first known attempt at both electric and steam propulsion for submarines was made in this vessel. May have made one attack February 14th 1863 during which she sank.
H.L.Hunley
40ft x 3.5ft x 4ft, 1 screw, hand powered, crew 9, speed 2.5 - 3 knots, 1 spar torpedo
Designed by Hunley, Mclintock & Watson, built by Park & Lyons at Mobile Ala, completed in 1863. After two crews died in accidents she successfully sank USS Housatonic February 17th 1864 off Charleston Harbour, subsequently being accidentally run down and sunk by wash from USS Canandaigua. Wreck discovered by Clive Cussler. Recovered late 2000 for display at Charleston Sc.
Un-named
Designed by Robert W Dunn of the Singer Submarine Corp.
Dimensions unknown, “Hunley type”
Parts manufactured by Tredegar Ironworks, Richmond Va for assemply at Mobile 1863.
I un-named
Designed by James Jones of the Singer submarine Corp.
Hunley type, 40ft x 4ft x 3ft 4ins, 1 screw hand powered, 4mph , 8 crew, 2 spar torpedoes one each at bow & stern
1 un-named
Built at Houston Texas 1864 -5. Fate unknown
1 un-named
Built at Galveston Texas 1864-5, fate unknown
4 un-named
Built at Shreveport La 1864-5, scuttled, presumably buried by river changing course.
JAS G PATTON PATENT October 1862
Dimensions and technical detail unknown
Un-named
Plans destroyed but 10” model exists in private hands
MR ANSTILT’S DESIGN
69ft long, two decks, 1 screw, steam, iron hulled, two box torpedoes mounted side by side joined by chains.
Un-named
To be built at Mobile Ala. Whether constructed is unknown.
JOHN P HALLIGAN’S DESIGN
30ft long, steam on surface, hand powered submerged, 1 screw. 1 spar torpedo
St Patrick
Built at Selma Ala, begun March 1864, attacked USS Octarora off Mobile Bay, January 27th 1865, but torpedo misfired. Final fate unknown.
TYPE UNKNOWN
38ft (30ft?) x 7ft x ?ft, 1 screw, steam on surface, hand powered below, 1 -40pdr spar torpedo.
Un-named
At Mobile April 1864, almost certainly captured August 5th 1864, this may be “Captain Pierce’s Submarine” reported by General Hurlbutt (USA). There is a mystery in that at least one account reports this vessel to be responsible for the loss of USS Tecumseh, normally attributed to a moored torpedo.
Please note that this list is several years old, and may be outdated by new information.