USS Choctaw's Armament

[AGCL]

I would like to know more about the USS Choctaw's guns. Did her armament change over the course of the war? Where were her guns placed and what ports could they pivot to?

With thanks in anticipation,

Alan

 

[RedRover]

I would like to know more about the USS Choctaw's guns. Did her armament change over the course of the war? Where were her guns placed and what ports could they pivot to?

With thanks in anticipation,

Alan

From the official records of the navies:

From a 1908 description:

The draught of the Lafayette and Choctaw was about nine feet.


Several images of the Choctaw on the Navy's website:

USS Choctaw: pictures...

Here's a view of a modern model of her...

 

[AGCL]

Thank you - that is really helpful, just the info the info I needed.

 

[RedRover]

She was designed by Commodore William D. Porter, the brother of Admiral David D. Porter. He passed away in New York in 1864.

 

[brcafi]

@RedRover Been doing research on Choctaw and I'm really curious about this line from the 1908 passage:

"Just forward of the wheels was a thwartship casemate containing two 24-pound howitzers pointing forward and intended to sweep the decks if boarders should get possession. Over this casemate was a conical pilot-house, with two inches of iron on twenty-four of oak."

I've never seen Choctaw depicted with forward-facing guns underneath the pilothouse, capable of sweeping the deck. There is a strange array of hatches on the casemate's sloping side that suggests quite an odd interior deck plan, however.
Unfortunately this area is usually pretty obscured in photos. Most photos of the Choctaw are unfortunately extremely grainy and blurry, as oppose to many other ships of the era.