Английская Википедия:CSS Pamlico

Содержание

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Шаблон:Infobox ship imageШаблон:Infobox ship careerШаблон:Infobox ship characteristics

CSS Pamlico was a sidewheel steamer that served in the Confederate States Navy during the early stages of the American Civil War. Originally a passenger vessel on Lake Pontchartrain, she was purchased by Confederate authorities on July 10, 1861, and converted into a gunboat. She participated in two minor naval actions in the vicinities of Horn Island and Ship Island in December, before taking part in two more small battles defending the Pass Christian area in March and April 1862. In late April, Union Navy ships passed the defenses of New Orleans, Louisiana. After ferrying Confederate troops out of the city, Pamlico was burned by her crew on Lake Pontchartrain on April 25 to prevent capture.

Service history

Civilian service and conversion

A sidewheel steamer, Pamlico was built in 1856 in New York City, and was based out of the New Orleans, Louisiana area.Шаблон:Sfn In early July 1861, she was advertised as making passenger trips between the Louisiana towns of Mandeville, Lewisburg, Madisonville, and Covington and the Lake Pontchartrain railhead of the Pontchartrain Railroad. At the outset of the American Civil War in 1861, the breakaway Confederate States of America was at a significant naval disadvantage to the United States of America. While the United States had a functioning navy, the Confederates had to essentially build one from scratch with limited infrastructure and manufacturing abilities.Шаблон:Sfn The Confederates began inspecting vessels to determine if they were suitable for acquisition and conversion into gunboats,Шаблон:Sfn and Pamlico was purchased on July 10, 1861 for that purpose.Шаблон:Sfn Along with Pamlico, the Lake Pontchartrain passenger vessels Arrow and A. G. Brown were seized as well, leading residents of areas on the lakeshore to complain that the Confederate government had taken their means of transportation and communication. A small vessel, Pamlico displaced Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Sfn Her other dimensions are unknown.Шаблон:Sfn She was commissioned on September 2, and placed under the command of First Lieutenant William G. Dozier.Шаблон:Sfn On November 21, 1861, and February 27, 1862, she was reported to be armed with two cannons,Шаблон:Sfn but she was also reported to have been armed with three Шаблон:Convert smoothbore cannons and a Шаблон:Convert Brooke rifle;Шаблон:Sfn according to naval historian W. Craig Gaines this could represent the addition of two extra cannons rather than an inconsistency between sources.Шаблон:Sfn

Military use

Файл:Mississippi-Alabama barrier islands.png

Map of Mississippi Sound, showing the locations of Horn Island and Ship Island

Pamlico entered active service immediately after her commissioning, patrolling Mississippi Sound as far east as Horn Island.Шаблон:Sfn Together with the gunboat CSS Florida, Pamlico was involved in an attempt to board the steamer USS Montgomery, which was part of the Union blockade, on December 4. The plan was to disable Montgomery with long-range fire from the single rifled cannon each ship carried and then board her;Шаблон:Sfn Pamlico carried around 400 soldiers for the boarding. The commander of the Union vessel correctly guessed the Confederate intentions, and Montgomery escaped into the open ocean.Шаблон:Sfn Three days later, on a trip westwards from Horn Island, Pamlico spotted the blockading gunboats USS New London and USS De Soto near Mississippi City, Mississippi. The gunboat CSS Oregon, which was transporting powder mill equipment, was at Mississippi City, and together the two ships, under the overall command of Dozier, confronted the Union vessels. The Confederates fired at longer range with their two rifled guns while remaining in shallow waters that the blockading ships could not enter; New London and De Soto later withdrew after the Confederates ignored a challenge for closer combat.Шаблон:Sfn The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships describes PamlicoШаблон:'s involvement in the two December clashes as ineffectual. After the December 7 engagement, Pamlico escorted Oregon to Lake Borgne; on December 20, both gunboats were part of an attempt to escort a blockade runner past the Union blockade that failed when they encountered Union blockaders near Ship Island.Шаблон:Sfn

On March 25, 1862, Pamlico provided an escort for Oregon to the Pass Christian area. After dropping off supplies, Oregon continued east to scout in the Ship Island area, and encountered New London. Oregon returned to Pamlico, and the two ships advanced towards New London. The two sides fired at each other from a range of Шаблон:Convert. A round fired from one of PamlicoШаблон:'s 8-inch guns exploded prematurely, leading Dozier to no longer trust the ammunition he had for those guns. After a jammed shot disabled the Brooke rifle on Pamlico, the Confederate ships withdrew, with Pamlico heading to Fort Macomb for repairs to her gun deck and pilothouse.Шаблон:Sfn The fighting had lasted about two hours.Шаблон:Sfn On April 3, three Union vesselsШаблон:SndNew London, the steamer USS John P. Jackson, and the troop transport USS Henry LewisШаблон:Snd made an offensive against Pass Christian.Шаблон:Sfn Pamlico, Oregon, and the gunboat CSS Carondelet responded. Henry Lewis was temporarily forced to withdraw when she was hit by a Confederate shell, but after an hour of fighting, the Confederates withdrew; Oregon and Carondelet had suffered minor damage.Шаблон:Sfn After the Confederate withdrawal, the Union troops on Henry Lewis were able to land and take control of Pass Christian,Шаблон:Sfn including destroying a Confederate camp in the area. The three Confederate vessels took up positions on Lake Pontchartrain, where they guarded Chef Menteur Pass and the Rigolets.Шаблон:Sfn Some of PamlicoШаблон:'s sailors were taken on April 21 to help crew the ironclad CSS Louisiana.Шаблон:Sfn

On April 24, Union ships passed the Confederate defenses at Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip. They then passed further defenses at Chalmette the next day, rendering New Orleans essentially indefensible.Шаблон:Sfn Oregon was sunk as a blockship, but the wreck later prevented Pamlico, Arrow, Carondelet, and the gunboat CSS Bienville from escaping. The four Confederate vessels ferried Confederate troops from New Orleans across Lake Pontchartrain to Covington. Their cannons were removed and were sent to the defenses at Vicksburg, Mississippi.Шаблон:Sfn Pamlico was burned by her crew on Lake Pontchartrain to prevent capture,Шаблон:Sfn on April 25.Шаблон:Sfn

Sources

• Шаблон:Cite journal
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book

• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book