Casco-class monitor

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USS Casco.jpg
USS Casco on the James River, 1865
Class overview
NameCasco class
BuildersVarious
Operators United States Navy
Preceded by Passaic class
Completed20
Retired20
General characteristics
Type Light draft monitor
Displacement1,175 tons
Length225 ft (69 m)
Beam45 ft (14 m)
Draft6 ft (1.8 m) (designed)
Propulsion Steam engine, twin screws
Speed8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) (designed)
Armament2 × 11 in (280 mm) guns

The Casco-class monitor was a unique class of light draft monitor built on behalf of the United States Navy for the Mississippi theatre during the American Civil War. The largest and most ambitious ironclad program of the war, the project was dogged by delays caused by bureaucratic meddling. Twenty ships of the class were eventually built at great expense, but proved so unseaworthy when trialed that they were quickly sidelined, causing a public scandal.

Contents

History

After the success of the US Navy's first monitor, USS Monitor, in preventing the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia from breaking the Union blockade at Hampton Roads in the spring of 1862, the navy became enthused with the monitor concept (at the expense of the larger broadside ironclad type), and ordered a number of new classes of monitor, one of which was the Casco class. [1] The Cascos were a unique "light draft" class designed specifically for operating in the shallow bays, rivers, and inlets of the Confederacy. [2]

The specifications for the Casco class originally called for a vessel with a light draft, not exceeding six feet, and a low freeboard to present the smallest possible target to Confederate guns. For the design of the new class, the Navy turned once again to John Ericsson, designer of USS Monitor.

Diagram of USS Nausett, showing the large wooden "raft" surrounding the iron hull USS Nausett 1865.jpg
Diagram of USS Nausett, showing the large wooden "raft" surrounding the iron hull

Ericsson came up with a design for a 225-foot (69 m)-long vessel with a single revolving turret containing two 11-inch (280 mm) guns, an armored upper deck, and twin screw propellers giving a top speed of around eight knots. Around the hull of the vessel, a large wooden "raft" was to be constructed, which would help increase buoyancy. Ericsson kept the design deliberately simple in keeping with the inexperience of the private shipyards which would be called upon to build them. [3] He anticipated that each ship would take no more than forty days to complete. [4]

The monitor office

At around the same time however, the Navy created a new "monitor office" to centralize oversight of the new monitor program. The new office, located across the hall from Ericsson's design bureau, was nominally headed by Rear Admiral Francis H. Gregory, but was effectively run by Chief Engineer Alban C. Stimers, to whom was entrusted the power of setting general plans and ship specifications. Stimers, an ambitious man, was keen to take credit for the design of the new monitors and frequently visited Ericsson's bureau to make changes to the specifications. [3] [5]

The greatest single alteration to the design however, came not directly from Stimers but from Admiral Joseph Smith, chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks in Washington, D.C., who suggested that the oval hull of the ship be surrounded by large iron tanks which could be pumped full of water in order to lower the ship's freeboard still further when in combat to present an even smaller target, or drained for normal travel. Stimers liked the idea and ordered the changes, but when Ericsson saw the new plans he resigned from the project. The new plans greatly added to the design's complexity, requiring sophisticated pumping mechanisms, while the added weight would also reduce speed and buoyancy. [4]

More design changes

In February 1863 the monitor office offered contracts for twenty of the new Casco-class monitors, in spite of the fact that the original architect, Ericsson, had not approved the new design. Winning bidders included prominent firms like Reaney, Son & Archbold in Chester, Pennsylvania, Wilcox & Whitney at Camden, Harlan & Hollingsworth in Wilmington, Delaware and Merrick & Sons of Philadelphia (the latter of whom subcontracted much of the work to William Cramp & Sons). A number of smaller firms were also contracted. The cost was estimated at $395,000 per ship, or approximately $8 million in total. Some shipyards, such as Cramp, were forced to substantially upgrade their ironworking facilities for the production of the new vessels. [6]

Detail drawing by Stimers for one of the Casco-class monitors Wassuc shot lifter drawing.jpg
Detail drawing by Stimers for one of the Casco-class monitors

By the end of 1863, frequent design changes were causing growing problems for the contractors. Stimers and his team of thirty draftsmen at the monitor office continued to submit changes even as the vessels were in the process of production, leading to long delays. One yard in Boston received a total of 83 drawings and 120 letters of explanation from Stimers, and the specification manual for the ships grew to 92 pages of small print. [7] The final design called for a total of thirteen auxiliary engines and pumps per ship, fancy brasswork in place of cast iron, and a complex system of pipes for draining and filling the water tanks. The added weight to a ship designed with only a 15-inch (380 mm) freeboard at the outset raised questions about the ships' eventual seaworthiness. [8]

Scandal and inquiry

By spring of 1864, the first of the Casco-class vessels, USS Chimo, was ready for her initial trial. Putting to sea, waves washed across the deck, while the stern remained totally submerged by three or four inches (10 cm). [9] A second trial, of USS Tunxis, confirmed the disaster, with waves washing over the deck and the ship only able to make a speed of 3½ knots as opposed to the original specification of eight. Moreover, the trials were conducted "light", without the normal operational loads of coal, ammunition and stores. The ships were unseaworthy and virtually useless. [8] [10] [11] [12]

By this stage, the twenty vessels, in various stages of completion, had cost half a million dollars apiece. Amid public scandal, the Navy set up an inquiry. Stimers was found responsible and removed from his post, and the Navy appointed experienced administrators in his place. The vessels were redesigned and refitted in order to improve buoyancy, but few of them saw active service before the end of the war and those that did were decommissioned and laid up within months, while the majority were never commissioned at all. Within a few years, all the ships of the Casco class had been retired and scrapped or otherwise disposed of. [13]

Ships

Construction data
Ship nameBuilderContracted Launched *Commissioned
**Completed		Turret
removed?		RenamedFate
USS Casco Atlantic Iron Works, Boston 14 April 18637 May 1864*4 December 1864YesHero, 15 June 1869 Scrapped, 1875
USS Chimo Aquilla Adams, South Boston 17 May 18635 May 1864*20 January 1865YesOrion, 15 June 1869
Piscataqua, 10 August 1869		Sold for scrap, 1874
USS Cohoes Continental Iron Works, Greenpoint, Brooklyn 17 April 186331 May 1865**19 January 1866NoCharybdis, 15 June 1869
Cohoes, 10 August 1869		Sold for scrap, July 1874
USS Etlah Charles W. McCord, St. Louis 24 June 18633 July 1865**12 March 1866NoHecate, 15 June 1869
Etlah, 10 August 1869		Sold for scrap, 12 September 1874
USS Klamath Alexander Swift, Cincinnati 26 March 186320 April 1865**6 May 1866NoHarpy, 15 June 1869
Klamath, 10 August 1869		Sold for scrap, 12 September 1874
USS Koka Wilcox & Whiting, Camden, New Jersey 24 April 186318 May 1865**28 November 1865NoArgos, 15 June 1869
Koka, 10 August 1869		Sold for scrap, 2 October 1874
USS Modoc J.H. Underbill, Brooklyn4 June 186321 March 1865**23 June 1865YesAchilles, 15 June 1869
Modoc, 10 August 1869		Sold for scrap, August 1875
USS Napa Harlan & Hollingsworth, Wilmington, Delaware 2 March 186326 November 1864**4 May 1865YesNemesis, 15 June 1869
Napa, 10 August 1869		Sold for scrap, 1875
USS Naubuc Union Iron Works, Brooklyn2 April 186319 October 1864*27 March 1865YesGorgon, 15 June 1869
Minnetonka, 10 August 1869		Sold for scrap, 1875
USS Nausett Donald McKay, Boston10 June 186326 April 1865*10 August 1865NoAetna, 15 June 1869
Nausett, 10 August 1869		Sold for scrap, August 1875
USS Shawnee Curtis & Tilden, Boston2 April 186313 March 1865*18 August 1865NoEolus, 15 June 1869
Shawnee, 10 August 1869		Sold for scrap, 9 September 1875
USS Shiloh Charles W. McCordat, St. Louis24 June 186314 July 1865**12 March 1866NoIris, 15 June 1869
Shiloh, 10 August 1869		Sold for scrap, 1874
USS Squando Donald McKay, Boston4 May 186331 December 1864*6 June 1865NoErebus, 15 June 1869
Algoma, 10 August 1869		Scrapped, 1874
USS Suncook Globe Works, South Boston17 March 18631 February 1865*27 July 1865NoSpitfire, 15 June 1869
Suncook, 10 August 1869		Scrapped, July 1874
USS Tunxis Reaney, Son & Archbold, Chester, Pennsylvania 9 March 18634 June 1864*12 July 1864NoHydra, 15 June 1869
Otsego, 10 August 1869		Sold for scrap, 1874
USS Umpqua Snowden & Mason, Brownsville, Pennsylvania 4 March 186321 December 1865**7 May 1866NoFury, 15 June 1869
Umpqua, 10 August 1869		Sold for scrap, 12 September 1874
USS Wassuc George W. Lawrence, Portland, Maine 2 June 186325 July 1865**28 October 1865NoStromboli, 15 June 1869
Wassuc, 10 August 1869		Sold for scrap, 9 September 1875
USS Waxsaw A. & W. Denmead & Son, Baltimore 13 March 18634 May 1865**21 October 1866NoNiobe, 15 June 1869
Waxsaw, 10 August 1869		Sold for scrap, 25 August 1875
USS Yazoo Merrick & Sons, Philadelphia 2 March 18638 May 1865**15 December 1865NoTartar, 15 June 1869
Yazoo, 10 August 1869		Sold for scrap, 5 September 1874
USS Yuma Alexander Swift, Cincinnati26 March 186330 May 1865**6 May 1866NoTempest, 15 June 1869
Yuma, 10 August 1869		Sold for scrap, 12 September 1874

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Heinrich, pp. 42–43.
  2. ↑ USS Umpqua, DANFS Online.
  3. 1 2 Roberts, p. 110.
  4. 1 2 Heinrich, p. 44.
  5. ↑ Heinrich, p. 43.
  6. ↑ Heinrich, pp. 44–45.
  7. ↑ Roberts, p. 116.
  8. 1 2 Heinrich, p. 47.
  9. ↑ Roberts, p. 159.
  10. ↑ Roberts, p. 160.
  11. ↑ Alban C. Stimers Archived 2008-05-15 at the Wayback Machine , DANFS
  12. ↑ Millers Photographic History of the Civil War Vol 6 "The Navies". "In order to furnish efficient fighting-vessels that could thread the shallow streams and bayous along the shore, the construction of a dozen light-draft monitors was undertaken late in the war. They were to draw only seven feet of water, and to be a small edition of the original monitor, mounting one gun only. Through a miscalculation in the engineer's office, their displacement was wrongly estimated. They proved utter failures. All or nearly all of them were on the ways at the same time. When the first was launched, she proved not sufficiently buoyant to sustain her armor and guns, giving a very good imitation of a submarine when striking the water. To meet the demand for light-drafts–three on the James River–these monitors were lightened by removing their turrets, as has been done in the case of the one in the picture. The naval reports record every form of disparagement of these vessels, except the profanity they evoked from officers and men."
  13. ↑ Heinrich, p. 48. See also DANFS entries for the individual ships below.

Related Research Articles

USS Napa was a Casco class twin-screw light draft monitor built during the American Civil War for operation in the shallow inland waters of the Confederacy. These warships sacrificed armor plate for a shallow draft and were fitted with a ballast compartment designed to lower them in the water during battle.

USS Yuma, a single-turreted, twin-screw monitor, was laid down at Cincinnati, OH, by Alexander Swift and Co. and launched on 30 May 1865. A Casco-class, light-draft monitor, she was intended for service in the shallow bays, rivers, and inlets of the Confederacy. These warships sacrificed armor plate for a shallow draft and were fitted with a ballast compartment designed to lower them in the water during battle.

USS Etlah, a single-turreted, twin-screw monitor, was still under construction at St. Louis, Missouri, at the close of the American Civil War. A Casco-class, light-draft monitor, she was intended for service in the shallow bays, rivers, and inlets of the Confederacy. These warships sacrificed armor plate for a shallow draft and were fitted with a ballast compartment designed to lower them in the water during battle.

USS <i>Casco</i> (1864) Torpedo boat of the United States Navy

The first USS Casco was the first of a class of twenty 1,175-ton light-draft monitors built by Atlantic Works, Boston, Massachusetts for the Union Navy during the American Civil War.

USS <i>Naubuc</i> (1864) Torpedo boat of the United States Navy

The first USS Naubuc, laid down as a 1,175-ton light-draft monitor at Perine's Union Iron Works, Williamsburgh, NY, was launched 19 October 1864. However, as with others of her class, she was of faulty design and was found to be unseaworthy prior to her completion. She was then converted to a torpedo boat, 4th rate, with one XI-inch Dahlgren smoothbore, and arid Wood-Lay spar torpedo equipment.

USS <i>Modoc</i> (1865) Torpedo boat of the United States Navy

USS Modoc, a single turret, an 1,175-ton Casco-class light draft monitor built under contract by J. S. Underhill at Greenpoint, Brooklyn, was completed as a spar torpedo vessel in June 1865. She had no active service, spending her entire Navy career laid up "in ordinary" at Philadelphia. The vessel was renamed Achilles on 15 June 1869, but returned to Modoc on 10 August. The ship was broken up at New York in August 1875.

The first USS Tunxis was launched on 4 June 1864 at Chester, Pennsylvania, by Reaney, Son & Archbold; and commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 12 July 1864. On 21 September 1864, the light-draft monitor departed the sheltered waters of the navy yard on her maiden voyage. However, she soon began taking on water at such an alarming rate that she came about and returned to Philadelphia where she was decommissioned later in the month.

USS Umpqua, a single-turreted, twin-screw monitor, was laid down in March 1863, before the official order had been placed, at Brownsville, Pennsylvania, by Snowden & Mason; launched on 21 December 1865; and completed on 7 May 1866.

USS Waxsaw, a single-turreted, twin-screw monitor, was laid down in March 1863, before the official order had been placed, at Baltimore, Maryland, by A. & W. Denmead & Son; launched on 4 May 1865; and completed on 21 October 1865.

USS Suncook – a single-turreted, twin-screw monitor – was built by the Globe Works, South Boston, and delivered to the government at the Boston Navy Yard on 8 July 1865.

USS Shiloh was a single-turreted, twin-screw monitor that was slated to enter service with the United States Navy. The contract for her construction was awarded on 24 June 1863 to George C. Bestor of Peoria, Illinois. Her keel was laid down later that year at the yard of Charles W. McCordat of St. Louis, Missouri. However, while Shiloh was still under construction, USS Chimo, one of the first of the Casco-class monitors to be launched, was found to be unseaworthy.

USS Cohoes — a single-turreted, twin-screw monitor — was still under construction at the close of the American Civil War. She was a Casco-class, light-draft monitor intended for service in the shallow bays, rivers, and inlets of the Confederacy. These warships sacrificed armor plate for a shallow draft and were fitted with a ballast compartment designed to lower them in the water during battle.

USS Klamath — a single-turreted, twin-screw monitor of the United States Navy — was launched 20 April 1865 by S. T. Hambleton & Co., Cincinnati, OH, under subcontract with Alexander Swift & Co., also of Cincinnati, OH. She was delivered to the Navy on 6 May 1866 but was never commissioned and saw no service.

USS Koka—a single-turreted, twin-screw monitor—was launched 18 May 1865 by Wilcox & Whiting, Camden, New Jersey. She was a Casco-class, light-draft monitor intended for service in the shallow bays, rivers, and inlets of the Confederacy. These warships sacrificed armor plate for a shallow draft and were fitted with a ballast compartment designed to lower them in the water during battle.

USS <i>Nausett</i> (1865)

USS Nausett, a single-turreted, twin-screw monitor, was built by Donald McKay, South Boston, MA, and launched on 26 April 1865, and commissioned on 10 August 1865, Acting Master Win. U. Grozier in command. Soon after her commissioning, she steamed to New York, NY, where she decommissioned on 24 August 1865, and was laid up at the New York Navy Yard.

USS <i>Wassuc</i> (1865)

USS Wassuc — a single-turreted, twin-screw monitor — was built by the George W. Lawrence & Co., Portland, ME, and launched 25 July 1865, and completed 28 October 1865.

USS <i>Shawnee</i>

USS Shawnee was a single-turreted, twin-screw monitor built by Curtis & Tilden, Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was delivered 22 July 1865, and commissioned 18 August 1865.

USS <i>Chimo</i> (1864) Torpedo boat of the United States Navy

USS Chimo, a single-turreted, twin-screw monitor, was built by the Aquila Adams company in South Boston, Massachusetts, and launched 5 May 1864, and commissioned 20 January 1865.

USS <i>Squando</i> 1865 American warship

USS Squando was a Casco-class light draft monitor built during the American Civil War. Designed for service in rivers, the class required design changes due to the lack of seaworthiness of the first Casco-class vessel. Squando required her deck to be raised 22 inches (56 cm) before completion in order to provide more freeboard. Launched in late December 1864 or early January 1865, she was commissioned on June 6, 1865. Completed after the American Civil War had wound down, she served in the North Atlantic Squadron in 1865 and 1866 before being decommissioned in May of the latter year. After being renamed twice in 1869, she was sold in 1874 and then broken up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alban C. Stimers</span>

Alban Crocker Stimers was a Chief Engineer with the United States Navy. He assisted with the design of the Navy's first ironclad, the USS Monitor, and later with the design of the Passaic-class monitors. His later career was marred by the scandal which enveloped the Casco-class monitors after they were found to be unseaworthy.

References

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