USS Louisville (1861)
History | |
---|---|
United States | |
Name | USS Louisville |
Ordered | 7 August 1861 |
Builder | James Buchanan Eads |
Cost | $89,000 |
Laid down | September 1861 |
Launched | October 1861 |
Commissioned | 16 January 1862 |
Decommissioned | 21 July 1865 |
Fate | Sold, 30 September 1868 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | City-class ironclad gunboat |
Displacement | 512 long tons (520 t) |
Length | 175 ft (53 m) |
Beam | 51 ft (16 m) |
Draft | 6 ft (1.8 m) |
Propulsion | Centerline paddlewheel, two horizontal steam engines |
Speed | 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) |
Complement | 251 officers and men |
Armament | Varies (see section below ) |
Armor |
|
USS Louisville was a
Louisville was built at
Operational history
Louisville assisted the Army in the capture of Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River 14 to 16 February 1862. From 1 to 5 March, she aided in the occupation of Columbus, Kentucky, the "Gibraltar of the West." Departing Cairo, Illinois, 14 March, she served in the capture of Island No. 10 and New Madrid, Missouri, through 7 April, and helped to prevent southern ships from ascending the river.
In May, Louisville was ordered to
After escorting transport Meteor, disembarking troops at Bledsoe's and Hamblen's landings 21 October, Louisville returned to Helena to join the gunboat fleet,
Now under the command of
From 12 March to 22 May 1864, Louisville joined in the expedition up the Red River. On 2 June she engaged Confederate batteries seven miles below Columbia, Arkansas, silencing the guns. She landed Union troops at Sunnyside 6 June and anchored off Shipwith's Landing the 20th, to learn that Confederates were traveling upriver with a heavy force, and had crossed Cypress Creek and Bartholomew's Bayou 20 June with cavalry, infantry, and artillery. On learning that Parsson's brigade was 10 miles back of Gaines' Landing, providing reinforcements, Louisville departed immediately for that point, and helped break up the Confederate attack.
Louisville continued service on the
Armament
Like many of the Mississippi theatre ironclads, Louisville had its armament changed multiple times over life of the vessel. To expedite the entrance of Louisville into service, she and the other City-class ships were fitted with whatever weapons were available; then had their weapons upgraded as new pieces became available. Though the 8-inch Dahlgren smoothbore cannons were fairly modern most of the other original armaments were antiquated; such as the 32-pounders, or modified; such as the 42-pounder "rifles" which were in fact, old smoothbores that had been gouged out to give them rifling. These 42-pounder weapons were of particular concern to military commanders because they were structurally weaker and more prone to exploding than purpose built rifled cannons. Additionally, the close confines of riverine combat greatly increased the threat of boarding parties. The 12-pounder howitzer was equipped to address that concern and was not used in regular combat.
Ordnance characteristics | ||
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January 1862 | September 1862 | Early 1864 |
• 3 × 8-inch smoothbores • 4 × 42-pounder rifles • 6 × 32-pounder rifles • 1 × 12-pounder rifle |
• 3 × 9-inch smoothbores • 1 × 8-inch smoothbore • 2 × 42-pounder rifles • 6 × 32-pounder rifles • 2 × 30-pounder rifles • 1 × 12-pounder rifle |
• 4 × 9-inch smoothbores • 1 × 100-pounder rifle • 6 × 32-pounder rifles • 2 × 30-pounder rifles • 1 × 12-pounder rifle |
See also
- Union Navy
- Anaconda Plan
- Mississippi Squadron
- Seth Ledyard Phelps (commander in Mississippi River Squadron)
References
- ^ "Medal of Honor Recipients - A–L". Medal of Honor Citations. United States Army Center of Military History. 26 June 2011. Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
- ^ "Medal of Honor Recipients - M–Z". Medal of Honor Citations. United States Army Center of Military History. 26 June 2011. Archived from the original on 23 February 2009. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- Angus Konstam, (2002), Union River Ironclad 1861-65, Osprey Publishing, New Vanguard 56, ISBN 978-1-84176-444-3