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Naval History of the Civil War. Naval Strategy. North . South. Discredit Blockade Disrupt Northern Shipping Protect Key Territory. Isolate Divide Control Territory Protect Shipping. Resources. North . South. Weak Industrial Base Limited Maritime Experience ZERO ships.
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Naval Strategy North South Discredit Blockade Disrupt Northern Shipping Protect Key Territory • Isolate • Divide • Control Territory • Protect Shipping
Resources North South Weak Industrial Base Limited Maritime Experience ZERO ships • Northeastern Nautical Tradition • Shipyards • Industrial Base • Most Navy Officers did not follow the Confederacy • Manpower • 40 ships
Technology • Steam Engines • Screw Propellors • Ironclad Ships • Torpedoes • Submarines
Blockade • Cut off commerce of an opponent. • Field a credible Naval Force to interdict shipping and enforce blockade. • Blockade can be broken and lifted if the blockading ships can be driven off. • Declaring a blockade held serious political implications for the North.
Blockade Running • Small fast boats to bring in vital supplies • Tendency was toward luxury items that bring a large market value instead of strategic military stores • One or two successful trips could make a crew rich • Support from non-belligerent countries
Commerce Raiding • Goal is to cripple an adversaries international trade and limit their peaceful use of the seas • Destroyed US merchant marine fleet and fishing fleets. Effects linger to this day. • Privateers – Letter of Marque • Commerce Raiders – Confederate Navy • Compact, frigate-sized warships built and armed abroad due to a lack of Confederate industrial base.
River Wars • Extensive system of Western Rivers facilitated internal trade in the Confederacy and provided avenues of advance to the Union. • Forts vs Ships
The Two Navies Union Confederate Commerce Raiders Ironclads Submarine CSS HUNLEY • Line of Battle Ships • Frigates • Cruisers • Gunboats • Ironclads • River craft