Naval History of the Civil War

1. Naval History of the Civil War

2. Naval Strategy North South Discredit Blockade Disrupt Northern Shipping Protect Key Territory • Isolate • Divide • Control Territory • Protect Shipping

4. 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

5. Technology • Steam Engines • Screw Propellors • Ironclad Ships • Torpedoes • Submarines

6. 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.

8. 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

9. 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.

11. River Wars • Extensive system of Western Rivers facilitated internal trade in the Confederacy and provided avenues of advance to the Union. • Forts vs Ships

13. The Two Navies Union Confederate Commerce Raiders Ironclads Submarine CSS HUNLEY • Line of Battle Ships • Frigates • Cruisers • Gunboats • Ironclads • River craft

14. KEY NAVAL BATTLES

15. FORT SUMTER

17. Forts Henry and Donelson

19. MONITOR/VIRGINIA (MERRIMACK)

22. New Orleans/Mobile Bay

25. KEARSARGE/ALABAMA