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CSS Stonewall (FS Sphynx)

History of CSS Stonewall (FS Sphynx)

In December 1863, the Confederate States of America approached L'Arman Shipbuilding in Bordeaux, France, to build one or two ocean-going Ironclad Rams for 2.4 million francs each during the American Civil War. These boats were mainly constructed of wood with iron plating on their hulls. Two turrets were mounted on the deck, also armored to protect the guns and crew. Two turrets designed to carry three heavy guns: 1 x 10" caliber and 2 x 6.4" caliber, both manufactured by Armstrong & Company, a British armament company.

The two turrets were 14 inches wider than planned, necessitating a shortened carriage. The builders had problems with the ship's draft, as the added armor weight was not properly shaped and also hindered the expected speed of 10.5 knots (12 mph). Therefore, they must be reforged.

Their brazier was designed to be about 280 tons, but after construction the area was actually limited to 200 tons. This was deemed unacceptable, so additional container space was provided to accommodate another 20 tonnes. If the ship runs out of coal and no coal ships or depots are available, the ship may resume sailing propulsion via both main masts. Coal is stretched with just one engine, slowing down to bring the maximum speed down to 5.8 knots. The two boilers were not installed below the waterline as promised, but were installed between the coal stores and protected by armor.

Fully loaded and fully armed, the ship is a 1,535-ton hammer.

Similar in design to the first ocean-going ironclad, it also originated in France and was launched in 1859 as Glory. The newer sister is 187 feet long, 32.8 feet beam and 14.3 feet draft. The two ships, built by Frenchman L'Arman, consist of "Sphynx" (reserved for CSS) and her sister ship "Cheops", which are about to be sold to Prussia. The French government, learning that the Sphinx was being built for the Federal Navy, feared political ties with the current U.S. government, and France blocked the sale in February 1864.

The Danish authorities were interested and bought the Sphinx and tried to sell it Cheops acquired due to the war with Prussia. Denmark is in a hurry, stipulating that the Sphinx must arrive at a Danish port within 75 days before it can be sold.

She has done all this and is ready to set sail with the Danish crew as soon as possible.

The Sphinx was renamed "Saerkodder" (or "Strong Otter") by the Danish government and sailed for Copenhagen. The settling cruise revealed some early problems: She drew too much watera foot aft, 6.5 inches on centerline. The ship is well built and considered very powerful, her artillery is particularly powerful. The engine was fine, but the Danish captain noticed that the armor plates were extremely thin and improperly installed.

The space for the rear turret of the ship is insufficient, which reduces the beam fire field. The design also performed poorly on the high seas, and overall her limited main deck space resulted in crew complaints about their general quarters.

These issues led to price haggling between the Danes and L'Arman, which eventually led to the breakdown of the negotiations. Consequently, the Danes ultimately rejected Saerkodder in its current form.

In the absence of a buyer, L'Arman contacted the original buyer for the Federal Navy, which led to some secret meetings to arrange the procurement. On January 6, 1865, Confederate sailors under the command of CSN Captain T.J. Page landed in Copenhagen.

At sea, the Ironclad was redesignated CSS Stonewall after Confederate General "Stonewall" Jackson. Needing supplies before chasing Alliance ships, Stonewall returned to France.

After getting ready for her upcoming mission, she sailed to Madeira in the Azores for scorch before returning to U.S. waters. A severe storm hit the ship and the damage caused a leak due to its poor seakeeping. She was then forced to seek safe haven in Ferrol, Spain. The USS Niagara was a 5,540-ton steam-prop frigate escorted by a 2,100-ton steam-prop sailing vessel, the USS Sacramento, facing CSS Stonewall in port. Expect a standoff between the wood-hulled U.S.

Navy ship and the CSS Ironclad.

With the leak fixed, the CSS Stonewall is combative, but unable to coerce federation ships and, fearful of being stuck in a foreign port, set off to the high seas again. The Alliance ships followed at a safe distance, and Captain Page turned to challenge USS Kearsarge and USS Sacramento, only to see them turn and refuse to engage.

Stonewall then sailed to Lisbon, Portugal on March 24, 1865, to replenish and obtain a new supply of coal for the transatlantic voyage. His first assignment was to attack General Sherman's forces at Port Royal and protect South Carolina.

After leaving Lisbon, CSS Stonewall crossed the Atlantic. On May 6, 1865, she arrived in Nassau and sailed to Havana, Cuba, where Captain Page was told the Civil War was over. This is Page's decision - if he leaves Cuba and runs to southern ports and is confronted and captured by a U.S. Navy ship, he will either have to surrender or be seen as a pirate who can be hanged. Since he was in a neutral port and the crew had nowhere to go, he decided to give the ironclad to the Spanish admiral in Cuba for $16,000.

The Spanish delivered the stone wall to the U.S. government in July 1865, and sold it to the U.S. Navy for the same price.

Stonewall, now owned by the federal government, is about to be decommissioned and put on hold at the Washington, D.C. Naval Shipyard. She sat there for over two years while selling internationally.

The Ezo shogunate became interested in a dispute with the Japanese imperial government during the Meiji Restoration. However, hostilities had not yet broken out, and the amount agreed in 1868 was a $30,000 down payment and $10,000 for delivery in Japan. A small American training crew was brought aboard and sailed with the new Japanese crew. During the long voyage of consolidation, the so-called Boshin War broke out between Ezo and the Japanese government.

When the current "Kotetsu" (or "Ironclad" in Japanese) arrived in Tokyo Bay, she raised the Japanese flag. The U.S. trained crew to report to the ambassador and ordered to retake the ship with some marines stationed in Japan, re-flag it and remain on board as a caretaker crew.

The United States and other Western powers took a neutral stance, removed their military advisers and refused to provide war materials to the two warring factions.

However, in February 1869, the Kotetsu handover was completed and the ship was handed over to the new Meiji government. This decision likely won the war for the imperial army, as the Ezo shogunate first ordered the ironclad in the United States, and the ship was put on hold.

America has become the maker of kings.

Kotetsu immediately sailed for the island of Hokkaido with a squadron of seven warships to engage the shogun's navy. The Battle of Miyako Bay began on March 25, 1869, when the Kaiten, the largest warship of the Ezo Republic, rammed her bow against Kotetsu's port side. As her warriors attempted to board the ironclad, Kayton began firing her weapon at Light Iron at close range. The main problem is that the kaiten is about 9 feet taller than the kotetsu, which slows down the samurai's progress. The intruders were killed trying to board the ship and met a certain death at the end of the Gatling gun Kotetsu aimed at them.

Kaiten was able to destroy three ships of the Imperial Fleet, but not the Ironclad itself.

The last major naval battle of the war was the Battle of Hakodate Bay. The Imperial Fleet Support Force, including Kotetsu, landed in Hokkaido. The landing party destroyed coastal defenses and attacked rebel ships with shore-based artillery and ships in the bay. On May 4, the insurgent ship Chiyogata was captured by the Imperial Army after it ran aground. The insurgent flagship "Another Day" was hit by multiple rounds of light iron and was eventually knocked down.

The rebel ship Wanlong sank the Imperial ship Changyang, and Guangtetsu opened fire on Wanlong, damaging her. The Imperial Japanese Navy won the battle that led to the surrender of the Ezo Republic on May 25, 1869. Iron armor is clearly the deciding factor.

Kotetsu was renamed "Azuma" in 1871 and served until 1888, when she became a non-combat port ship in charge of training naval forces. After her time, she was scrapped.

Sphynx/Kotetsu's sister ship Cheops was eventually sold to the Prussian Navy and became Prinz Adalbert.