C.S.S. Mississippi under construction.
An artist’s impression of what she may have looked like when completed - note the fearsome looking broadside.
Bit of a smorgasbord in terms of effort this weekend. I tidied up the last of the text for two chapters of the Portable Ironclads Wargame and worked on the pictures supporting one of them. I have the battle report to design and write - looking forward to this for sure - and I am going to pen a ‘final thoughts’ type of piece as there are a few things I would be keen to wrap it up with.
C.S.S/U.S.S. Atlanta - an ironclad ram also armies with a spar torpedo
The building continues apace and perhaps rather unsurprisingly I have changed my mind about some of the final models. There is a surprise addition in the shape of C.S.S. Livingston - possibly one of the oddest looking ships in a period of odd looking ships - and I have temporarily shelved the idea of making the C.S.S. Baltic. In its place I am building the C.S.S. Atlanta - two of them. The ship was captured by the Union after running aground and so served in both navies. The model you see under construction is not that of the Atlanta but it does use the same hull form. This will be the C.S.S. Mississippi - a truly fearsome looking proposition that fortunately for the Union was not completed.
Unfortunately I only have one size of hull template in this shape so it means that the Atlanta will be as long as the Mississippi when in reality she was some sixty feet shorter. Still, using a grid based rule system renders size differential largely a point moot point! My version of the Atlanta will be lower in the casemate than the Mississippi and with sharper angled sides - not to mention with far fewer gun ports - so will look noticeably different.
The only difference for the Union version will be the ensign.
Check out the above from Spithead Miniatures - the C.S.S. Livingston looks pretty odd, about as odd as the C.S.S. New Orleans!
The C.S.S. Livingston is a real oddity to look at and looks like fun to build (and to use in action) so I shall look forward to making her.
I definitely need to get some serious modelling/painting time in for a final push - and before I get inspired to build anything else!
Certainly a few bizarre looking ships there David, but just the sort of thing one wants to make and field in a game!
ReplyDeleteHi Steve J,
ReplyDeleteIt was a time when functionality often came before aesthetically pleasing for sure! As you rightly say, they are just the thing that one wants to add in a game for novelty value if nothing else. For the record the actual ship was slow - so much so that the crew complained about the sound of logs hitting the hull and keeping them awake whilst she was underway as they were faster!
I have sorted out the bits I need to make her and so she is now on the modelling tray.
All the best,
DC
The Livingston is certainly unusual…
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to seeing your version.
All the best. Aly
Hi Aly,
ReplyDeleteSo am I but I have something rather larger to contend with first….
All the best,
DC