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Sea Power and MaritimeSea Power and Maritime Affairs Affairs
Lesson 5: The Civil War, 1861-1865: Two NaviesLesson 5: The Civil War, 1861-1865: Two Navies
Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives
Comprehend the role of the Union Navy in the strategy for the defeat of the Confederacy.
Comprehend the role of the Confederate Navy in the strategy for the defeat of the Union.
Know the reasons for vital importance of acquisition of European allies in the South’s Naval Strategy.
Know the innovations in naval weapons and technology that emerged during the Civil War.
Remember our Themes!Remember our Themes!
The Navy as an Instrument of Foreign Policy
Interaction between Congress and the NavyInterservice RelationsTechnologyLeadershipStrategy and TacticsEvolution of Naval Doctrine
Background of the Background of the WarWar
War between the StatesWar between the States Dispute between slave and free states over status of western
territories.– Missouri Compromise - 1820.
– Kansas-Nebraska Act - 1854.
– Dred Scott Decision - 1857.
Southern states secede after Lincoln elected in 1860.
Confederate States of America established - Feb 1861.
Status of federal territory in the Confederacy in question.
Fort Sumter, Charleston, South Carolina:– Attacked by Confederate forces on April 12, 1861.
Fort SumterFort Sumter
Naval ComparisonNaval Comparison
A Navy DividedA Navy Divided
David Glasgow FarragutDavid Dixon PorterJohn EriccsonJohn DahlgrenCharles WilkesSamuel F. DuPont
Franklin Buchanan
Matthew Fontaine Maury
Raphael Semmes
Balance of Naval PowerBalance of Naval PowerNorth South
– Naval Yards
– Ship Builders
– Industrial Base
– Number of Ships
– Leadership
Common Operational HeritageCommon Operational HeritageUnion and Confederate NaviesUnion and Confederate Navies
War of 1812 — Coastal defense and commerce raiding:
– Fighting from an inferior position against an enemy that has “command of the sea”.
1815-1846 — Global deployments:
– Protection of American maritime commerce overseas.
1846-1848 — Mexican-American War
– U.S. Navy controls the seas throughout the war.
– Ports established on the Pacific Coast.
Naval ComparisonNaval Comparison The Confederate Navy
– Inferior naval strength.– U.S. Navy traditions prior to the Mexican-American War - Defensive.
Coastal defense. Commerce raiding (Guerre de course).
The Union Navy– Superior naval strength built up throughout the war.– Royal Navy traditions and U.S. Navy traditions in the Mexican-
American War - Offensive.Establish control of sea lines of communication.
– Blockade of enemy coast.– Power projection through amphibious assault.
DiplomacyDiplomacy
Diplomacy for the NorthDiplomacy for the North
Keep Great Britain truly neutral
Reconcile the blockade of Southern ports with British freedom of trade.
Problem: Strong pro-Confederacy sentiment in important segments of British policy-making elites.
Diplomacy for the SouthDiplomacy for the South
Win British recognition and naval aid.– Problems:
War is viewed as a rebellion - not a conflict between sovereign states.
Outcome of the war is uncertain.Diplomatic inexperience and a weak State Department.Fallacy of the "King Cotton" thesis. Slavery
1861- The “Trent Affair”Union Navy violates neutral rights of British ship.
Outcome of DiplomacyOutcome of Diplomacy
Ultimately a Failure Naval Agent James Bulloch gets that aid
- Commerce raiders (Alabama, Florida, Shenandoah)
- Blockade Runners
- Laird rams (clearly warships; blockade breakers)
• Battle of Antietam (September 1862), Emancipation Proclamation, and Charles F. Adams’ protests end aid.
19 June 1864StrategyStrategy
Union Naval StrategyUnion Naval Strategy Part of General Winfield Scott’s master “Anaconda Plan” for victory. Blockade the entire Confederate coast.
– Capture Southern ports for coal, water, food: bombardment and amphibious assaults.
Control of Mississippi River.– Vital line of communication for Confederacy.
– Cut off Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana.
Riverine operations in western areas.– Combined Army-Navy operations against Confederate forces.
Union Army -- Capture Confederate capital at Richmond.
Confederate Naval StrategyConfederate Naval Strategy Part of overall strategy of “Attrition Warfare”.
– Army will defend territory and threaten Washington. Coastal defense:
– Army forts and new naval weapons systems. Blockade-running:
– Attempt to continue commercial trade with Europe.– Operations hurt by Southerners’ desires for luxury goods.
Union blockade’s increasing effectiveness increases profits.
Commerce raiding:– Successful cruises divert Union ships from blockade duty.– Privateers (1861):
Declaration of Paris - 1856.Unable to secure prize courts (sovereignty problems).
Naval Administration in the Naval Administration in the NorthNorth
Union Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles
Rapid and massive ship-building program.– Only 42 ships at the beginning of the war.– 264 commissioned by December, 1861
Convened Ironclad Board, August 1861, to combat Virginia
UnionUnionSecretarySecretary
of theof theNavyNavy
Gideon WellesGideon Welles
Naval Administration in the Naval Administration in the SouthSouth
Confederate Secretary of the Navy Stephen Mallory
Confederacy issues letters of marque to privateers. Attempts to use new technology to gain
advantage.– Conversion of older ships to armored
“ironclads”.– Re-emergence of the ram as a naval weapon.
Naval Administration in the Naval Administration in the South (cont’d)South (cont’d)
James Bulloch attempts to gain British aid.
Coordinates construction of warships in Great Britain.– Questions of legality for a neutral power (Great
Britain)
Antietam (September 1862), Emancipation Proclamation, and Union protests end aid.
ConfederateConfederateSecretarySecretary
of theof theNavyNavy
Stephen MalloryStephen Mallory
Naval Operations and Naval Operations and Important BattlesImportant Battles
Early Naval OperationsEarly Naval Operations Norfolk Navy Yard
– Largest naval base and arsenal in the United States.
– Captured by Confederate forces on 21 April.
– USS Merrimack scuttled by retreating Union forces.
– Large number of guns captured by Confederates.
Union blockade of the Confederacy:– “Paper Blockade” needs to become real as soon as possible.
– Forward bases required for an effective blockade.
– Amphibious operations launched to seize bases in the South.
Battle of Port RoyalBattle of Port Royal Attempt to establish first Union base on Confederate
territory at Port Royal Sound -- 7 November 1861. Commodore Stephen F. DuPont Superior naval gunfire:
– Directed against Confederate forts defending the Sound.– Confederates abandon forts.
Union soldiers and Marines land unopposed. Other Union amphibious operations will resemble Port
Royal operation.
USS Port Royal
Battle of Hampton RoadsBattle of Hampton Roads
““The The MonitorMonitor and the and the MerrimackMerrimack””
CSS CSS VirginiaVirginia
USS Merrimack raised at Norfolk.
Iron armor and ram added by Confederate Navy.
Renamed Virginia and commanded by Franklin Buchanan.
Defeats conventional Union ships on 8 March 1862.
Franklin Franklin BuchananBuchanan
Confederate States NavyConfederate States Navy
Commanding OfficerCommanding Officerofof
CSS CSS VirginiaVirginiaat theat the
Battle of Hampton Roads.Battle of Hampton Roads.
USS USS Monitor Monitor
Welles’ Ironclad Board John Ericcson’s Monitor
– Highly armored with low freeboard.– Single turret mounting two Dahlgren guns.
Moved to Norfolk area to engage Virginia. Pounded each other for four hours TacticalTactical draw but a strategicstrategic Union victory -
Confederate Navy unable to break the blockade of Norfolk.
9 March 1862
USS USS MonitorMonitor versus CSS versus CSS VirginiaVirginia
John EriccsonJohn Ericcson
“Monitor” design is improved and used to produce large numbers of ships for the Union Navy necessary for the assault of Confederate coasts and ports.
Three TheatersThree TheatersGreat Inland Rivers
– Mississippi River Basin– Vicksburg– Mobile Bay
Atlantic and Gulf Coasts– Fort Fisher
Blue Water– CSS Alabama
Inland River CampaignsInland River Campaigns Combined Union Army - Navy offensives
– Goal: Control of the Mississippi River Navy gunboats and transports used to support Army
– Union forces advance down Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers to the Mississippi
Capture of New OrleansCapture of New Orleans
Flag Officer David G. Farragut commanding– Commander David Dixon Porter
Tried to mortar bomb Fort Jackson and St. Philip into submission– knocked a whole in the wall
Farragut charged through and took the city
Congress makes him an Admiral
Mortar BoatsMortar Boats
Siege of VicksburgSiege of VicksburgVicksburg the big obstacle to dominance of
the MississippiPorter ferried Grant’s troops across to the
east bank of the river, south of the fortGrant takes the fort from the rearSurrender on 4 July 1863
Naval support: gunfire, troop transport, and logistical reinforcement
Siege of VicksburgSiege of Vicksburg
David Dixon David Dixon PorterPorter
Siege of Vicksburg
Battle of Mobile BayBattle of Mobile Bay Union fleet commanded by David Glasgow Farragut. Confederate fleet commanded by Franklin Buchanan. Entrance to Mobile Bay heavily defended.
– Torpedo buoys placed in entrance to the Bay.– Guns of Fort Morgan defend only open channel.
Union fleet outnumbers and outguns the Confederate fleet waiting in Mobile Bay.
Farragut positions “monitors” between the rest of his fleet and Fort Morgan.
Brooklyn’s captain stops and blocks the channel. “Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!”
TorpedoTorpedo
Wooden keg filled with black powder with a contact fuse anchored in port channels.
DavidDavidGlasgowGlasgowFarragutFarragut
“Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”
Battleof
Mobile Bay
Battle of Mobile BayBattle of Mobile Bay5 August 1864
Fort FisherFort Fisher
The seaward protector of Wilmington, NC– railhead to Richmond supplies Lee’s Army
Highly-defended by Confederate guns.
Fort FisherFort Fisher
Combined Union Army-Navy operation.– Union fleet commanded by David Dixon Porter.
First assault fails - Christmas 1864. Second Assault
– Sailors and Marines attack the fort with Army forces. Only successful amphibious assault against a
heavily defended fort.– Heavy, constant, targeted naval gunfire necessary for
success.
Confederate Commerce Confederate Commerce RaidersRaiders
Highly successful in the disruption of Union maritime commerce.
Captain Raphael Semmes
– CSS Sumter
– CSS AlabamaCaptures 68 Union vessels.
Sunk at Cherbourg, France in duel with USS Kearsarge.
CaptainCaptainRaphael Raphael SemmesSemmes
CSS Alabama
CSS CSS AlabamaAlabama- Commerce Raiding - Commerce Raiding RouteRoute
CSS CSS AlabamaAlabama
Raphael Semmes
Tactical Trends in the Civil WarTactical Trends in the Civil War
Introduction of “ironclads”:
– Strengths: Heavily armored for coastal assault.
– Weaknesses: Low mobility on the open ocean.
Question of a fleet's ability to suppress coastal
fortifications unanswered.
Appreciation for combined (Army-Navy) operations.
– Proper planning and coordination essential for success.
Overall Technological AdvancesOverall Technological Advances
Technological InnovationTechnological Innovation North — Monitor Class
– Combination of steam, screw, armor, and a gun turret.– Large numbers built.– “Dahlgren Guns” effective at close range.– Gives Union Navy the advantage on coastal and inland
waterways. South
– CSS Virginia -- Steam power and iron armor.– The “Davids”– CSS Hunley - submarine.– “Torpedoes”– “Laird” rams.
CSS CSS HunleyHunley
ConclusionsConclusions
Decline of U.S. Merchant Marine due in large to the obsolescent sailing vessels used.
Northern success in application of British-like offensive naval warfare
PLUS
Failure of Southern commerce raiding to win the war at sea = QUESTION:
– Will American naval officers still regard commerce raiding as the proper strategy in time of war ???????
The “Alabama Claims” cause a lasting diplomatic debate with Great Britain.
ConclusionsConclusions Union blockade sets a precedent that that Woodrow Wilson
finds inconvenient in 1914-1917.
Joint Navy-Army Operations reach an unprecedented level of high efficiency on the Mississippi River.
Joint Ops reach high point in the second amphib landing at Fort Fisher, North Carolina, closing down the confederacy’s last open port supporting R. E. Lee’s Army.
DiscussionDiscussion
Next Time: Developments of Naval Technology and Strategy