Scorpion class Ironclad (1863)

Broadside Ironclads: 1862-65: HMS Scorpion, Wivern.

HMS Scorpion and Wivern were two small turret ironclad originally ordered by the Confederate States Navy in 1862, seized in 1863 by the British to prevent delivery as they were violating the Foreign Enlistment Act since the Union was still considered friendly to Great Britain. The Scorpion class were masted turret ships (two gun turrets) with heavy muzzle-loading guns. The RN decided to purchase them for service in the Royal Navy in 1864 albeit their small size made them not that useful, they were eventually kept by the Channel Fleet and were then sent as guard ships at Bermuda and Hong Kong for decades. Scorpion was sold in 1903, sank under tow underway to the scrapyard while Wivern was sold in 1922.

Egyptian Turret ships for the Confederacy

The American Civil War started in April 1961 with the Fort Sumter bombardment and between the secessionist states of the south (The confederacy) and the Union of the North, both economic models were also found at odds. The industrial north was soon able to establish a naval blockade and managed to deployed its vastly superior assets to interdict any exports from the confederacy that might fuel its economy largely based on agricultural productions. So with whatever cash it had, the Confederacy tried to challenge that superiority by using commerce raiders, and also through technological edge, with the development of its own ironclads (Virginia, ex Merrimack and many others), its first submersibles (HL Hunley) or semi-submersible spar torpedo rams (CSS David), as well purchasing ironclad abroad in Britain and France. However, both countries, not to break their relations to the Union, still on paper the legitimate US government, both agreed not to sell ironclads in construction in their yards, even when started under false flag customers (Like Egypt for CSS Stonewall). Albeit these yards were private companies, their government, embarrassed by their activity and diplomatic relations with the Union, were in a conundrum.

By March 1862, a contract was placed with Laird & Son Co. by Captain James D. Bulloch, naval agent for the Confederate States of America. He wanted double-turreted warships also designed for ramming attacks, and at a cost of £93,750 each, exclusive of armament and ammunition. Like others they were blockade breakers, not runners. Not only that, but when the mission was done, to blockade in turn Union coastal cities and even hold some for ransom. On 29 October 1862, Confederate Navy Secretary Stephen Mallory in his letter named “yard number 294” from Laird & Sons Company of Birkenhead, “CSS North Carolina” and N°295 as “CSS Mississippi”. In January 1863, Foreign Secretary Lord Russell, notified Bulloch, which purchased the ships in his own name, they would be prevented from sailing as part of a nation currently at war. Bulloch transferred ownership of the ships to the same French bankers that managed CSS Stonewall and her sister, and by June 1863, on behalf of the same Egyptian government that was used as a false flag owner, the intention of transferring them to the Confederacy was to be performed while at sea.

The ironclad “El Tousson” in completion at Laird in 1863
The false flag plan was a clever one as the Khedive of Egypt indeed attempted to acquire warships (and it did later, until pressured by the Ottoman Government to release them). So CSS North Carolina now had the cover name of “El Toussan”, CSS Mississippi was named “El Monnassir”. Union had their own intelligence network and saw the ploy. Lord Russel received strong protests from US Ambassador, Charles F. Adams. The latter sent a delegate to confer with the Egyptian government directly and obtained the information this was a subterfuge indeed, then reported this to the ambassador. The Admiralty thus was pressured by Lord Russel to send the guard ship HMS Majestic, to watch over the newly launched El Toussan, with sea trials planned for September 1863.

The Liverpool Collector of Customs also was instructed not to let them leave the dock under any circumstances. The Surveyor of Customs eventually seized the ships on 9 October 1863. Albeit the legality of this seizure was disputed, the British government already was embarrassed already by the raider CSS Alabama, from Laird Son & Co, and was more cautious about the activities of its own shipyards, even if they were private companies. Discussions about legality eventually were solved by purchasing outright the ships on 8 August 1864 for £25,000, which was more than the contract price instead of pressuring the yard to sell them to another customer that might have resold them in turn to the Confederacy. So in the end, the first ship was renamed HMS Scorpion when commissioned on July 1865, and the other HMS Wivern, commissioned on 28 September 1865. By that stage, the civil war had ended with a Union victory on April 9 with the surrender of Appomattox. However, the RN was found with two small turret ships designed for shallow waters and coastal activity it did not wanted nor needed.

Design of the class

Hull and general design

The Illustrated London Almanack 1869-009 August: The Scorpion
The Scoption class measured between perpendiculars 224 feet 6 inches (68.4 m), for a beam of 42 feet 4 inches (12.9 m) overall and a draught of 17 feet (5.2 m) at deep load. She displaced 2,751 long tons (2,795 t), making it the smallest turret ironclad in the RN when commissioned. The hull was divided by 12 watertight bulkheads plus a double bottom, below the engine and boiler rooms for extra safety. The crew amounted 152 officers and ratings, for which they had about 7 boats under davits or on deck, coal barges, whalers, yawls and cutters. Otherwise, they ere single-funnel, single shaft, three masted barque vessels, with a forecastle and sterncastle and a wide open lower deck enclosed by bulwarks to deal while underway with heavy weather since their freeboard was quite low at 6 feet (1.8 m) to keep stability. The 5-foot (1.5 m) hinged bulwarks folded down to free the range of the two turrets, one either side of the central “island” with the bridge, funnel and mainmast. They had also a clipper stern, with small rectangular axial rudder, steam-driven, and a reinforced forged iron ram bow since her main role was ramming. Between the small rudder and flat bottom made for shallow and coastal waters, however their agility was problematic. Still, they were considered for US standard seaworthy ironclads, superior to any monitor of the time.

Powerplant

The Scorpion class possessed two horizontal direct acting steam engines built by Lairds. Thy drove a single three-bladed, 14-foot (4.3 m) diameter propeller. 3-bladed props were rare for the time, as the norm was rather two, as they could be stopped in vertical position in line with the keel in order to reduce drag. The two Laird engines mated by a crankshaft to the single shaft, were in turn fed by steam produced in four tubular boilers working at a pressure of 20 psi (138 kPa; 1 kgf/cm2). Total output as calculated was 1,450 indicated horsepower (1,080 kW) for a top speed of 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph), considered enough for ramming. Wivern however on trials managed 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph) on her sea trials on light load, on 4 October 1865. Both could carry 336 long tons (341 t) of coal making for a range of 1,210 nautical miles (2,240 km; 1,390 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph), almost top speed, so they were suited for long crossings if needed. Aside the steam plant, they had the usual barque-rigging on three masts. They however diverged on this as Scorpion had conventional shrouds to anchor its masts, Wivern instead innovated by being the first to sport tripod masts to reduce interference with the turret’s firing arcs. The funnel was also semi-retractable to reduce wind resistance under sail and it shows on photos.

Protection

Brassey’s depiction of the Scorpion class and armour scheme
Belt: As Ironclads, both ships had a complete waterline belt made of wrought iron, 4.5 inches (114 mm) thick amidships, the tapered down to 3 inches (76 mm) forward, 2.5 inches (64 mm) aft. Its height was 3 feet 3 inches (0.99 m) below the waterline. It went further down below, but no data.
Turrets: The two Coles turrets had an elaborate protection: Inside was a 0.5 inches (12.7 mm) lining of iron boiler plate, bolted to T-shaped beams that supported an intermediate layer of 10 inches (254 mm) teak planking. In turn that layer was covered by an iron lattice 0.75 inches (19.1 mm) thick as structural and damping support, in turn covered by a 4th layer made of 8 inches (203 mm) teak, reating a sandwich. Then on top came the outer 5.5-inch (140 mm) iron plates bolted to the outside. The bolts were quite long as they ran through to the interior iron skin. Around the gun ports were installed extra 4.5-inch plates making for 10 inches. The turret roof was formed by T-shaped beams, covered by 1-inch (25 mm) iron plates. It was holed for ventilation with a central position in which the captain could aim the turret.

Armament

The initial plan was to deliver the ships with empty turret, without ordnance, to be easier to sail out, to be armed later in the Confederacy. Howwever for completiion under RN standards, each turret was armed with a 9-inch rifled muzzle-loading gun. Its shell weighed 254 pounds (115.2 kg) and the gun itself 12 long tons (12 t). Muzzle velocity was 1,420 ft/s (430 m/s) capable of penetrating 11.3 inches (290 mm) of wrought-iron armour, at 100 yards (91 m). Both solid shot and explosive shells were stored below, brought into the turret by scoops. Depression and elevation could be very slow however due to the manual handwheel mechanism used, far more that the traverse, using a multiplication mechanism (see below). And gravity played a role in both operations if the ship was not on an even keel.

The turrets indeed sat on circular turntables, over which was an iron radial platform, with arms resting on beveled wheels 18 inches (457 mm) diameter. Each was powered by 18 men using rack and pinion gears; one minute was needed for a full 360°, far faster than an elevation. This operation was even possible from the outside. In emergency there was a block and tackle and handspikes as well. The bottom had a leather flap over the gap with the deck to reduce water seeping in.

⚙ specifications
Displacement	2,751 long tons (2,795 t)
Dimensions	224 ft 6 in x 42 ft 4 in x 17 ft (68.4 x 12.9 x 5.2m)
Propulsion	1 shaft, 2-cyl. steam engine, 4 boilers: 1,450 ihp (1,080 kW)
Speed	10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph)
Range	1,210 nmi (2,240 km; 1,390 mi) at 10 knots, +barque rig.
Armament	2x 9-in (229 mm) muzzle-loading rifle guns in turrets.
Protection	Belt 2–4.5 in (51–114 mm), turrets: 5.5–10 in (140–254 mm)
Crew	153

Career of the Scorpion class

Both ironclads were assigned to the Channel Fleet after commissioning.

HMS Scorpion

Scorpion was later refitted in 1867, with a flying bridge connecting the forecastle to the poop and clearing the turrets whereas her sailing rig was reduced, to a fore-and-aft rig, so twi masts. She was recommissioned in 1868 when all was done, and resumed service with the Channel Fleet. By November 1869 she was sent to Bermuda as guard ship. In 1873, it was proposed to remove her poop and forecastle, masts, deck fitting and converted her as a low-silhouette harbour defence monitor. It was judged then too expensive and she resumed her service in 1878 with her rigging later removed, reduced to simple pole masts. In 1890 she was modernized again gaining electric searchlights and quick-firing guns (detail below). Scorpion ended sunk as target in 1901 but raised in 1902, sold for BU on February 1903 (for £736) but sank while under tow to Boston.

HMS Wivern

HMS Wivern at the end of her career
HMS Wivern on her side also joined for a time the Channel fleet but in 1867 she burst one of her 9-inch guns. Fortunately, her gun crew was unharmed. She was refitted from August 1868 as her sister, in Devonport and her sailing rig reduced from a barque to a schooner. She resumed her role as guard ship, but at Hull, and from January to October 1870 until joining the reserve from 1870 to 1880. She was then deemed useful as guard ship at Hong Kong and sent here. She later became the main harbour defence ship. Naval architect and DNC for a time, Edward James Reed wrote:

“the turret-ship ‘Wivern’, belonging to the Royal Navy, has a low free-board (about 4 feet), and is very lightly armoured, while her armament is also very light. Yet on one occasion her behaviour at sea was so bad that she had to be brought head to wind in order to prevent her shipping large, and, of course, dangerous, quantities of water, the extreme angle of roll rising to 27 degrees each way.”

One of her COs was Captain Hugh Talbot Burgoyne (VC) later appointed as commanding officer of the infamous HMS Captain. Wivern remained in Hong Kong, reduced to harbour duties from 1904. Before that already in 1898, she could have been sold for BU, but after decommission, she was converted as a distilling ship. In 1922 with the general state of her hull under the local climate, she was sold for BU in May.