Editor in Chief Bill | 08 Apr 2015 6:34 p.m. PST |
Which warfighting vessel of the American Civil War – Union or Confederate – was the most beautiful? |
Nashville | 08 Apr 2015 6:52 p.m. PST |
CSS Shenandoah which marked the last surrender of the American Civil War and the last official lowering of the Confederate flag. |
Lucius | 08 Apr 2015 7:06 p.m. PST |
USS Hartford – elegant, yet obviously lethal. |
Cuchulainn | 08 Apr 2015 7:15 p.m. PST |
I think I have to agree with Nashville on this one. |
Wackmole9 | 08 Apr 2015 7:16 p.m. PST |
|
Winston Smith | 08 Apr 2015 7:19 p.m. PST |
They were all butt ugly. And there is nothing wrong with that. Why should an ironclad (and that name alone is a hymn and paean to ugliness) look like a Spitfire or Mustang or Albatros? |
KSmyth | 08 Apr 2015 7:24 p.m. PST |
The raider Florida with her raked funnels has beautiful lines. The sloop-on-steroids U.S.S. Niagara is likewise beautiful. If I had to choose a paddle steamer it would be the Vanderbilt. For an ironclad it would be the small, but deadly, Albemarle. |
Pictors Studio | 08 Apr 2015 7:52 p.m. PST |
I really like the city class ironclads. I don't think you have a better looking machine of war come along until the A-10. |
BW1959 | 08 Apr 2015 7:56 p.m. PST |
USS Kearsarge, a ship that can hit what it shoots at. |
Toronto48 | 08 Apr 2015 9:05 p.m. PST |
Although they were not warships as such Confederate Blockade runners played an important roll in the war at sea. They were both fast and had "lines" similar to those of racing boats. The Will-of-the-Wisp was a good example
|
Sergeant Paper | 08 Apr 2015 9:50 p.m. PST |
|
avidgamer | 09 Apr 2015 3:48 a.m. PST |
I'll second the USS Hartford. |
Sobieski | 09 Apr 2015 4:12 a.m. PST |
For my money, the distinctive thing about early ironclads is that they're the only warships in the history of combat NOT to be graceful and elegant in some way! |
Virtualscratchbuilder | 09 Apr 2015 5:39 a.m. PST |
|
Bozkashi Jones | 09 Apr 2015 1:06 p.m. PST |
For me it has to be the Alabama:
The Liverpool Maritime Museum has a nice model of the Alabama due to the links with the city
In Mersey channel she went then Roll, Alabama roll! And Liverpool gave her guns and men Roll! Roll, Alabama roll! |
Yellow Admiral | 09 Apr 2015 3:04 p.m. PST |
I'm with Toronto48. The nicest looking ships of the ACW were blockade runners. (That colorized photo of Will-o-the-Wisp is jaw-dropping. Thanks for linking to it.) The OP question was about warfighting ships, though, and I have to agree with many of the other comments here that "beautiful" is probably the wrong word to describe them. My favorite ACW vessel to look at is probably the USS New Ironsides:
However, while I think the above model is beautiful, I would never use that word to describe the vessel itself. I would incline more toward words appropriate to a warrior – mean, tough, stout, dangerous, fearsome, purposeful, muscular, malevolent, vicious, menacing, baleful, wicked, etc. She's a pit bull, not a malemute. - Ix |
Shagnasty | 09 Apr 2015 4:48 p.m. PST |
Another vote for "Alabama." |
doc mcb | 10 Apr 2015 9:19 a.m. PST |
|
capncarp | 11 Apr 2015 5:03 a.m. PST |
I'm torn between the CSS Stonewall, the CSS Albemarle/Neuse, and the USS Keokuk. |
brass1 | 11 Apr 2015 1:11 p.m. PST |
CSS McRae, a small but graceful ex-Mexican gunboat sunk (in 1862) within 4 miles of where I currently live. LT |