The Battle of Cherbourg, or sometimes the Battle off Cherbourg or the Sinking of CSS Alabama was a single ship action fought during the American Civil War between a United States Navy ship and a Confederate States Navy ship in June of 1864, off Cherbourg, France.
Background
After five succesful commerce raiding missions in the Atlantic Ocean, CSS Alabama turned into Cherbourg Harbor on June 11, 1864. The rebel sloop-of-war was commanded by Captain Raphael Semmes, formerly of CSS Sumter. It was Captain Semmes intention to dry dock his ship and recieve repairs at the French port. The Confederate Navy vessel was crewed by about 170 men and armed with six 32 pound (15 kg) cannons, one 110 pound (50 kg) cannon and one 68 pound (31 kg) gun. The Alabama had been pursued for two years by the screw sloop-of-war USS Kearsarge, under Captain John Winslow. The Kearsarge was armed with two 11 inch (280 mm) smoothbore Dahlgren guns, four 32 pound guns and one 30 pound Parrott rifle. She was manned by around 150 sailors and officers.
Kearsarge had armor-clad, chain cable triced in tiers along her port and starboard midsections. On June 14, Kearsarge finally caught up with Alabama as she was recieving repairs. Kearsarge did not attack, instead she waited, initiating a blockade of CSS Alabama in Cherbourg Harbor. Union Captain Winslow telegraphed USS St. Louis to request her assistance. Confederate Captain Semmes used the time to drill his men for the coming battle. On June 19, CSS Alabama, with nowhere else to go, ran up the Stars and Bars snd exited the harbor to attack Kearsarge. She was escorted by a French Navy vessel whos mission was to ensure that the ensuing battle occurred outside the French harbor.
Battle
Men aboard USS Kearsarge spotted the incoming Confederate raider and turned about to take the following battle out French territorial waters. Once out she turned around again, hoisted the U.S. Navy Jack and lined up for a broadside. Captain Winslow ordered his gunners to hold their fire until the range closed. CSS Alabama fired the first shots, they are not known to have hit. Eventually Keargsarge was under way and the range closed to within 1,000 yards (900 m) when she fired her first shot. The two warships manuevered on opposite courses throughout the battle. Kearsarge and Alabama made seven spiraling circles around each other's ship, moving southwest in water moving at a current of 3-knots. Both Captain Semmes and Captain Winslow attempted to cross each other's bow, hoping to inflict heavy raking fire. The battle continued in this manner for several minutes, in the meantime, on the French Coast, hundreds of Cherbourg citizens watched the battle as it slowly drew closer to a Union victory. Kearsarge's armor clad sustained two hits during the engagement.
The first shell, a 32 pounder, struck within the starboard gangway. The shot cut part of the chain armor and dented the metal hull underneath. The second shot was again a 32 pounder that detonated caused further damage to the chain armor, and broke a link of the chain armor. Both hits struck the chain armor at just above five feet over the waterline. The gunnery of USS Kearsarge was was reportedly more accurate than of the Confederates, she fired slowly well-aimed shots while Alabama fired rapidly. CSS Alabama fired a total of over 370 rounds during the fighting, it is not known how many Kearsarge fired but it is known that she fired much less than the rebels did. Eventually after just over an hour of exchanging artillery fire, Alabama had recieved shot-holes beneath the waterline from Kearsarge's Dahlgren guns and began to sink. Captain Semmes struck the Confederate colors and sent his remaining dinghy to Captain Winslow, to ask for aid.
During the battle, over fourty rebel sailors were killed in action or drowned. Another seventy or so were picked up by Kearsarge and thirty or so were rescued by the Deerhound, a British yacht, including Captain Semmes who escaped to England as result. Three men were wounded aboard the United States vessel, one of which died the following day.
Aftermath
For many years after the battle, Confederate Captain Semmes stated that he would never have chosen to test USS Kearsarge had he known of her armor clad protection. CSS Alabama destroyed or captured dozens of Union merchant vessels during her Atlantic cruises, when word of Alabama's sinking reached the northeastern United States, many northerners were joyful.
Edouard Manet produced a painting of the fight, The Battle of the Kearsarge and the Alabama, now at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He also did a painting, The Kearsarge, now at Boulogne.
American marine artist Xanthus Smith painted six versions of the naval battle. The most famous of these, a massive work exhibited at the 1876 Centennial Exposition, is in the collection of the Union League of Philadelphia.
-
USS Kearsarge, in an 1861 photograph.
-
Sinking of the CSS Alabama, engraving, Harper's Weekly Magazine, 23 July 1864.
-
The Fight between the Alabama and the Kearsarge, 1864 engraving.
-
The Sinking of the CSS Alabama, unidentified artist.
-
Engraving by
Louis Le Breton (by 1866).
-
Replica of the USS Kearsarge on display at the 1893 Grand Army of the Republic national convention in Indianapolis, Indiana.
-
The Kearsarge and the Alabama, by
Xanthus Smith (1922), Franklin D. Roosevelt collection, FDR Library, Hyde Park, NY.
-
USS Kearsarge in Battle, by
Jo Davidson (1936), Franklin D. Roosevelt collection, FDR Library, Hyde Park, NY.
-
CSS Alabama, in a 1961 painting by J.W. Schmidt.
-
U.S. Navy recruiting poster, 1970s.
Confederate States Navy
United States Navy.svg){kind=small}
Raphael Semmes.svg){kind=small}
John Winslow.jpg)
