Naval History of the Civil War. Naval Strategy Technology Blockade Blockade Running River War Commerce Raiding Key Naval Battles Fort Sumter Forts Henry.

Naval History of the Civil War

Naval StrategyNorth

• Isolate• Divide• Control Territory• Protect Shipping

South

• Discredit Blockade• Disrupt Northern Shipping• Protect Key Territory

Resources

North

• Northeastern Nautical Tradition

• Shipyards• Industrial Base• Most Navy Officers did not

follow the Confederacy• Manpower• 40 ships

South• Weak Industrial Base• Limited Maritime

Experience• ZERO ships

Technology

• Steam Engines• Screw Propellors• Ironclad Ships• Torpedoes• Submarines

Blockade

• Cut off commerce of an opponent.• Field a credible Naval Force to interdict

shipping and enforce blockade.• Blockade can be broken and lifted if the

blockading ships can be driven off.• Declaring a blockade held serious political

implications for the North.

Blockade Running

• Small fast boats to bring in vital supplies• Tendency was toward luxury items that bring a large market

value instead of strategic military stores• One or two successful trips could make a crew rich• Support from non-belligerent countries

Commerce Raiding

• Goal is to cripple an adversaries international trade and limit their peaceful use of the seas• Destroyed US merchant marine fleet and fishing fleets.

Effects linger to this day.

• Privateers – Letter of Marque• Commerce Raiders – Confederate Navy– Compact, frigate-sized warships built and armed

abroad due to a lack of Confederate industrial base.

River Wars

• Extensive system of Western Rivers facilitated internal trade in the Confederacy and provided avenues of advance to the Union.

• Forts vs Ships

The Two Navies

Union• Line of Battle Ships

– Frigates– Cruisers

• Gunboats• Ironclads• River craft

Confederate• Commerce Raiders• Ironclads• Submarine

– CSS HUNLEY

KEY NAVAL BATTLES

FORT SUMTER

Forts Henry and Donelson

MONITOR/VIRGINIA (MERRIMACK)

New Orleans/Mobile Bay

KEARSARGE/ALABAMA