Battle of Cherbourg (1864)

Battle of Cherbourg

Sinking of the CSS Alabama (1922), by Xanthus Smith,
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, Hyde Park, New York.

Date	June 19, 1864 (1864-06-19)
Location	off Cherbourg, France, English Channel
Result	Union victory

Belligerents

United States

Confederate States

Commanders and leaders

Units involved

Strength

1 screw sloop-of-war

Casualties and losses

1 killed
2 wounded

1 ship sunk
~40 killed
~70 captured

38 to 41 Confederate sailors were rescued by a British yacht and escaped capture.

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 warship, the USS Kearsarge, and a Confederate States Navy warship, the CSS Alabama, on June 19, 1864, off Cherbourg, France.

After five successful commerce raiding missions in the Atlantic Ocean, CSS Alabama turned into Cherbourg Harbor on June 11, 1864. The Confederate States sloop-of-war was commanded by Captain Raphael Semmes, formerly of CSS Sumter. It was Captain Semmes' intention to drydock his ship and receive repairs at the French port. The Confederate Navy vessel was crewed by about 170 men and armed with six 32-pound (15 kg) cannons, mounted broadside, three guns per side, and two heavy pivot guns, mounted on the centerline and able to fire to either side: one 8-inch, 110-pounder (50 kg) rifled gun and one 7-inch, 68-pound (31 kg) smoothbore 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 which fired approximately 166 pounds of solid shot, four 32-pound guns and one 30-pounder Parrott rifle. She was manned by around 150 sailors and officers.

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