CSS Missouri
| History | |
|---|---|
 Confederate States of America
|
|
| Ordered: | 1 November 1862 |
| Builder: | Shreveport, Louisiana |
| Laid down: | December 1862 |
| Launched: | 14 April 1863 |
| Commissioned: | 12 September 1863 |
| Fate: |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Casemate ironclad |
| Length: | 183 ft (55.8 m) |
| Beam: | 53 ft (16.15440000 m) |
| Draft: | 8 ft 6 in (2.6 m) |
| Propulsion: |
|
| Speed: | 5.3 knots (9.8 km/h; 6.1 mph) |
| Armament: | |
| Armor: | |
CSS Missouri was a Confederate States Navy casemate ironclad paddle steamer deployed on the Red River during the American Civil War. For most of the war she was trapped in the Shreveport, Louisiana area by low water on the Red River. The ship was surrendered in June 1865 to the United States Navy and sold in November.
Missouri was 183 feet (55.8 m) long overall, had a beam of 53 feet 8 inches (16.4 m) and a draft of 8 feet 6 inches (2.6 m). Her casemate extended for most of the length of the ship and was 130 feet 6 inches (39.8 m) long. It partially enclosed her 22-foot-6-inch (6.9 m) diameter center paddle wheel in a recess at the aft end of the casemate; the upper 8 feet 4 inches (2.5 m) of the paddle wheel protruded above the casemate and was totally unprotected. The stern wheel was powered by two steam engines taken from the steamboat Grand Era; four boilers provided steam to the engines and were connected to a single funnel. The ship had a maximum speed of 6 miles per hour (5.2 kn).
Missouri's armor consisted of railroad "T-rails", laid alternately with the crowns up and down. They were spiked to the backing of 23-inch (580 mm) of yellow pine, but not closely together enough to give them a solid surface. On the sides of the ship, they were laid diagonally, but were vertical on the bow and stern faces of the casemate. The armor extended approximately 6 feet (1.8 m) below the waterline. The casemate was sloped at an angle of 30°. The deck fore and aft of the casemate was also protected by "T-rails". At the forward end of the casemate was a pilothouse that was raised 19 inches (480 mm) above the deck. She was built of green timber, caulked with cotton and leaked like a sieve. Despite her three rudders, her stern wheel made her difficult to steer.
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