Personal Introduction

[Spankbucket]

Hi all

I'm a retired person living in Yorkshire with an interest in Naval Military history. My main interest is in military history 1850 - 1900 (ironclad/pre-dreadnought period) and the naval ships of this era in general.

I am currently building 1:600 waterline models (wargaming size!) of the ships present at the battle of Lissa in 1866. A small number of paddle steamers were present on both sides in both the Austrian and Italian fleets.

Whilst searching for details on the net I came across the Paddleducks site and found it inspirational as I also occassionally build radio controlled models. I am encouraged to build one of the paddle vessels of the period as my next project! Ambitiously I would attempt to have working sails incorporated and have a useful guide on how to achieve this in this document which also covers two American Cival War river ironclad paddlers 'Osage' and 'Choctaw'. (Mostly off subject but a great document.).

http://walternelson.com/ironclads.pdf

I wonder if anyone else here has done anything like this?

One of my hopes is that somebody in this interest group might be able to provide me with links to  details/plans for the paddle steamers in question. In particular I'm looking for data on 'Greif'. 'Stadion', 'Governolo', 'Guiscardo' and 'Esploratore'.

I havn't yet fully explored the site so apologised in advance if it's already covered somewhere.

Thanks ...Bernie

[Spankbucket]

Hi all

Never got any replies on this.

For interest sake I've attached a couple of photos of the one 1:600 wargame paddler  I have made.

She's the 'Kaiserin Elizabeth' and was present in the Austrian fleet at Lissa, 1866. I'm pretty sure she was Glasgow built but haven't got round to researching it.

I got the details from a Czech book on the 19c Austrian Navy.

Cheers...Bernie

[Tug--Kenny]

Hi Spankbucket.

I expect the subject matter of Iron clads is unknown to some members, but I found your link fascinating.  We don't get them here in the UK. 

Best of luck with your research  (it's half the fun).  There's plenty of Paddler information here, but needs some finding.

Cheers

ken

[Spankbucket]

Hi Ken

Thank you for coming back on that. I guess many members here are 'horizontally' focused whereas I am 'vertically'....If you get my meaning.

If you are interested at all in the ironclad period please see my post in the non-paddler powered section for a couple of my R/C models of the period.

I also belong to the Yahoo 'Ironclads' group which is wargame oriented.

Best Regards........Bernie

[charles fitton]

Hi Bernie-

I'm new to paddleducks as well.

I found the link to the Ironclads article to be fascinating - I've thought of doing something along these lines, and I may get to it yet.

I just don't think a lot of people read the "introductions" column - maybe you should pick a paddle/ironclad and start a new string...

Good luck with it.

f

[Spankbucket]

Hi Charles and welcome to PD's.

I joined back in the Spring but didn't post anything until I had built my first paddler project...a 'Josie Olsen'. You can see a load of pictures in the Photo Gallery section.

My inspiration to join was Don's 'Presto' model; which of course, although not an ironclad, falls in the period. I had originally been trying to research Austrian and Italian paddlers of the period. My avatar shows the Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria meeting the Turkish delegation on board his paddler 'Greif' (I think) at the opening of the Suez canal. I think most of these boats originated in Glasgow.

I think it's correct to say that an ironclad paddler would be a contradiction in terms. Paddlers were used predominately as scouts, aviso's and messenger boats in the ironclad period. A couple of shots from the large guns carried on the ironclad frigates would have destroyed the paddles/boxes pretty quickly! So they kept out of the main action if they could.

In the American Civil War the paddle blockade runners took tremendous risks in their attempts to get past the Union ironclad blockade fleets and often didn't make it. 'Presto' is a case in point.

Please have a look at my 'Presto' postings where I am trying to show my build in regular photos.

You'll also find a couple of my ironclad period's ships in the 'Non-paddler Powered Boats' section here.

Cheers.....Bernie

[Dave R.]

"So they kept out of the main action if they could."
Bernie, it was paddlers that saved Grant at Shiloh.
Dave

Photo #: NH 58891

"The Great Naval Battle before Memphis, June 6, 1862"

Engraving after a sketch by Alexander Simplot, published in "Harper's Weekly", depicting the action between the Confederate River Defense Fleet and Federal warships off Memphis, Tennessee.
In the center foreground the CSS General Beauregard is being rammed by the Federal ram Monarch. At left are the disabled Federal ram Queen of the West and the Confederate ships General Sterling Price and Little Rebel. Other Federal ships are in the center and left distance, with other Confederate ships in the center and right middle distance.

Courtesy of the U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

[Spankbucket]

Hi Dave

You are absolutely right!

 I wasn't thinking of armoured paddlers in the ACW river/land campaigns when I made my previous comments!

Bernie

[Dave R.]

From U.S. Navy public domain

Photo #: NH 59077

(last one Eddy)

Here's a sea battle, Bernie. The Breckinridge is a cotton" clad. You probably know this
but I don't often get to chat about one of my favorite subjects too... most Americans
couldn't tell you where Gettysburg was fought. Rhett Butler was a blockade runner.

Dave

Engagement between the U.S. Gunboat 'Varuna' and the Confederate Ram 'Breckinridge' and Gunboat 'Governor Moore'."

Line engraving published in "The Soldier in Our Civil War", Volume I. It depicts USS Varuna in the center, being rammed by a Confederate ship identified as "Breckinridge" (at left) while engaging CSS Governor Moore (at right) during the battle off Forts Jackson and St. Philip, 24 April 1862. The side-wheel steamer identified here as "Breckinridge" (General Breckinridge), is more probably the Stonewall Jackson.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-v/varuna.htm

[Spankbucket]

Hi Dave

Keep 'em coming!!! Actually this in my view is a river (estuary) battle rather than a high seas one which is what I was thinking about.

I've visited Chikamauga, Chattanooga, Stone Mountain, Charleston, Savannah and Hilton Head, Fort Jackson, etc.  but never made it to Gettysburg or Hampton Roads. I have nice videos of Mobile Bay, Fort Morgan, Pulaski etc. I visited the Confederate Naval Museum in Columbus, Georgia back in the '80's...I think it was not long after the 'Chatahoochee' was salvaged and put on display.

My focus these days is European High-Seas hence my sin of ommission!

The other unattractive blockade runner was in 'North and South' on TV a few years back.....they're still running the repeats here! Unfortunately I can't remember his name but he was anti-hero.

I hope Eddy will indulge our chats on a subject of mutual interest but maybe we should go one-to-one in future?

Cheers...........Bernie

[Dave R.]

"high seas "?
Hey Bernie. weren't Trafalgar and Jutland fought like three miles of the coast of England? 

Jeez, you've seen more of America than I have!

Now, Layte Gulf: Olandorff cross' Nishimura's "T". Bill (B.S.) Halsey takes Ozawa's bait and
Admiral Sprauge commanding Taffy Three saves the Philippine invasion by playing cat and
mouse with Kurita's Force A (including the Yamato) off the San Bernardino Straits
and changes the course of the war... that's "high seas"!

Dave

Y'all did pretty good with the Bismark thing and Tintoretto.

[Spankbucket]

Hi there Dave

Denmark and Spain respectively!

The Japanese studied the Taranto raid and used it to plan and execute Pearl Harbour.

20c sea warfare is really about air superiority.

We're well off topic here now so maybe we should go quiet?!?!

Bernie

[Jack Darby]

Hi All. I am just another old codger who likes messing about with boats.
I have been building model planes, boats and train model for the last 60 years and even got to building a couple of full size boats, the biggest a 19 foot 'Lysander' in marine ply. Usually I tend to spend about 15-20 years on a particular hobby, the last change was from 5 inch steam railway locomotives of which I built three and three electric powered ones.
There is no more room in the shed to keep any more locos so I have reverted back to boats which I can keep in the house! I sail with the Southwater Dabblers MBC with a scratch built 36 inch RC ketch, (Sequoia) but became interested in steam while watching some of my clubmates efforts. I am now making a couple of slide valve engines by Malcolm Beak who put me onto the Paddleduck website for info after sending me a copy of the drawings and construction notes by email, for which I was very grateful as the Stan Bray book 'Model Marine Steam' did not contain all the drawing details.
I will report progress if anyone is interested, so watch this space.