CSS Squib

CSS ''Squib'', also known as CSS ''Infanta'', was a ''Squib''-class torpedo boat that served in the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War. ''Squib'' was laid down in 1863, and was launched in early 1864. Her design was a form of launch armed with a spar torpedo. Initially serving on the James River as a flag of truce boat, she snuck into the Union Navy anchorage at Hampton Roads and attacked the steam frigate USS ''Minnesota'' early on the morning of April 9, 1864. ''Minnesota'' was damaged but not sunk, and ''Squib'' was able to escape back upriver. At an unknown time in mid-1864, ''Squib'' was moved by rail to the Wilmington, North Carolina, area, where she served on the Cape Fear River. Records of her service at Wilmington after November 1864 are not extant, but she may have resupplied a Confederate fortification during the Second Battle of Fort Fisher in January 1865. The next month, the Confederates withdrew from Wilmington, and ''Squib'' was scuttled off Cape Fear.

Construction and characteristics

During the American Civil War, Confederate attempts to counter the Union blockade included torpedo boats. The first Confederate torpedo attack occurred in October 1863, when CSS ''David'' damaged the ironclad USS ''New Ironsides''. Following this attack, the Confederates built more torpedo boats, using varying designs. One of these designs was the ''Squib'' class, a group of steam-powered launches armed with a spar torpedo in the bow. ''Squib'' was the lead ship of the class. She was also known as ''Infanta''.

The naval historian R. Thomas Campbell states that the designer of ''Squib'' may have been constructor William A. Graves, while the historians Peter Pry and Richard Zeitlin attribute the design to Lieutenant Hunter Davidson. The ''Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships'' (DANFS) provides dimensions for ''Squib'' as a length of , a beam of , and a depth of hold of . Pry and Zeitlin provide length and beam measurements agreeing with those provided by the DANFS. Campbell instead provides a length figure for ''Squib'' of probably or , with a beam of , and draft of roughly .

Propulsion was provided by a single screw propeller, which was powered by a two-cylinder condensing marine steam engine and a single boiler. Her top speed is not known, but the vessel was reputed to be fast in contemporary reports. ''Squib''s forward hatch and machinery were protected by armor made from boiler iron. The vessel's spar torpedo shaft was long, and could be raised and lowered by a chain and tackle system. Her crew numbered 6.

Service history

''Squib'' was first laid down at an unknown point in 1863. She was then launched in early 1864. Her commander was Davidson. Serving on the James River, ''Squib'' saw early use delivering flags of truce. Davidson decided to use ''Squib'' to test torpedo designs at Rocketts Landing in Richmond, Virginia. Creating an empty torpedo with a copper cylinder and a chemical fuse, Davidson attached it to the spar, steered the vessel towards a derelict wharf, and then rammed the torpedo into the wharf. This failed to detonate, and Davidson redid the experiment after adding of gunpowder to the torpedo. This time, the torpedo exploded and destroyed the wharf.

Davidson then decided to attack a Union blockader with ''Squib''. Assembling a crew for this mission of six in addition to himself, Davidson decided to use anthracite coal as fuel, to avoid creating sparks or smoke that would reveal the vessel's position prematurely. While anthracite coal was not readily available in the area, prewar shipping activities had led to coal spills into the river, and enough coal could be recovered from the riverbed to fuel ''Squib''. The movement towards the Union fleet began in early April 1864. To preserve coal, the steamer CSS ''Torpedo'' towed ''Squib'' to a point past City Point, Virginia. Proceeding alone, ''Squib'' then reached the Newport News, Virginia, area on April 8.

After midnight on the night of April 8/9, ''Squib'' moved into Hampton Roads and moved towards the steam frigate USS ''Minnesota''. While the vessel was sighted by some Union vessels, she was never challenged and stopped, possibly because she was recognized as a flag of truce vessel. At about 2:00 am, ''Squib'' was in position near ''Minnesota'' and began accelerating towards the vessel. When the commander of ''Minnesota'' challenged the approaching vessel, Davidson claimed that his vessel was USS ''Roanoke''. The tugboat USS ''Poppy'' attempted to intercept ''Squib'', but lacked the steam pressure to move. Men on ''Minnesota'' fired at ''Squib'' with small arms to no effect shortly before impact. The spar torpedo was set to strike below ''Minnesota''s waterline and the torpedo used in the attack contained of powder. When the spar torpedo struck the Union vessel, it exploded, damaging ''Minnesota''. The torpedo was set too high, lessening the amount of damage to the Union ship. While ''Minnesota'' had been damaged, her hull remained intact.

The force of the explosion started to pull ''Squib'' underwater, but the Confederate vessel was able to escape. While pulling away from ''Minnesota'', ''Squib'' came under further small arms fire and was targeted by a cannon shot. ''Poppy'' was still immobile and could not pursue, and an extensive Union search failed to catch ''Squib''. Bluffing a move towards the Nansemond River, but then entering the James instead, ''Squib'' hid during the day and was towed upriver by ''Torpedo'' at night. As a result of the attack, Union Rear Admiral S. P. Lee forbade ''Squib'' to ever be used for flags of truce again, and Davidson was promoted to the rank of commander. In mid-1864, ''Squib'' was transferred to Wilmington, North Carolina, by rail, where she guarded the Cape Fear River. The last extant official report mentioning the activities of ''Squib'' was dated November 5, 1864, but Campbell believes she was used to resupply a Confederate fortification during the Second Battle of Fort Fisher in January 1865. The Confederates withdrew from Wilmington in February 1865, and ''Squib'', along with the steamer CSS ''General Whiting'', were scuttled off Cape Fear.

References

Sources

*
*
*
*
*
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Squib
Torpedo boats of the Confederate States Navy
Squib-class torpedo boats