List of naval battles of the American Civil War

The naval battles of the American Civil War, fought between the Union and the Confederacy, changed the foundations of naval warfare with the first use of ironclads and submarines, and the introduction of newer and more powerful naval artillery.

The first shots of the naval war were fired on April 12, 1861, during the Battle of Fort Sumter, by the US Revenue Cutter Service cutter . The final shots were fired on June 22, 1865, by the Confederate raider in the Bering Strait, more than two months after General Robert E. Lee's surrender of the Confederate Army.

Significant battles Hampton Roads One of the most important and famous naval battles of the American Civil War was the clash of the ironclads, between and at the Battle of Hampton Roads. The battle took place on March 8, 1862, and lasted for several hours, resulting in a tactical draw. These revolutionary new warships were protected by the thick armor plating that gives them the name ironclad, which prevented any lasting damage to either ship. New Orleans The battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip in 1862 can be divided into two parts: a mostly-ineffective bombardment of the Confederate-held forts by the raft-mounted mortars, and the successful passage of the forts by much of Farragut's fleet on the night of April 24. During the passage, one Federal warship was lost and three others turned back, while the Confederate gunboats were virtually obliterated. The subsequent capture of the city, achieved with no further significant opposition, was a serious, even fatal, blow from which the Confederacy never recovered.

First Charleston A second great naval battle occurred at Charleston, South Carolina, in 1863. In this battle, called the First Battle of Charleston Harbor, the Union Navy sent Admiral Du Pont with nine ironclads to attack Charleston. When given the order, the admiral did not expect to be victorious. He would have to steer his ships upriver to the fort and attack it from a standstill, giving the Confederates a valuable edge. The Union Navy was forced to retreat within two hours to prevent too many casualties in a single battle, which would irreparably cripple the navy. Because of this failure, the Union would blockade Charleston for two more years, while the Confederacy was able to set up several more forts along the coast of South Carolina. Cherbourg The Battle of Cherbourg was an intense naval battle that ended in the sinking of , one of the most powerful ships in the Confederate fleet, by . Alabama fired the first shot, but Kearsarge was slightly faster, had more firepower, and carried a larger crew complement than Alabama, giving the Union the advantage. The Confederate ship took many hits and casualties, and the rising water shut off its engines, leaving the surviving crew with no other choice but to surrender and be rescued by Kearsarge.

Other purposes

The navies on both sides not only engaged in battle, but also transported foot soldiers, equipment, and supplies. Without a navy, neither army would have had the supplies or manpower necessary to successfully carry out the war.

Thus, one major strategy of the Union navy involved blockading Southern ports, preventing the South from receiving supplies or aid from allies via shipping ports. Vital supplies such as food, water, ammunition, guns, clothes, and medical supplies never made it to the Confederate troops. The Confederates retained a sufficient amount of resources to withstand the blockade for an extended period of time, causing the war to last longer than expected. However, the blockade continued to prevent the Confederate troops from replenishing their supplies, which in part led to their eventual surrender.

Naval ships on both sides also served as much-needed floating hospitals, housing and treating soldiers who had been injured in battle.

Battles Battle Start date End dateNotesFirst Battle of Fort SumterApril 12, 1861April 13, 1861First shots of the naval war fired, first battle of the warBattle of Gloucester PointMay 7, 1861May 7, 1861First naval battle of the warBattle of Sewell's PointMay 18, 1861May 19, 1861Battle of Aquia CreekMay 29, 1861June 1, 1861First use of torpedoes by Confederate forces in combatBattle of Pig PointJune 5, 1861June 5, 1861Battle of Mathias PointJune 27, 1861June 27, 1861Sinking of the PetrelJuly 28, 1861July 28, 1861One of the last naval battles in history involving a privateer shipBattle of Hatteras Inlet BatteriesAugust 28, 1861August 29, 1861The first battle of the war involving both the Union Army and Navy.Battle of Cockle CreekOctober 5, 1861October 5, 1861Battle of the Head of PassesOctober 12, 1861October 12, 1861First use of ironclad ram in the warBattle of Port RoyalNovember 7, 1861November 7, 1861First major naval battle of the warBattle of Cockpit PointJanuary 3, 1862January 3, 1862Battle of Lucas BendJanuary 11, 1862January 11, 1862First battle involving Union ironclads in the warBattle of Fort HenryFebruary 6, 1862February 6, 1862Battle of Elizabeth CityFebruary 10, 1862February 10, 1862Battle of Hampton RoadsMarch 8, 1862March 9, 1862First naval battle between two ironclad warshipsBattle of Forts Jackson and St. PhilipApril 16, 1862April 28, 1862Led to the Union capture of New OrleansBattle of Island Number TenFebruary 28, 1862April 8, 1862First Confederate defeat on the Mississippi RiverBattle of Plum Point BendMay 10, 1862May 10, 1862First sinking of Union ironclads by Confederate River Defense FleetBattle of Drewry's BluffMay 15, 1862May 15, 1862First Battle of MemphisJune 6, 1862June 6, 1862Confederate River Defense Fleet destroyed by Union rams and ironclad gunboats Battle of Saint CharlesJune 17, 1862June 17, 1862Battle of TampaJune 30, 1862July 1, 1862Battle of Corpus ChristiAugust 12, 1862August 18, 1862Battle of Galveston HarborOctober 4, 1862October 4, 1862Battle of Crumpler's BluffOctober 3, 1862October 3, 1862Battle of Fort HindmanJanuary 9, 1863January 11, 1863Led to the largest surrender of Confederate troops west of the Mississippi River prior to the end of the warBattle off Galveston LighthouseJanuary 11, 1863January 11, 1863Battle of Fort McAllisterMarch 3, 1863March 3, 1863Battle of Fort PembertonMarch 11, 1863March 11, 1863First Battle of Charleston HarborApril 7, 1863April 7, 1863Battle of Grand GulfApril 29, 1863April 29, 1863Battle of Wassaw SoundJune 17, 1863June 17, 1863Battle of Portland HarborJune 27, 1863June 27, 1863First Battle of Fort WagnerJuly 10, 1863July 11, 1863Second Battle of Fort WagnerJuly 18, 1863July 18, 1863Second Battle of Charleston HarborAugust 17, 1863September 8, 1863Second Battle of Sabine PassSeptember 8, 1863September 8, 1863Most one-sided Confederate victory of the warSecond Battle of Fort SumterSeptember 9, 1863September 9, 1863Attack on USS New IronsidesOctober 5, 1863October 5, 1863 becomes the first torpedo boat to make a successful attack on an enemy warship in combatBattle of Fort BrookeOctober 16, 1863October 18, 1863Sinking of USS HousatonicFebruary 17, 1864February 17, 1864 becomes the first submarine to sink an enemy warship in combatBattle of Fort PillowApril 12, 1864April 12, 1864Battle of PlymouthApril 17, 1864April 20, 1864Battle of Albemarle SoundMay 5, 1864May 5, 1864Battle of CherbourgJune 19, 1864June 19, 1864Led to the sinking of the Confederate raider Battle of Mobile BayAugust 2, 1864August 23, 1864Greatest Union naval victory of the warBahia IncidentOctober 7, 1864October 7, 1864Led to the capture of the Confederate raider , international incident with BrazilCapture of PlymouthOctober 29, 1864October 31, 1864Jamesville IncidentDecember 9, 1864December 9, 1864Second Battle of Fort FisherJanuary 13, 1865January 15, 1865Largest amphibious assault of the warBattle of Trent's ReachJanuary 23, 1865January 25, 1865Final major naval battle of the war

List of naval battles of the American Civil War

Bron en licentie