American Civil War/Russian mine layer

**ct ertz** · #1 12-02-2011, 05:55 PM

This mine layer concept came to me by a friend who modeled one out of styrene. Unfortunately, his info was second hand. The model he used was a Russian mine layer from the late 1860s. However, the idea supposedly came from a Confederate rig a Russian observer saw in action during the Civil War. I have not found any primary source info yet, but as the idea seems plausible, well...here it is. The second launch would hold the floats and charges.

Whats your opinion?
CT

**Yale** · #2 12-02-2011, 06:15 PM

As you say, the idea seems plausible, but it strikes me as unlikely that either the Confederates or the Russians would have created such a composite vessel from the ground up. Much easier to graft together whatever existing hulls they could get their hands on, even if they didn't match. That could mean that all such vessels were cobbled together without any standard design, so that there may be no plans at all that would qualify as primary sources for you. If so, I'd hate to see you spend very much time in a futile search. Perhaps the best model would be as part of some diorama, in which a good approximation would make sense.

**Miles Linnabery** · #3 12-02-2011, 06:18 PM

Dear CT:
Now I've seen everything a civil war catamoran. What elce are you going to find?
Please keep Digging,
MILES

**ct ertz** · #4 12-02-2011, 07:25 PM

Yale, you may well be right. I do know that the launches from the CSS Missouri were indeed used as "mine layers" but in what way I have no idea. In my friends model, he chose to show his craft laying drift mines, large waterproof tins containing 50 puss pounds of powder chained to a wooden keg float. For such work I can see the nessessity for a lifting arm of some sort. But, like you said, finding solid info is proving impossible.

Miles you would not believe some of the odd stuff I have found. Nailing down solid info on some of the stranger craft is not easy though.
CT