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USS Clyde (ex-Neptune) side wheel gunboat
While I get the last of my info together for the Curlew I couldn't help but do this one. The USS Clyde is a strange gunboat. It was made from the captured blockade runner Neptune. It was so thin in the beam (18.5 feet!) that they could only mount one small gun on each end. The 24 pound howitzer on a slide carriage was set up on a rail system just like the big guns on other ships. However, even this smal gun carriage had to be modified some what to fit the ships small width. In the first picture I have the model of the gun, but notice the rear support rollers are on the extreme back. In the Clyde carriage the rollers were moved forward to match the pivot rail. The Clyde also has two large rollers on some sort of windless set up for the anchor chains. I have not noticed this on other period ships. The Neptune was not a purpose built blockade runner, as it was built in 1857. I can not think of a reason to have such a thin ship that was 200 feet long with an 8 foot draft. Odd ball. Anyhow, I like the bridge, the after cabin and the small cannon so I began work. Should have it ready soon
CT
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