CSS Alabama Limited Model Ship
CSS Alabama Limited Model Ship - Measures 27" long x 8" Wide x 16" High (1:118 scale). Meticulously painted to the actual CSS Alabama Authentically aged copper plated hull (prevented the toredo worm from destorying the wooden hull) Masterfully stitched, thick canvass sails that hold their shape and do not wrinkle Metal anchors and turned brass cannons Perfectly taught rigging of various colors and thickness to increase authenticity. Amazing deck details. Requires hundreds of hours to build from scratch (not from a model kit) by our master artisans. Built with rare, high quality woods such as cherry, teak, white pine, birch and maple. The model rests perfectly on a large, wood base between four arched metal dolphins (marble base pictured). To build this ship, extensive research was done using various sources such as museums, drawings, copies of original plans and photos of the actual ship. Exquisite gift for any sea lover. Charming addition to any nautical themed room.
Your ship comes fully assembled and includes a Marble Display Base. Packaging is extemely secure to allow for a safe passage. About the CSS Alabama CSS Alabama was a screw sloop-of-war built for the Confederacy in 1862 by John Laird Sons and Company, Liverpool, England. Launched as Enrica, it was fitted out as a cruiser and commissioned 24 August 1862 as CSS Alabama. Under Captain Raphael Semmes, Alabama spent the next two months capturing and burning ships in the North Atlantic and intercepting American grain ships bound for Europe. Continuing the path of destruction through the West Indies, Alabama sank USS Hatteras along the Texas coast and captured her crew. After a visit to Cape Town, South Africa, Alabama sailed for the East Indies where the ship spent six months cruising, destroying seven more ships before redoubling the Cape en route to Europe.
On 11 June 1864, Alabama arrived in Cherbourg, France and Captain Semmes requested permission to dock and overhaul his ship. Pursuing the raider, the American sloop-of-war USS Kearsarge arrived three days later and took up a patrol just outside the harbor. On 19 June, Alabama sailed out to meet Kearsarge. As Kearsarge turned to meet its opponent, Alabama opened fire. Kearsarge waited patiently until the range had closed to less than 1,000 yards.
According to survivors, the two ships steamed on opposite courses moving around in circles as each commander tried to cross the bow of his opponent to deliver a heavy raking fire. The battle quickly turned against Alabama because of the poor quality of its powder and shells, while Kearsarge benefitted from the additional protection of chain cables along its sides. A little more than an hour after the first shot was fired, Alabama was reduced to a sinking wreck, causing Semmes to strike his colors and send a boat to surrender. According to witnesses, Alabama fired 150 rounds at its adversary, while Kearsarge fired 100. When a shell fired by Kearsarge tore open a section at Alabama's waterline, the water quickly rushed through the cruiser, forcing it to the bottom. While Kearsarge rescued most of Alabama's survivors, Semmes and 41 others were picked up by the British yacht Deerhound and escaped to England. During its two-year career as a commerce raider, Alabama caused disorder and devastation across the globe for United States merchant shipping. The Confederate cruiser claimed more than 60 prizes valued at nearly $6,000,000.
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