Up-gunned Imai USS Susquehanna

You might try Steve Nutall.  These are his guns for the Revell 1:96 Kearsarge.

http://www.modelbarrels.com/

Yep, I have a set of Steve's 1/96 Kearsarge guns and they are first-rate. He is my fallback if I can't find guns somewhere else. Sometimes you get lucky and find 15mm wargaming guns that are in scale, depending on the scale of the kit. I seem to recall that 15mm is about 1/110 to 1/130 scale (depending on the manufacturer; it varies) and I wonder if small 15mm ACW guns would work. There are several manufacturers out there who make ACW Dahlgrens and Parrotts in various sizes. I still need to figure out where the guns were located. I believe Susquehanna was a one-ship class, so looking for info on sister ships is out.

I have three Susquehanna. I do not know why. I guess I loved the old Abbott and Costello routine. You mean I cannot build any sisterships? Susquehanna was a one off ship? Damn. How about foreign navies? Did they use the design?

Well I guess I could always do a Jules Verne thing if the Comet Nautilus is every released.

I believe Susquehanna was a one-off sidewheel steamer, built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1850. It had a reputation in the navy as being a dog with an unreliable powerplant... maybe that's why they gave it to Perry's squadron, because no one would mind much if she didn't make it back from Japan.

I believe the closest relative is the sidewheel steamer USS Powhatan, which I believe was built in Gosport at about the same time. If you do a Google Image search for Susquehanna you'll see a drawing of a proposed eagle-shaped figurehead, allegedly designed for Susquehanna and Powhatan. Paintings of the Susquehanna with the Mediterranean Squadron in Naples (I believe with the USS Congress) show something that looks like it might be the eagle figurehead, which is not replicated on the Imai kit. You could probably make a Powhatan out of Susquehanna if you had enough research material. Or, if you put one or two of your kits up on eBay, you will definitely make some money as they are very rare.

I like the Nautilus idea. Wasn't the sidewheeler in the Disney movie called the Abraham Lincoln? I'd like to see a remake where Captain Nemo tries to ram the modern USS Lincoln... kind of a cross between 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and The Final Countdown. You'll remember that Kirk Douglas was in both films... he was promoted from chief harpooner on the Lincoln to O-6 on the Nimitz. But it took him about 120 years... promotion is slow in peacetime :^)

 The USS Suquehanna and the USS Powhatan were the same class of ship. They were both launched in 1850, the Susquehanna in Philadelphia and the Powhatan in Norfolk. As far as the armement of the Susquehanna, during the Civil War it had 12 IX Dahlgrens broadside, (2) 150 Pounder (8 inch) Parrott Rifles in swivel mounts and a 12 pounder Howitzer. After the war it was upgraded with XI Dahlgrens. I have been reading conflicting accounts about the gun placement and compliment. One report talked about 2 swivel guns mounted fore and 2 swivel guns aft but not what they were. This was during the battle with the CSS Virginia. The Susquehanna also had a short run-around with her, too. During this campaign, the Susquehanna received the 2 Parrotts and the report said that they were placed broadside and were used to bombard the forts at Sewells Point. I think it would be realistic, though, to place the Dahlgrens (3 guns forward of the Wheels, Port and Starboard and the same set up aft of the wheels. As to the positioning of the Parrots, I´m not sure but maybe the same set up as the Kearsarge.

I have recently been trying to find out as much info as I can about the Susquehanna. I want to build it out of wood at about 1/96 scale. I have ordered Peter Barrett´s book about it but it is not yet arrived. I have also found plans for the USS Powhatan.       http://www.marylandsilver.com/Ship.htm

I´m going to order them next month so that maybe by the end of the year I can start building. I looked at the above mentioned website about the cannons but the owner has apparently passed away. (Which I am sorry to hear) Does anyone know of anybody else that makes them. They look fantastic. I have been looking all over for 1/96 scale IX Dahlgrens and 150 Parrotts and can´t find any.

Here is another really good view of the Susqy.

http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/21f/21f.027/black_ships_and_samurai/cross01_a.html

I have also bought a 1/150 scale Aoshima USS Susquehanna that I want to use as a reference. I found one from a seller in Hong Kong and it is also (hopefully) underway. Can´t wait for it to get here. Maybe in about 2 years. Ha Ha.

 Bill

Found the Sewell Point report.

http://www.suvcw.org/mollus/warpapers/DCv1p447.htm

...and the capture of the forts at Port Royal

http://suvcw.org/mollus/warpapers/DCv2p185.htm

EdGrune wrote:

You might try Steve Nutall.  These are his guns for the Revell 1:96 Kearsarge. http://www.modelbarrels.com/

WOW!  Those are GREAT guns!!!

searat12 wrote:

EdGrune wrote: You might try Steve Nutall.  These are his guns for the Revell 1:96 Kearsarge. http://www.modelbarrels.com/       WOW!  Those are GREAT guns!!!

Sadly, I went to the website, and apparently, Steve is dead..............

  Yes Steve passed away over a  year ago or so.A great guy.I met him a few times here in Mi.when he was over from Canada.A very inventive person.

Rod

Fortunately Model Shipways has 9" Dahlgrens and 100-pounder Parrots in 1:144 (originally used for their Harriet Lane kit), and I used them to update the Susquehanna when I built the Monogram issue of the Imai kit (I ended up mounting fourteen 9" Dahlgrens in broadside, a Parrot rifle in each of the forward gun ports and one on the poop in a scratchbuilt pivot carriage).

One problem is that the kit gun ports are too low for the 9" Dahlgrens and you will need to decide if you want to modify the ports or modify the carriages so that the guns sit lower in them and the carriages are lower to the deck (that's the approach I took).

You'll probably need to scratchbuild the 150 pounder parrots - haven't seen anything like them in 1:144.

"The Old Steam Navy: Frigates, Sloops, and Gunboats, 1815-1885" by Donald Canney (ISBN 0-87021-004-1) is a great reference source on the Susquehanna and the Powhattan.  You can also order copies of plans from the US Navy.

There also some previous threads on the Susquehanna in this forum and they may be helpful also.

Regards,

Mike