Thursday 23 December 2021

AdamC: Caprica CSS Arkansas (28 Points)

My first entry of this challenger is the "Doomed" Ironclad CSS Arkansas.  

She was started in Memphis but was incomplete at the time of Naval Battle of Memphis she was moved to the Yazoo River where she was completed in makeshift naval facilities. She was painted brown to help her hide along the Yazoo and Mississippi river banks.  

From the start her engine gave her trouble, though this didn't seem to hold her back at first.   She successfully defended herself in her first battle against 2 Union Gun Boats and the Ram Queen of the West Causing damage damage to all three, and taking some hits herself.   She then managed to slip through Admiral Farragut and the ships north of Vicksburg firing at all points. She did considerable damage to Farragut's fleet and the Admirals pride.  She took some damager her self including some engine damage. 

She attempted to attack union motors ships bombarding Vicksburg but her engines failed and she had to fight off a counter attack by Farragut Fleet.  Farragut withdrew from Vicksburg. Captain Brown of the Arkansas tried to repair his ships engines. She then attempted to assist the Confederate counter attack on Baton Rouge but she ran aground, and her engine broke as she got her self off and she ran aground again doomed in the face of the Union advance, she was scuttled and her final resting place a is under a Mississippi levy.  She had a short but eventful career, one ship against two Union fleets, she was doomed from the start much like the Confederacy itself. 

The miniature is 3D print done by my friend Arofan (3D printers are like dogs the best ones are owned by friends), I believe East Coast Ironclads did the file.  The intention was for her to be about 10mm scale to work (with some forced perspective) with 15mm troops she is 10 inches long, a shade under 2.25 inches in the beam and a smidge over 1 inch high (not counting her stack).  

I will call her a 15mm Vehicle for 8 points. 

Points 20 for Caprica. 

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Welcome back to the Challenge Adam!

What a great mini and an apropos continuation of your work last year. I worked at an ACW museum in Mississippi in my salad days, and remember doing research on the CSS Arkansas for a larger project. What a colourful yet brutal history. May she have better luck in your upcoming games!

- Curt


20 comments:

  1. Thank you Curt! I didn't know that, I hope I did a good summary in your professional opinion!

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  2. Great looking model Adam, looks every bit the part. MacGuyvered together in a corn field and sent off on a one way mission.

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  3. Thank you for the wonderful back story. It was an informative read (and a terrific accompanying mini as well!)

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    1. Thank you I like to try and tie the miniature to the history its intended to represent. Its gratifying to hear that's apricated.

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  4. Lovely looking Ironclad!
    Best Iain

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  5. Cracking little ship and a nice history lesson to accompany her.

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  6. Oh I do like these background stories, otherwise this would just be a brown ship. :)

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  7. Nice work on her,Adam! The ACW navies had some interesting ships. I am a fan of the guns on tracks and the huge rivets on metal plates all in the days of still wooden ships, plus the fire and steam...also wooden ships. WhaT could ever go wrong!? ;)

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  8. Function over form… just like 3D printers!

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