USN Picket Boat - Model Shipways 1:24 Scale - a49kid - Wayne

[a49kid]

Hi guys, well this is an Introduction and an Final Thread all in one.
It is for my American Civil War USN Picket Boat.
It is my first boat I have build since I was a teenager, a long time ago.
I liked it as it was Steam powered, and not overly expensive or big.
I started it about a year ago, but then I saw the Billings African Queen and decided I then wanted to build that, and with a Live Steam Plant.
So when the AQ arrived the Picket Boat got pushed aside.
Anyway when the African Queen was finished I went back and finished this boat.

The kit is from Model Shipways, is 1:24 Scale and 575mm – 23” long
I enjoyed building it and felt it was of high quality and quite detailed.
It has a 12 Pounder Dahlgren Howitzer on the bow.
And I added a Powder Keg and a box of Balls
As well as the cast metal parts and aluminum tubing, there is also photo etch parts. The prop is cast metal.

I just built it as the kit, no mods. But I did widen the rear seats by about 3-4mm, as I felt they were a bit narrow.
I used the ply sheet, don’t throw them out too quickly, and just butted up and glued the excess to the seat pieces.
Then cut and disc sanded the excess back to the seat shape.
The chimney was to have been 1/2'" dowel, I used Aluminum tubing from a wind chime.
Now painting. I just used some Tamiya spray cans I had, the Hull is Gunship Grey, the gunwale and interior is IJN Light Grey, the green is RAF Green.
And no sorry, I didn’t take any build photos.
I shot these photos on a low sun winters day here in Melbourne.
Not ideal as it creates strong and low shadows.

 

[a49kid]

Some photo from the Build Manual.

 

[Bill-R]

Very nice looking work.

Bill

 

[BMT]

wonderful detail work…

 

[Capt Parsons]

Good job!

 

[Swiftie]

The picket boat was my first build also. I’ve built several ships since then but the picket boat got it all started. I like your build

 

[a49kid]

I have finally got around to photographing my USN Picket Boat, by Model Shipways.
Yes it has been a while since I started this boat and first Posted here.
But probably like many modelers, I have quite a few builds going on at the same time.
And because of many factors I jump from one project to another.
And I’m quite involved in these 3D Wooden Puzzle assembly models.

I wanted to have this model as a full presentation of the events, not just a static model of the boat.
I wanted it to have a crew, to have it look like the real thing.
I ordered the figures from Luis Holden, he was on Shapeways, but as we know they have sadly now gone……..
Luis has a very wide selection of 3d Resin Navy, Merchant Navy and Military figures, in many scales. But he can scale them to your needs, message him before ordering. And they have fine detail.

And I made a couple of orders to get the size on the figures that I felt Looked right. So extra time there.
Most of the sailors are 1:24, but the three on the rear seat are 1:23, and the tiller man is 1:22.
And that seat, it is too narrow, I widened it by about 3-4mm, using the discarded reverse shape of the kit sheet.

Then later after shooting it, I realised there was only a crew, no Captain.of the launch.
I decided the sailor with the binoculars was the man, and he was instantly promoted to Lieutenant William B Cushing............
I re sculpted re painted him into an Officers Uniform.
See the Last 5 Photos in the series.
Though I only have crew of 10, it would have been a bit crowded with 15 on board.
The hull is Battleship Grey, and the top / interior is Sea Grey.

 

[a49kid]

I decided not to include the spar torpedo on my boat.
From the manuals notes, the length and design of the torpedo, and its method of deployment are unclear
The picture here is from the kit manual.
See how narrow the rear seat is ............
I also lowered / re routed the steam pipe from the boiler to the engine.

 

[a49kid]

Civil war stories of heroism, gallantry and daring abound.
While Sherman, Grant and Lee are well-known, comparatively few have heard of Lieutenant William B. Cushing, arguably the greatest naval hero of the Civil War. From Naval Academy wash-out to flamboyant warrior, Cushing accomplished one of the most daring and successful exploits of the war, a dramatic attack on the Southern ironclad CSS Albemarle, which had kept Union ships from advancing into Eastern North Carolina.

On a cold, rainy night in late October, 1864, Cushing and a group of volunteers used a tiny steam launch and spar torpedo in a surprise attack. While the virtual suicide mission succeeded and the warship was destroyed, Cushing was the only one to successfully escape from the rebel held river.

Cushing was born in Delafield, Wisconsin on November 4th, 1842. He enrolled-in the US Naval Academy in 1857. William was a practical joker and hell raiser who accumulated so many demerits that he left the Academy in March 1861, probably leaving voluntarily before being thrown out.

But when war broke out, William Cushing was back in the Navy. William served with distinction aboard several vessels, and his courage and daring earned him promotions and accolades.

But if there is one event for which he is most remembered, it is for his successful mission to destroy the Confederate ironclad ram C.S.S Albemarle.

In the spring of 1864, Plymouth, North Carolina was an important Union Army supply depot for Federal forces operating in eastern North Carolina. Plymouth is situated on the south side of the Roanoke River, about eight miles from where the river empties into Albemarle Sound.

In April, Confederate army forces under the command of Brigadier General Robert Hoke captured the town. Assisting in the operation was “the brand new 152 foot ironclad ram C.S.S. Albemarle, which sank one Union vessel.
On May 5th, C.S.S Albemarle steamed in to Albemarle Sound and engaged the Union squadron there, heavily damaging another ship.
If the Federal forces were going to recapture Plymouth, they would have to do something about the Albemarle.

Lieutenant William B. Cushing had a plan for doing just that. He proposed a plan using two small steam powered boats against the ironclad. Each was to be armed with a 12 pounder howitzer and a torpedo mounted on a 14 foot spar and detonated using a complicated lanyard system.
One boat would place its torpedo on the Albemarle, while the other provided coverfire and acted as a backup if the first boat failed in its mission.

The plan was approved and Cushing obtained some suitable boats, and set off on his mission.
One boat sank on the way to North Carolina, but Cushing pressed on. “impossibilities are for the timid, we are determined to overcome all obstacles" he wrote.
The small steamer, named Picket Boat Number 1 entered the Roanoke River on the night of October 27th and headed towards Plymouth. Cushing had a crew of 14 with him, all of whom volunteered for the hazardous mission.
The steamers engine was muffled as Cushing tried to sneak into the town's harbor.
If they could make it in undetected, Cushing planned on capturing the ironclad instead of destroying it. However, as they were approaching the Albemarle, which was tied up at the wharf, guards on board the ironclad spotted Picket Boat Number 1.

Cushing sprang into action as the guards on the ship and more on shore opened fire. Cushing steamed towards Albemarle, but then noticed a barrier of logs circling around the ironclad. Cushing steamed ahead to get a good view of the barrier, then turned, circled around, and headed back at top speed hoping to blast over the logs so he could get close enough to place and detonate the explosive.

The Confederate fire was intense, and Cushing responded with the boat's howitzer and later wrote that “a dose of canister at short range served to moderate their zeal and disturb their aim”. The steamer smashed into, and up and over the log barrier and the torpedo was placed. Cushing detonated it, just as the AlbemarIe’s cannon fired.
“The explosion took place at the same instant that 100 pounds of grape[shot], at 10 feet range, crashed among us" Cushing remembered.
There was no way Picket Boat Number 1 could escape. The Confederates ordered the raiders to surrender. Cushing told the men not to surrender and to save themselves, and they jumped into the water.

Of the 15 on board, two men drowned, and 11 were captured. Only William Cushing and one other man escaped, though they were separated. Cushing hid out in the swamps, and captured a small boat that some Confederate pickets had used to reach their post.
Cushing paddled the boat as hard and as fast as he could, down the Roanoke to Albemarle Sound, where he finally found the Union fleet.

“I have the honor to report that the rebel ironclad Albemarle is at the bottom of the Roanoke River” Cushing wrote in his report.
This adventure made Lt. William Cushing a hero in the media of the time. His picture and story were on the cover of the November 19, 1864 issue of Harper’s Weekly.
He was also promoted to Lieutenant Commander in the Navy.
And with the C.S.S. Albemarle out of the way, Plymouth fell back into Union hands on October 31st.

The story of the successful sinking of the Albemarle is well known to historians. It is said that it is still a sore point to folks living along the Roanoke River near Plymouth, North Carolina, where the incident took place. There a scale reconstruction of the Albemarle and a reconstruction of the Picket boat participates in an annual event recreating the battle.
As to the details and design of Cushing’s boat, the historical records vary greatly. The reported length of the boat varies a lot. and the length of the spar and its method of deployment also vary.
Old navy photographs said to be of the actual boat would indicate a length close to 45 feet.

 

[a49kid]

Sometimes I wonder if is worth my time photographing my models and Posting here.
No one seems interested, no replies and minimal likes.
Maybe this Forum is just for old Sailing Ships.
When I first joined there were quite a lot Welcome comments, and a few from Australians.
Maybe they thought I was going to build a big Victory ..............
Should I be bothered shooting finals of my African Queen, and Posting it here .
Maybe this is why many builders are moving to Facebook.

 

[Lorenzo]

I like it a lot. Of course there is interest in this type of boat. In fact, it is appreciated. Sometimes one gets tired of so much rigging and masts.
My model of the Santisima Trinidad has few comments, but it does have some likes, which I really appreciate. And I'm sure more people see it than I think.
Many of us are still working and lead busy lives and hardly have time to take a quick look at the forums. Please don't stop showing us your good work.

Cheers

 

[donfarr]

Civil war stories of heroism, gallantry and daring abound.
While Sherman, Grant and Lee are well-known, comparatively few have heard of Lieutenant William B. Cushing, arguably the greatest naval hero of the Civil War. From Naval Academy wash-out to flamboyant warrior, Cushing accomplished one of the most daring and successful exploits of the war, a dramatic attack on the Southern ironclad CSS Albemarle, which had kept Union ships from advancing into Eastern North Carolina.

On a cold, rainy night in late October, 1864, Cushing and a group of volunteers used a tiny steam launch and spar torpedo in a surprise attack. While the virtual suicide mission succeeded and the warship was destroyed, Cushing was the only one to successfully escape from the rebel held river.

Cushing was born in Delafield, Wisconsin on November 4th, 1842. He enrolled-in the US Naval Academy in 1857. William was a practical joker and hell raiser who accumulated so many demerits that he left the Academy in March 1861, probably leaving voluntarily before being thrown out.

But when war broke out, William Cushing was back in the Navy. William served with distinction aboard several vessels, and his courage and daring earned him promotions and accolades.

But if there is one event for which he is most remembered, it is for his successful mission to destroy the Confederate ironclad ram C.S.S Albemarle.

In the spring of 1864, Plymouth, North Carolina was an important Union Army supply depot for Federal forces operating in eastern North Carolina. Plymouth is situated on the south side of the Roanoke River, about eight miles from where the river empties into Albemarle Sound.

In April, Confederate army forces under the command of Brigadier General Robert Hoke captured the town. Assisting in the operation was “the brand new 152 foot ironclad ram C.S.S. Albemarle, which sank one Union vessel.
On May 5th, C.S.S Albemarle steamed in to Albemarle Sound and engaged the Union squadron there, heavily damaging another ship.
If the Federal forces were going to recapture Plymouth, they would have to do something about the Albemarle.

Lieutenant William B. Cushing had a plan for doing just that. He proposed a plan using two small steam powered boats against the ironclad. Each was to be armed with a 12 pounder howitzer and a torpedo mounted on a 14 foot spar and detonated using a complicated lanyard system.
One boat would place its torpedo on the Albemarle, while the other provided coverfire and acted as a backup if the first boat failed in its mission.

The plan was approved and Cushing obtained some suitable boats, and set off on his mission.
One boat sank on the way to North Carolina, but Cushing pressed on. “impossibilities are for the timid, we are determined to overcome all obstacles" he wrote.
The small steamer, named Picket Boat Number 1 entered the Roanoke River on the night of October 27th and headed towards Plymouth. Cushing had a crew of 14 with him, all of whom volunteered for the hazardous mission.
The steamers engine was muffled as Cushing tried to sneak into the town's harbor.
If they could make it in undetected, Cushing planned on capturing the ironclad instead of destroying it. However, as they were approaching the Albemarle, which was tied up at the wharf, guards on board the ironclad spotted Picket Boat Number 1.

Cushing sprang into action as the guards on the ship and more on shore opened fire. Cushing steamed towards Albemarle, but then noticed a barrier of logs circling around the ironclad. Cushing steamed ahead to get a good view of the barrier, then turned, circled around, and headed back at top speed hoping to blast over the logs so he could get close enough to place and detonate the explosive.

The Confederate fire was intense, and Cushing responded with the boat's howitzer and later wrote that “a dose of canister at short range served to moderate their zeal and disturb their aim”. The steamer smashed into, and up and over the log barrier and the torpedo was placed. Cushing detonated it, just as the AlbemarIe’s cannon fired.
“The explosion took place at the same instant that 100 pounds of grape[shot], at 10 feet range, crashed among us" Cushing remembered.
There was no way Picket Boat Number 1 could escape. The Confederates ordered the raiders to surrender. Cushing told the men not to surrender and to save themselves, and they jumped into the water.

Of the 15 on board, two men drowned, and 11 were captured. Only William Cushing and one other man escaped, though they were separated. Cushing hid out in the swamps, and captured a small boat that some Confederate pickets had used to reach their post.
Cushing paddled the boat as hard and as fast as he could, down the Roanoke to Albemarle Sound, where he finally found the Union fleet.

“I have the honor to report that the rebel ironclad Albemarle is at the bottom of the Roanoke River” Cushing wrote in his report.
This adventure made Lt. William Cushing a hero in the media of the time. His picture and story were on the cover of the November 19, 1864 issue of Harper’s Weekly.
He was also promoted to Lieutenant Commander in the Navy.
And with the C.S.S. Albemarle out of the way, Plymouth fell back into Union hands on October 31st.

The story of the successful sinking of the Albemarle is well known to historians. It is said that it is still a sore point to folks living along the Roanoke River near Plymouth, North Carolina, where the incident took place. There a scale reconstruction of the Albemarle and a reconstruction of the Picket boat participates in an annual event recreating the battle.
As to the details and design of Cushing’s boat, the historical records vary greatly. The reported length of the boat varies a lot. and the length of the spar and its method of deployment also vary.
Old navy photographs said to be of the actual boat would indicate a length close to 45 feet.

View attachment 489644

View attachment 489645

 

[a49kid]

I like it a lot. Of course there is interest in this type of boat. In fact, it is appreciated. Sometimes one gets tired of so much rigging and masts.
My model of the Santisima Trinidad has few comments, but it does have some likes, which I really appreciate. And I'm sure more people see it than I think.
Please don't stop showing us your good work.

Cheers

Hello Lorenzo, thank you for your very positive and supportive reply.
And I see you are building the Santisima Trinidad by OcCre, a modeling company of you home country.
I have had a quick look at your long Thread, and you have been building it for some time now.
But no I could do those old ships with All that Rigging, too much for me.
And I see you have also built the Corsair and Bot de llum by OcCre.
I am currently building their Ulises Tug Boat.
I have also built their Stephenson Rocket and Adler Engine.

 

[Lorenzo]

I think OcCre is a brand with a good quality-price ratio and a wide catalogue of ships from different periods.
The Santisima Trinidad will probably be the last big sailboat.
They are very complex constructions, especially the rigging. But the main problem is the size, where to put it and whether the wife is okay with it. My next build will be a Titanic and then small boats like fishing boats, tugboats, etc.
I like the tugs and I will keep an eye on the construction of the Ulysses.

Cheers