Angus Konstam's Edinburgh Wargames
American Civil War Naval
The Ships:
The Confederate Ironclads & Union Blockaders
This isn't really a collection of two fleet - more a group of ship models for different scenarios. However, the Union fleet has to make do for just about every type of scenario - just 'cause I can't afford the time to build every damned ship which took part! In fact, the "fleet" should really be broken down by region, as each local force was very much fighting on its own.
Virginia - The James River
The Confederate James River Squadron was a powerful force, charged with defending the Confederate capital. My fleet consists of the Virginia II, the Fredericksburg, the sidewheeler Patrick Henry, and a few smaller gunboats, all supported by shore batteries. Of course I also couldn't help including the Virginia herself, just in case I want another straight refight against the Monitor, or else as a "what--if" game - where she successfully managed to escape up the James River when Norfolk fell in 1862. Specific Union ships for James River games are the USS Onondaga, and of course the USS Monitor.
The CSS Albemarle, the USS Miami and the USS Sassacus
North Carolina - Wilmington / Pamlico Sound
The great blockade running port was protected by Fort Fisher, so games would usually involve some sort of blockade running operation, supported by the faulty ironclad North Carolina. Further down the coast was the Albemarle River, where the ironclad of the same name was built. It fought two battles against the invading fleet - one on the river and one downstream in Pamlico Sound - both of which make excellent scenarios for games. Most of my Union blockading fleet's wooden gunboats were involved in these battles - the Sassacus, the Mattabesett, the Commodore Hull, the Ceres and the Miami. Above all, once you've built 'em and rigged 'em, these Union ships look almost pretty...
The CSS Albemarle
South Carolina - Charleston
This is the biggie - the largest port in the Confederacy, blockaded by an immensely powerful Union fleet. My Charleston Defense Force consists of the ironclads Palmetto State and Chicora, which are no real match for the ironclads ranged against them. Games here involve one of two things - either a sortie by the ironclads against the Union gunboats when the Yankee monitors are away playing somewhere lese, or else a larger game, involving a Union attack on Fort Sumter by the whole fleet, where my Confederate ironclads do their best to plug any attempt to run past the fort into the Harbor itself. Finally there's the sneaky stuff. I haven't played a game involving a night-time torpedo boat attack yet, but I'm sure it'd be great fun!
My Union ironclad force consists of four Passiac Class monitors, supported by the Keokuk and the flagship New Ironsides. The latter is a fantastic model (from Thoroughbred), although most of my monitors are from Peter Pig.
USS Miami (left) and USS Sebago (right)
Georgia - Savannah
My Georgia fleet consists of three ironclads - the Atlanta, the Georgia and the Savannah - all in various states of repair. Games can either involve sorties such as the one which pitched the Atlanta against the Weehawken, or else a fictional Yankee attack up the Savannah River. Naturally I have the Union monitors Weehawken and Nahant which saw off the Atlanta, but I've also got a coupole of mortar schooners to bombard fort Pulaski with, and much of the kit used at Charleston can easily be shipped down the coast for an attack on Savannah.
Alabama - Mobile
Of course this little force is centred around the Tennessee, but I also have the gunboats Selma and Gaines, plus a few smaller craft, and the Nashville, which could at least in theory have posed more of a threat to the invaders. Fort Sumter doubles as Fort Morgan if we want to stage a scale-down refight of the Battle of Mobile Bay. Much as I'd love to refight the battle, I can't really justify the time and expense building up the large Union fleet which took part in the attack. Instead I have to make do with a representative sample - the USS Hartford, supported by a gaggle of Union gunboats, and two Canonicus Class monitors (one being the ill-fated Tecumseh).
CSS Cotton Plant and CSS Bombshell USS Mattabasett
The Ships: Confederate Ironclads & Union Blockaders Mississippi River Gunboats (under construction)
The Blockade The Mississippi (under construction)
______________________________________________________
American Civil War Pre-Dreadnought Coastal Forces Second World War