![]() During the course of the war, the number in commission was increased by more than a factor 15, so that at the end the Navy had 671 vessels. Most were sailing vessels, some were hopelessly outdated, and one ( USS Michigan (1843)) served on Lake Erie and could not be moved to the ocean. Another 48 were laid up and listed as available for service as soon as crews could be assembled and trained, but few were appropriate for the task at hand. USS Conestoga, a converted gunboat that served on the Mississippi River.Īt the start of the war, the Union Navy had 42 ships in commission. The establishment of the ranks of admirals implied also a change of naval doctrine, from one favoring single-ship operations to that of employing whole fleets. Most important from the standpoint of Army-Navy cooperation in joint operations, the set of officer ranks was redefined so that each rank in the Army had its equivalent in the Navy. The Bureau of Steam Engineering was added to the bureau system, testimony to the Navy's conversion from sail to steam. The institutional changes that were introduced during the war were equally significant. Guns were reduced in number, but increased in size and range the reduction in number was partially compensated by mounting the guns in rotating turrets that could fire in any direction. Wooden hulls were at first protected by armor plating, and soon were replaced by iron or steel throughout. Vessels of widely differing character were built from the keel up in response to peculiar problems they would encounter. During the war, sailing vessels were completely supplanted by ships propelled by steam for purposes of combat. To accomplish these, the Union Navy had to undergo a profound transformation, both technical and institutional. ![]() Support the Army by providing both gunfire support and rapid transport and communications on the rivers of the interior. Carry the war to places in the seceded states that were inaccessible to the Union Army, but could be reached by water. Meet in combat the war vessels of the CSN. Maintain the blockade of Confederate ports by restraining all blockade runners declared by the President on Apand continued until the end of the Rebellion. The primary missions of the Union Navy were:ġ. ![]()
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