The Alabama

 

The Alabama 

British companies did very good business during the American Civil War. They legally delivered arms to both sides. The North and the South. Shipping, however, was different. There were two kinds of ships. Armed and unarmed. And, British companies were allowed to deliver both armed and unarmed ships to the North, but, only unarmed ships to the Confederate States of the South. The rules were strictly controlled. However, rules were made to be broken. Where there's a will there's a way.

Ships for the Confederate South left Britain unarmed. Then, after being armed along the way in foreign ports, arrived fully armed in the South.

The North didn't like this. These fully armed ships were dangerous. And, the Alabama was one of these ships.

Whilst nearing completion in a Birkenhead ship yard in Britain, the Alabama caught the eye of US authorities. The US authorities claimed the Alabama had been more fitted out than allowed and asked the British government to impound the ship. But, it was Friday. The British government was closed until Monday. However, the representative of the confederate states, Mr. James Bulloch was working. He had spies in the British government and had discovered the plans to impound the Alabama. Mr. Bulloch went into action.

The next day, The Alabama left port for sea trials. On board were the mayor and mayoress of Birkenhead, members of the Birkenhead council, and a small group of VIPs. Everyone was dressed in their Sunday best. This was a festive occasion. But, the sea trials were shorter than expected. The Alabama put into Holyhead, a port in North Wales not far from Birkenhead. There was no time to lose. The guests were hurriedly put ashore and the Alabama sped back out to sea. Then, after evading the USS Tuscarra which had been sent to intercept her, set course for mid Atlantic. The Alabama was fitted out with heavy guns on the Azores.

Then she sailed into war.

In the course of her action packed life, The Alabama captured and destroyed 10 Union ships in Mid-Atlantic. She sank the USS Hatteras in an amazingly brief 13 minute encounter. And, on a round the world jaunt, captured 84 merchant ships. The Alabama then met her match.

In a spectacular sea fight, the Alabama was defeated and sunk just off the French coast near Cherbourg. The captain and crew were rescued by cheering spectators. But, this story had an expensive end.

The damages caused by the Alabama were enormous. In the end, the British had to pay more than 15 million dollars in compensation. An enormous price for weekend closing. But, the Alabama was not the only British built ship to cause damage. 15 million dollars was a high price to pay, but, in the long term, British ship building made very much money.

It's all how you see it. In those days, ship building provided many good jobs and made very much money. British war ships, after all, were the best in the world.

The Alabama. A ship built in Britain. A ship with a story.

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