Canonicus class monitor

The "Canonicus" class monitors of the U.S. Navy were built during the American Civil War. They saw service in the Civil War and the Spanish-American War, although two of them were never commissioned.

The ships were basically improved "Passaics", with wood and iron upper and iron lower hulls, modified in accordance with war experience. "Catawba" and "Oneota" were named "Atahuallpa" and "Manco Capac" by the Peruvians, who acquired them in 1868. The six other ships were renamed "Scylla", "Castor", "Ajax", "Neptune", "Centaur" and "Vesuvius" on 15 June 1869. They reverted to their original names on 10 August 1869, except "Ajax" who kept its name and "Vesuvius" who became "Wyandotte". The four ships not commissioned during the war were built on the Ohio river, three at Cincinnati and "Manayunk" as far up as South Pittsburgh.

The hull lines were improved and designed speed is given as 13 knots but there was no hope of getting near this. The 5 × 1 in side armour was backed by two iron stringers 6½ in deep and 6 in thick for 70 ft from the bows, but 4 in elsewhere, and the armour lower edge was 3 × 1 in. The turret, of 21 ft internal diameter, had 10 × 1 in plates as did the pilot house above, and the funnel base was also armoured. The turret skirt was protected by a 5 in thick and 15 in high ring fixed to the deck, and as in other later monitors the 15 in guns were longer than in the "Passaic" class and fired with their muzzles outside the turret.

"Tecumseh" was sunk in Mobile Bay by a mine that exploded under her turret, and went down in 25 - 30 seconds. "Canonicus", the last survivor, was finally decommissioned 31 years before being sold.

See also

Ships of the Canonicus class:

*USS "Canonicus"
*USS "Catawba"
*USS "Mahopac"
*USS "Manayunk"
*USS "Manhattan"
*USS "Oneota"
*USS "Saugus"
*USS "Tecumseh"
*USS "Tippecanoe"

References

*cite book
last = Gardiner
first = Robert
coauthors =
title = Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1860-1905
publisher = Conway Maritime Press
date = 1979
pages = p. 122
month =
isbn = 0 85177 133 5