this time we'll continue our blog on the major naval guns of the War Between the States. last week was rifled guns, this time is smoothbore guns. the two major ones were both designed by Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren the first one was XI" bore size and the second was XV" bore size. Dahlgren designed guns of all sizes including rifles but these two were the largest in service. the XI" Dahlgrens were used aboard ship and ashore. the XV" was too large and heavy to be used as a broadside gun in the typical ships of the era and so was limited to use in Monitor turrets and centerline pivot guns on ocean going vessels they were also used in fortifications ashore. the XI" was used in the original USS Monitor and in the next class of Monitors the Passaic class one XI" was used alongside a XV" in the turret. after that the single turreted Monitors used two XV" in the turret. the double turreted Onondaga used one XV" alongside an 8" Parrot rifle in each turret. the XI" Dahlgren was a powerful gun for the time and was quite effective when used against a wooden vessel. it was not so effective against an armored ship. the XV" Dahlgren would smash through most of the armor used at the time. The CSS Atlanta surrendered after five shots from the Passaic class Monitor USS Weehawken. 3 from the XI" and two from the XV" one of which blew off the roof of Atlanta's pilot house. the XI" Dahlgren was 161" long and weighed 15,700lb. it fired a solid shot of 166lb. and a shell of 133.5lb. using a charge of 20lb. of black powder to a maximum range of 3650yd. at 15 degrees of elevation. the XV" Dahlgren was much more massive with a length of 162" for the short one and 178" for the longer. the short weighed 42,000lb. and the long 43,000lb. the XV" fired a solid shot of 440lb. and a shell of 352lb. for a maximum range of 2100yd. at 7 degrees of elevation using a 35lb charge of black powder. the gunners of the time developed a method of actually skipping the XV" ball across the water like a stone thrown by a child. the Dahlgrens were extremely strong and none of them is recorded to have burst in service unlike the Parrot rifles which did occasionally burst much to the discomfort of the gunners. the first picture is of Admiral Dahlgren himself standing alongside one of his rifled guns aboard ship. next we have a picture of a Passaic class Monitor showing the XI" gun on the right and the XV" on the left. the gun port was not large enough for the XV" gun to come through so a smoke ring was secured to the turret inside and the XV" fired through that. later Monitors had larger ports through which the longer version of the XV" gun could protrude. third we have a picture of a XV" shot alongside which someone has left their purse. fourth we have a picture of the inside of a Passaic class turret. the XI" gun is in the foreground with the XV" to the rear. last is a picture of an XI" Dahlgren pivot gun aboard the USS Kearsarge. the Kearsarge is famous for sinking the Confederate Navy raider CSS Alabama in a hard fought action off the French port of Cherbourg. Dahlgren also designed a XX" gun but only four were ever produced and none were used in service. the Confederates also used Dahlgrens which had been seized from Union forces in various places. they never had any of the XV" size though.
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