1862 USS Galena – Hull – grosbachmodelcraft

Drewry’s Bluff – James River, Virginia

Project Intro: On May 15, 1862, as an attempt by Union General George B. McClellan to diminish defenses on the James River near Richmond, he sent a 3-ship foray all the way to Drewry’s Bluff. The USS Galena was seen as a strong prototype ironclad, and fronted 2 other Union ships (including the Monitor) at the point of the buoy at the right. Ultimately engaging solo in a 3 hour artillery battle with the elevated fort guns…which it lost…the Galena suffered 13 crewmen killed and a further 11 wounded. Its interlocking hull armor plate system was proven to be fairly obsolete in the altercation; yet the ship’s design, with its unique tumblehome profile, and Dahlgren and Parrott guns, make it a very interesting model subject. My depiction here is wholly scratchbuilt – beginning work in early 2016 – and is scaled at 1:125, lining up to be about 20 inches long, with a 3.5 inch beam. While much is accomplished to date, the project is yet to be completed. MG