„Cairo“ – the American Civil War ironclad

USS "Cairo" was one of seven "City"-class gunships, also known as the "Cairo"-class after her. Commissioned by the US Army in August 1861, its purpose was to support ground forces along the banks of the Mississippi and its tributaries. "Cairo" was built at the Eads Shipyard in Mound City on the Ohio River and docked in Cairo, after which she is named. Construction began at the turn of September - October 1861, it was launched in October 1861 and entered service on January 25, 1863. Gray identification stripes were painted on the stacks of "Cairo". The ship was built of wood and was powered by a centrally located minute wheel, placed in a tunnel at the rear of the casemate. A quadrangular casemate was built in the upper part with steeply inclined walls of thick wood (61 cm at the front and 30 cm at the sides and back). The casemate was partially armored with 63 mm thick iron plates at the front and a 18.3 m long belt on the sides amidships, as well as in the places, where the boiler room and steam engine were installed. The control cabin was also armored - 32 mm thick iron plates, the ship's deck was wooden. Due to the vulnerability of the ships in the unarmored front part of the casemate on the sides, the crews of some of the ships improvised covering them with armor plates by their own forces. On the "Cairo" there were horizontally bolted railroad tracks from the front of the casemate to the first firing hole (on the starboard side they have survived to this day). The total weight of "Cairo's" armor was 122 tons (original armor - 75 tons). The ship was armed with 13 cannons, firing through ports in the casemate walls. Armament consisted of 3 rifled 42-pounders, 6 smoothbore 32-pounders, 3 smoothbore 8-inch (64-pounders) and one 12-pounder (later changed to a rifled 30-pounder of the "Parrot" system). Two 42-pounders and one 8-inch made up the forward main battery, one 32-pounder and a 30-pounder were placed aft, 3 32-pounders and one 8-inch on the port side, two 32-pounders and one 42-pounder and 8-inch - on the starboard on board. Like other ships of this type, she entered service in January 1862, was included in the composition of the Western Flotilla of US Army Gunboats and served throughout the company's period on the Mississippi River. The first battle of "Cairo" took place at Fort Pillow in Tennessee in February 1862, and the fighting continued until May. On June 6, 1862, the ship fought in the Battle of Memphis, during which the Confederate River Defense Fleet was destroyed. In November and December 1862 the ship operated in the Yazzo River, where it struck a mine and sank on December 12. The remains of "Cairo" were excavated in the 1960s, partially reconstructed and since 1980 exhibited at the Vicksburg National Military Park Museum in Vicksburg.

A simple but well-designed and accurate model of the ship, suitable even for modelers with little experience, working under the supervision of a more experienced colleague. There is a stock of colors, where necessary, the details are double-sided printing.