„Chillicothe“ – the American river ironclad

USS "Chillicothe" entered service on September 5, 1862 in Jeffersonville (according to other sources - December 3, 1862). It was included in the composition of the Western Flotilla of US Army Gunships, which at that time passed under the jurisdiction of the US Navy. Due to alterations and repairs and the shallow water level of the Ohio River, the ship did not join the flotilla at Cairo until early January 1863. From December 1862 to September 1863, the gunnery was commanded by Lieutenant Commander James P. Forster. The ship participated in the Mississippi Company, beginning with the Battle of the White River and the attack on Fort Hindman, Arkansas in January 1863. Was slightly damaged in battle a few times. In February-March 1863, together with another ironclad, the "Baron de Kalb", took part in an unsuccessful attempt to enter the Jasos River via its branch, the Jasos Pas and the Coldwater and Tallahassee rivers, which was aborted after successive unsuccessful attacks on Fort Pemberton in Mississippi. During them, the Tallahassee River was blocked. During the first attack on the fort on March 11, 1863, a Confederate shell pierced the gunner's armor and hit a self-loading 11-inch cannonball. When this exploded, 4 sailors were killed inside the casemate, 10 were injured. In the next attack, on March 13, "Chillicothe" was hit 44 times and again suffered casualties and injuries. The attack was repeated again, but again without success, and the US fleet retreated after this failure. During this expedition, 22 members of the gunboat's crew were killed or wounded. After repairs at Mound City, the ship returned to service on the Mississippi River after the fall of Vicksburg on September 6, 1863. From May 7 to 15, 1864, "Chillicothe" took part in an unsuccessful expedition to the Red River, during which its commander, Captain Lieutenant J. P. Kouthejs, was mortally wounded by a shot from the shore. On June 8, 1864, the "Chillicothe" participated in the capture of the Confederate battery at Simesport, Louisiana. After the war, on November 29, 1865, the ship was sold for $3,000. It was abandoned for several years on the Mississippi coast near the city of Cairo, where it burned down in 1872.

A simple, but well-designed and accurate model of the appearance 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, the details are double-sided printed, where necessary.