The First Us Warship Was Sunk by a 19-liter Glass Vase

This updated guide examines The First Us Warship Was Sunk by a 19-liter Glass Vase and organizes the essential facts, background, and practical takeaways in clear American English.

On December 12, 1862, during a civil war between the US Federal Government and the Confederate Union, the federal battleship Cairo was wrecked on the Yazu River with mines. This was the first ship in history to be defeated by this new and very effective weapon.

USS Cairo warship on Mississippi River in 1862

The Nobel mine (containing only 4 kilograms of black explosive) was first used by Russians against the British fleet during the Crimean War eight years earlier and was too weak to destroy the ship. British steam destroyers when hit by Russian mines would often suffer relatively minor damage, and without any shipwreck.

Lead paintings depicting survivors of the Cairo wreck

Meanwhile, the Union mines contained five gallons (about 19 liters) of gunpowder in a large glass vessel, and that was enough to sink a warship in the river with a displacement of 512 tons. Previously, the ship "Cairo" was very resilient in the Battle of Memphis when withstand cannon shells fired directly on the armored sides. However, this time it was unable to withstand an explosion from the bottom - which was made of wood and unarmed.

The layout of weapons and armored on the "Cairo" ship. Green indicates where the protective armor layers are vertical steel plates with a thickness of 64 mm placed on a wooden base. Blue is the railroad tracks that are placed close together and are attached to a wooden surface.

The colored drawing depicting the moment the gunboat on the ship "Cairo" simultaneously ignited.

On the left is an anchor mine that destroyed the Cairo. Position "A" in the picture is the rope used to adjust the depth of installation of mines by tension, "B" is wooden buoy, "C" is the container for gunpowder and electric detonators. Soft, "D" is the cable connected to the igniter.

On the right are the engineers of the Confederation of the South comprising a colonel, a lieutenant and a sergeant who is in charge of laying mines.

At the end of the last century, the remnants of the "Cairo" were recovered and partially restored for display to visitors. Here are some pictures of unique monuments of this era.