Description

1/192 scale (7" long) and easy to construct, this model is perfect for beginners who wish to take the next step into multi media modeling. Known as "Maury Gunboats", (100 of which were planned) was the brain child of Cmdr. Matthew Fontaine Maury, CSN. These gunboats were a manifestation of a recurrent theory (overwhelm by numbers) wars may be fought economically with small gunboat "mosquito fleets" proposed by Maury. Only Hampton and Nansemond saw service. Norfolk, Portsmouth and others were burned on the stocks by their builders. Such mass production of "standardized ships" proposed by Maury, was not achieved until 1918. CSS Hampton was a wooden gunboat built at Norfolk Navy Yard in 1862 and based there until May when the yard was abandoned and the fleet moved up the James River. With Lt. Maury in command, Hampton participated in significant river actions including the battle at Dutch Gap on August 1864; operations against Fort Harrison, Sept. 29-October, 1; and the engagement at Chafin's Bluff, Oct. 27. Hampton was burned by the Confederates as they evacuated Richmond on April 3, 1865.