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26-671: Wyalusing may refer to: USS Wyalusing (1863) , a United States Navy gunboat of the American Civil War, named for Wyalusing, Pennsylvania USS Wyalusing (1863) USS Wyalusing was a double-ended, side-wheel gunboat that served in the United States Navy during the American Civil War . She was named for the borough of Wyalusing in Bradford County, Pennsylvania . Wyalusing

52-495: A tug , moved alongside Otsego to offer assistance, but she, too, struck a torpedo and sank immediately. Wyalusing and the remainder of the expedition left the two partially sunken ships under the protection of their own unsubmerged guns and headed upriver, cautiously dragging for torpedoes as they went. By the time they had reached the point of attack, the Confederate positions at Rainbow Bluff had been so well reinforced and

78-574: A Cadet Chief Warrant Officer (C/CWO), or Squadron Warrant Officer in the Royal Canadian Air Cadets held by a Cadet Warrant Officer 1st Class (C/WO1). In the United States Coast Guard and United States Coast Guard Auxiliary , the coxswain is the person in charge of a small boat. The coxswain has the authority to direct all boat and crew activities during the mission and modify planned missions to provide for

104-706: A Confederate schooner in the process. She continued duty in the Albemarle Sound and Cape Hatteras areas until a month after General Robert E. Lee 's surrender at Appomattox, Virginia on 9 April. She arrived in New York on 21 May and was decommissioned there on 10 June 1865. Later transferred to Philadelphia, she was sold there on 15 October 1867. As of 2005, no other ship in the United States Navy has been named Wyalusing . Coxswain In rowing,

130-414: A coxswain on all boats in the unit or be relieved of command. A coxswain is assigned to a boat by the command authority and can only be relieved by the commanding officer/officer in charge, executive officer/executive petty officer, or senior officer present. The coxswain's authority is independent of rank and/or seniority in relation to any other person on board the boat. Unlike the commanding officer of

156-412: A dedicated coxswain rating . Any Coast Guardsman, regardless of their rating or specialty, may be additionally designated as a coxswain upon proper qualification. An advancement to boatswain's mate second class requires that the individual qualify as and maintain certification as a coxswain. A commanding officer or officer in charge of a land based unit with boats has to be certified and stay certified as

182-423: A torpedo making contact with either side of her hull. He was then to swim clear before another man stationed across the river detonated the torpedoes electrically. The Confederates caught sight of both swimmer and torpedoes when they were just a few yards short of their goal. A hail of musketry from the shore followed soon after a sentry's hail. The swimmer quickly cut the guide line, retired, and then swam back across

208-638: The Confederate ironclad ram CSS Albemarle had made her long-awaited appearance in battle, ramming two of the blockading Union gunboats in the process. As a result of her support, Confederate land forces recaptured Plymouth, North Carolina on 20 April. Wyalusing had her first scrape with the formidable Confederate warship on 5 May. Albemarle steamed out of her haven on the Roanoke River that afternoon accompanied by steamers CSS Bombshell and CSS Cotton Plant to try to wreak more havoc on

234-568: The Roanoke and Middle Rivers. On 29 October, Wyalusing , in company with other gunboats, steamed up the Roanoke toward Plymouth ; but, just below the objective, impassable barriers barred the way. Undaunted, the warships crossed over to Middle River, journeyed to another crossover point above Plymouth, and then steamed downriver toward the goal. The next day, the gunboats exchanged shot and shell with Confederate shore batteries and rifle pits protecting Plymouth. The Confederates fought stubbornly, but

260-517: The US Navy. For larger vessels such as a destroyer , frigate or the Harry DeWolf -class ships ( AOPVs ), a coxswain holds the rank of chief petty officer 1st class (CPO1). For submarines, a coxswain holds the rank of chief petty officer 2nd class (CPO2). For Kingston -class coastal defence vessel , a coxswain usually holds the rank of petty officer 1st class (PO1) or CPO2. The term

286-579: The approaches so heavily strewn with torpedoes that the Union ships had to abandon the enterprise. Wyalusing and her consorts returned to Plymouth on 28 December 1864 and resumed blockade and amphibious support duties. On 9 January 1865, she captured the schooner Triumph , laden with salt, at the mouth of the Perquimans River . She also helped to clear the various rivers and streams along the sound of obstructions and torpedoes and managed to capture

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312-567: The attack on the more formidable foe, Albemarle . A heavy, but inconclusive, gun action ensued. Impending darkness brought the fighting to a close, and Albemarle headed back up the Roanoke. Wyalusing and her consorts resumed blockade station in the sound, but all efforts were made over the next five months to destroy the Confederate ironclad. The first of those missions was concocted and attempted by five Wyalusing sailors on 26 May. They rowed up Middle River that afternoon carrying two 100-pound torpedoes, and then carried them by stretcher across

338-648: The blockaders. The Union picket boats stationed at the mouth of the Roanoke retired to raise the alarm. Gunboats Mattabesett , Sassacus , Whitehead and Wyalusing immediately formed a line of battle supported by Miami , Commodore Hull and Ceres . When the Southern ram appeared, Mattabesset , Whitehead and Wyalusing opened fire almost simultaneously. Wyalusing passed Albemarle at about 150 yards distance, rounded her, and headed to attack Bombshell . The latter Confederate, however, had already surrendered, so Wyalusing backed clear of her and renewed

364-469: The boat, direction of the boat, and safety. During a race, a coxswain is responsible for steering, calling the moves, and responding to the way the other boats are moving. Success depends on the physical and mental strength of the rowers, ability to respond to the environment, and the way in which the coxswain motivates the rowers, not only as individuals but as members of the crew. In the Royal Navy in

390-408: The coxswain sits in either the bow or the stern of the boat (depending on the type of boat) while verbally and physically controlling the boat's steering, speed, timing and fluidity. The primary duty of a coxswain is to ensure the safety of those in the boat. In a race setting, the coxswain is tasked with motivating the crew as well as steering as straight a course as possible to minimize the distance to

416-475: The days of sail, the coxswain was a petty officer or chief petty officer who commanded the barge of a captain or admiral. Later the coxswain was the senior deck petty officer or chief petty officer aboard a smaller vessel such as a corvette or submarine , who was responsible for the steering. On smaller vessels, the coxswain assumed the duties that would be performed by the chief boatswain's mate and master-at-arms aboard larger vessels. In World War I ,

442-411: The ensuing months, while Wyalusing remained on station in the sound, more unsuccessful plans to destroy the Confederate ram were developed. It was not until the night of 27 October—28 that Lieutenant William B. Cushing accomplished Albemarle ' s destruction in a steam launch outfitted with a spar torpedo. That event opened the way for the recapture of Plymouth and for further offensive action on

468-414: The finish line. Coxswains are also responsible for knowing proper rowing technique and running drills to improve technique. A coxswain is the coach in the boat: in addition to following the orders of the team coach, the coxswain is connected to the way the boat feels, what's working, what needs to be changed, and how. A successful coxswain must keep track of the drill, time, pace, words of the coach, feel of

494-655: The heavy-caliber Union cannonade eventually prevailed and forced the Southerners to abandon their fortifications. A landing party from Wyalusing took possession of Fort Williams, captured prisoners, and helped to retake Plymouth. On 9 December, an expedition, of which Wyalusing was a part, moved farther up the Roanoke to capture Rainbow Bluff and another Confederate ram, rumored to be under construction at Halifax, North Carolina . While anchoring near Jamesville, North Carolina , Otsego , another gunboat, struck two torpedoes (mines) and sank up to her gun deck. Bazely ,

520-716: The rank of Cadet Warrant Officer in the Royal Air Force Sections, and the rank of Cadet Regimental Sergeant Major in the Army Sections. In the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets , the position of Coxswain is often appointed to the cadet with the rank of Cadet Chief Petty Officer First Class (C/CPO1). This would be the equivalent of the position of Regimental Sergeant Major in the Royal Canadian Army Cadets held by

546-564: The river. The five Union sailors scattered. Three returned to Wyalusing on the evening of 28 May. The remaining two rejoined their ship the following night after rescue by Commodore Hull . The five men, Coxswain John W. Lloyd , Coal Heavers Charles H. Baldwin and Benjamin Lloyd , and Firemen Alexander Crawford and John Laverty , ultimately received the Medal of Honor for their attempt. During

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572-498: The safety of the boat and the crew. Before a person can be assigned to be a coxswain, they have to go through a qualification procedure, be certified and maintain the certification to be a coxswain. Upon certification, they are awarded the Coxswain Badge . This qualification procedure requires a significant amount of practice in boat handling as well as previous experience as a boat crew member. The Coast Guard does not have

598-460: The swampland separating the Middle and Roanoke Rivers to a point just above and opposite Albemarle ' s mooring place at Plymouth. Two of the sailors then swam across the river with a towline attached to the explosive devices and then hauled them across. The torpedoes were then joined by a bridle, and one of the sailors guided them down toward the ram hoping to place the bridle across her prow with

624-631: The term was also used to refer to a chief petty officer who was in charge of steering airships operated by the Royal Naval Air Service . In World War II pilots of landing craft were referred to as coxswains. In the Royal Canadian Navy , the appointment of coxswain (or capitaine d'armes in French ) is given to the senior non-commissioned officer aboard a ship, the equivalent to a command master chief petty officer in

650-578: Was also sometimes used aboard merchant ships for the senior petty officer in charge of the helm. The fictional Israel Hands , for example, was the coxswain of Hispaniola in Treasure Island . In Royal Navy Sections of the Combined Cadet Force , the rank of Cadet Coxswain is the highest that a cadet can achieve, except in the rare occurrence that they are promoted to the rank of Cadet Under Officer . The rank of Coxswain equates to

676-636: Was built at Philadelphia by C. H. & W. H. Cramp , launched on 12 May 1863, and commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 8 February 1864, with Lieutenant Commander Walter W. Queen in command. Assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron , Wyalusing joined the contingent of that force stationed in Albemarle Sound , North Carolina on 29 April. Just 10 days before her arrival,

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