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36-781: US Ram Switzerland was a paddle steamer ram operated by the US Army during the American Civil War as part of the U.S. Ram Fleet and the Mississippi Marine Brigade . A 413-ton side-wheel towboat, she was built at Cincinnati , Ohio, in 1854 and converted to a ram in March–May 1862 for Colonel Charles Ellet, Jr. 's U.S. Ram Fleet . She played a distant role in the June 1862 naval action off Memphis, Tennessee , and subsequently took part in operations in

72-433: A GPS navigation device , a Navtex receiver, an ECDIS or chart system, one or more radars , a communications system (including distress calling equipment), engine ( telegraph ) controls, a wheel/autopilot system, a magnetic compass (for redundancy and cross check capability) and light/sound signalling devices. The navigation station of a ship may be located on the bridge or in a separate chart room, nearby. It includes

108-404: A flag officer onboard) sometimes contained a flag bridge . Also known as the "admiral's bridge", these were a bridge below the main bridge on a command warship where a high-ranking officer such as an admiral could conduct fleet operations, plan strategy, and conduct large battles. Some flying bridges have "bridge wings", open areas which thrust outward from the flying bridge over the sides of

144-410: A magnetic compass could be sited far away as possible from the ferrous interference of the hulk of the ship. Many ships still have a flying bridge , a platform atop the pilot house, open to weather, containing a binnacle and voice tubes to allow the conning officer to direct the ship from a higher position during fair weather conditions. Larger warships may have a navigation bridge , which

180-407: A pelorus , signal lamps, telescope , and voice tube to permit the captain to command the ship. U.S. Navy attack transport ships could be outfitted with either 20mm or 40mm automatic cannons on their flying bridges. Flying bridges were almost always the highest bridge on the ship. They were usually above the flag bridge. Since the 1980s, large pleasure craft may have a flying bridge toward

216-429: A bridge. Depending upon the design and layout of a ship, some of these terms may be interchangeable. Traditionally, sailing ships were commanded from the quarterdeck , aft of the mainmast , where the ship's wheel was located (as it was close to the rudder ). A wheelhouse was a small enclosure around the ship's wheel on the quarterdeck of sailing ships . On modern ships the wheelhouse or pilothouse refers to

252-529: A severe loss at the Battle of Memphis with heavy casualties and the loss of seven of their eight ships. Ellet was wounded in the knee by a Confederate sharpshooter during the battle. His wound was the only serious casualty received on the Union side during the battle. Ellet refused to have his leg amputated and died 15 days from a blood infection due to the injury. Ellet's brother, Alfred W. Ellet took command of

288-453: A speaking tube or telephone to allow communication with the helmsman or wheelman on the main bridge. On military warships after 1914, the flying bridge was usually the station for the air defense officer and the gunnery officer. The amount of equipment on a flying bridge varies widely with the need of the captain. During World War II, for example, American submarine chaser surface ships had a well-outfitted flying bridge which usually contained

324-449: A submarine, the bridge is the highest point on the conning tower , to provide for better visual navigation when on the surface. They became standard on United States Navy submarines after 1917, greatly improving the function of the vessels while at the surface. Modern advances in remote control equipment have seen progressive transfer of the actual control of the ship to the bridge. The wheel and throttles can be operated directly from

360-507: A table sized for nautical charts where calculations of course and location are made. The navigator plots the course to be followed by the ship on these charts. Besides the desk and the navigation charts, the area contains navigational instruments that may include electronic equipment for a Global Positioning System receiver and chart display, fathometer , a compass , a marine chronometer , two-way radios , and radiotelephone , etc. A flying bridge, also known as "monkey island",

396-538: Is an open area on top of a surface ship that provides unobstructed views of the fore, aft, and the sides of a vessel. It serves as an operating station for the ship's officers, such as the captain or officer of the watch . Prior to World War II, virtually every sailing ship , steamship , monitor , paddle steamer , or large pleasure ship had a flying bridge above the main bridge. Flying bridges were generally not enclosed at all (although sometimes they were partially enclosed), and often had little equipment—usually just

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432-437: Is used for the actual conning of the ship, and a separate admiral's bridge can be provided in flagships , where the admiral can exercise control over the squadron of ships without interfering with the captain's command of the vessel. In older warships, a heavily armored conning tower was often provided, where the vital command staff could be located under protection to ensure that the ship could be commanded under fire. On

468-818: The CSS General Van Dorn , CSS General Polk and CSS Livingston , when they saw the Union forces approaching. On July 15, the Queen of the West , USS  Carondelet , and USS  Tyler engaged the Confederate ironclad ram CSS  Arkansas in the Yazoo River . The Arkansas was heavily damaged but escaped into the Mississippi River and took refuge under the Confederate batteries at Vicksburg, Mississippi . On July 22, Queen of

504-718: The Red and Atchafalaya rivers in May and June 1863. Later in the war, Switzerland was part of the Mississippi Marine Brigade . She was sold in October 1865 and was employed as a merchant steamer under the same name until about 1870. Switzerland was never commissioned as a Navy vessel. [REDACTED]   This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . The entry can be found here . United States Ram Fleet The unit

540-607: The Yazoo River and in the Vicksburg Campaign . On 25 March 1863, while commanded by Colonel Charles Rivers Ellet , Switzerland joined the ram Lancaster in an attempt to pass the Vicksburg fortress. Both ships were heavily hit by Confederate gunfire , with Lancaster being sunk. Despite her damage, Switzerland survived the trip and made a subsequent successful passage of the fortifications at Grand Gulf, Mississippi , on 31 March. She took part in operations on

576-586: The Mississippi Marine Brigade was placed under command of General Ulysses Grant . The ram fleet was disestablished in August 1864, and its surviving ships were transferred to other duties. The United States Ram Fleet included the following ships: Pilot houses A bridge (also known as a command deck ), or wheelhouse (also known as a pilothouse ), is a room or platform of a ship , submarine , airship , or spaceship from which

612-699: The United States Ram Fleet on the Mississippi River. The Union Navy's Mississippi River Squadron and the Confederate River Defense Fleet were battling for control of the Mississippi and Stanton was convinced by Ellet that the Union Navy efforts would benefit from the addition of ram ships. Ellet and the ram fleet were outside of Union Army or Navy command and reported directly to Stanton. Ellet purchased

648-630: The West and USS  Essex attacked Arkansas , despite the batteries at Vicksburg. The Queen of the West rammed the Arkansas but inflicted only minor damage and rejoined the Mississippi River Squadron ships above Vicksburg. The ram fleet ships also conducted activities in the Yazoo River clearing mines and engaging Confederate batteries. In November 1862, the Mississippi Marine Brigade , an amphibious raiding unit,

684-699: The West rammed and sank the Confederate flagship CSS  Colonel Lovell . After the collision, the Queen of the West came under attack from the CSS Sumter and the CSS Beauregard . The attack sheared off one of the paddle wheels from the Queen of the West and forced her to ground on the riverbank. The Monarch rammed and sank the Beauregard and drove the CSS Little Rebel aground and captured her. The Confederate forces suffered

720-472: The bridge of smaller motor vessels, such as tugs . With the arrival of paddle steamers , engineers required a platform from which they could inspect the paddle wheels and where the captain 's view would not be obstructed by the paddle houses. A raised walkway, literally a bridge, connecting the paddle houses was therefore provided. When the screw propeller superseded the paddle wheel, the term bridge survived. Traditionally, commands would be passed from

756-405: The bridge, controlling often-unmanned machinery spaces. Aboard modern warships, navigational command comes from the bridge, whereas electronically directed weapon systems are usually controlled from an interior compartment. On a commercial vessel, the bridge will contain the equipment necessary to safely navigate a vessel on passage. Such equipment will vary with ship type, but generally includes

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792-410: The captain's orders on a dial. The engine officer would ensure that the correct combination of steam pressure and engine revolutions were applied. Weatherproof pilot houses supplanted open bridges so that the pilot , who was traditionally the ship's navigating officer, could issue commands from shelter. Iron , and later steel , ships also required a compass platform . This was usually a tower, where

828-785: The development of steam powered naval rams especially in light of the Confederate build up of ram ships. The Confederate forces captured the USS Merrimack at the Norfolk Navy Yard and converted her to a ram ship. Despite being bulky and slow-moving, the Union forces became convinced of the possibility of ram ships when the CSS Virginia sank the USS Cumberland and USS Congress at Hampton Roads. In March 1862, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton appointed Ellet colonel of engineers and authorized him to form

864-564: The nine fastest river steamboats available on the Ohio River and converted them to rams. Their hulls were reinforced, the forward ends filled with hard oak wood, the steam-engines secured and the pilot houses protected by thick wooden planks. Three longitudinal bulkheads were added and supported with iron bars. Central beams were installed from bow to stern and iron peaks were installed on the bows. They were originally not equipped with any guns. Ellet assigned family members as captains of

900-451: The other rams, including his brother Alfred W. Ellet , his nephew John A. Ellet , and his son Charles Rivers Ellet . On May 25, the Queen of the West and the ram fleet joined the Mississippi River Squadron, led by Charles H. Davis , on the Mississippi River north of Fort Pillow. Davis had little faith in the effectiveness of the rams but allowed the fleet to accompany his gunboats down

936-658: The ram fleet ships participated in the Battle of Arkansas Post . In February 1863, the Queen of the West was run past the batteries of Vicksburg to support Admiral David Farragut south of the city. The Queen of the West severely damaged the CSS Vicksburg and captured four transport ships supplying Confederate forces. The Queen of the West also conducted activities on the Atchafalaya River , destroying Confederate supplies and burning three plantations. She

972-613: The ram fleet. The ram fleet was never incorporated in the Union Navy, however, in the summer of 1862, when David Dixon Porter took over command of the Mississippi River Squadron, he demanded and received full authority over the ram fleet. On June 26, Alfred W. Ellet commanded the Monarch and Charles Rivers Ellet commanded the Lancaster during action on the Yazoo River near Liverpool, Mississippi to capture or destroy three Confederate gunboats. The Confederates burned their ships;

1008-705: The river to Memphis. On June 6, Charles Ellet Jr. led four ram ships in the First Battle of Memphis; the USS Queen of the West , the USS Monarch , the USS Switzerland and the USS Lancaster . Ellet had not coordinated a plan of attack with Davis and when the flotilla approached Confederate forces, the Queen of the West and the Monarch steamed ahead of Davis' gunboats. The Queen of

1044-448: The senior officer on the bridge to stations dispersed throughout the ship, where physical control of the ship was exercised, as technology did not exist for the remote control of steering or machinery. Helm orders would be passed to an enclosed wheel house, where the coxswain or helmsman operated the ship's wheel . Engine commands would be relayed to the engine officer in the engine room by an engine order telegraph that displayed

1080-401: The ship can be commanded. When a ship is under way, the bridge is manned by an officer of the watch aided usually by an able seaman acting as a lookout . During critical maneuvers the captain will be on the bridge, often supported by an officer of the watch, an able seaman on the wheel and sometimes a pilot , if required. There are many terms for parts of a ship with functions similar to

1116-508: The stern that is used as additional outdoor seating space and a place to store a tender . On the smallest surface vessels, such as a sport fishing boat , the flying bridge may have controls permitting the ship to be piloted from the flying bridge, but will lack the full range of controls of the pilot house. On larger small vessels, the flying bridge may actually be enclosed, in which case it is more properly called an "upper pilot house" or "upper bridge". Warships that were also flagships (had

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1152-492: The vessel by approximately 10 to 15 feet (3.0 to 4.6 m) to allow an officer to see the side of their ship while docking or working with smaller vessels. A bridge wing is a narrow walkway extending from both sides of a pilothouse to the full width of a ship or slightly beyond, to allow bridge personnel a full view to aid in the maneuvering of the ship. Officers use bridge wings when docking or maneuvering in locks and narrow waterways . Each bridge wing may be equipped with

1188-605: Was captured by Confederate forces on the Red River near Fort DeRussy and entered into Confederate service as the CSS Queen of the West . The Mississippi Marine Brigade also saw action at the Battle of Richmond, Louisiana and the Battle of Goodrich's Landing . Due to poor health, Charles Rivers Ellet tendered his resignation on August 14, 1863, and command of the ram fleet went to his cousin John A. Ellet . In August 1863,

1224-529: Was created and led by Colonel Charles Ellet Jr. until his death due to a wound received during the First Battle of Memphis . Command of the unit went to Charles Ellet Jr.'s brother, Alfred W. Ellet . The unit became part of the Mississippi Marine Brigade led by Alfred W. Ellet and command of the Ram Fleet was given to his nephew Charles Rivers Ellet and then to his nephew John A. Ellet . The unit

1260-592: Was organized by Alfred W. Ellet and the ram fleet was incorporated as a part of the brigade. On November 5, Charles Rivers Ellet was promoted to the rank of colonel and became the third member of the Ellet family to lead the ram fleet. Ellet was only 19 years old which made him one of the youngest colonels in the Union Army. Under the two Ellet's leadership, the rams figured prominently in actions around and below Vicksburg, Mississippi , into 1863. In January 1863,

1296-749: Was subsequently transferred to Army command and disbanded in 1864. Charles Ellet Jr. was a well-known civil engineer who built the first ever suspension bridge in the United States across the Schuykill River in Philadelphia and the Wheeling Suspension Bridge , the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time, across the Ohio River at Wheeling, West Virginia. When the Civil War broke out, Ellet advocated for

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