1/600 USS Lafayette

USS Lafayette, formerly civilian sidewheeler "Alek Scott," was converted to a large side wheel ironclad at St. Louis in 1862. Her highly unusual design featured a round casemate and an experimental form of armor sandwiching a layer of rubber between strips of iron. The latter has drawn an interesting amount of criticism over the years, but it honestly seems to have done its intended job, which was to protect the crew within. Lafayette suffered very few casualties and saw some of the worst fighting of the war on the rivers. Lafayette's principal operations included the Vicksburg Gauntlet, Fort De Russy (twice, actually), and the Red River Campaign. In all these operations, she acquitted herself quite well. We aren't exactly sure what colors Lafayette was painted in, but a watercolor done just after the war depicts her with a black hull, white pilot house , and red gunwales. Works for me, and is pretty striking. It's worth noting that, in 1863, Admiral Porter ordered that all ships in the Western Gunboat Flotilla were to be painted "black, with white uppers" - however, we aren't sure how far that was carried to fruition. Most ships had distinctive identification bands around their stacks, but Lafayette probably didn't have them. This was likely not needed: she was a very distinctive ship, and contrary to "received wisdom" was not very similar to her supposed "sister ship" USS Choctaw.