1/600 CSS Columbus

In 1863, Samuel Tifts urged the Confederate Navy to consider the practical use of "monitor type" vessels in defense of the Confederacy. In addition to a lower crew requirement, they would require fewer guns, present a low armored profile, and serve as a more effective harbor and coastal defense vessel. The Confederate Congress agreed to Tift's proposed plan and authorized the construction of a single vessel, with two, pivot mounted heavy guns placed inside a non-rotating turret mounted atop a low profile "raft" like hull. The vessel was to be laid down at Columbus Georgia. After funds were prepared and a slot in the Columbus yards was selected, the proposed vessel, "CSS Columbus," promptly disappeared from history. For reasons unclear, she was never completed, and according to most sources, never actually begun. This model is based upon Tifts' proposed plan, and reflects the Columbus as she would likely have appeared if completed. Black, Strong, and Flexible is strongly recommended for this model: the aft ventilators don't seem to print consistently in WSF.