1/600 CSS 1861 ("North's Ironclad"); HMS Danmark

CSS 1861, also known as "North's Ironclad," "Number 61," "The Scottish Sea Monster," and *gasp, takes breath of air* "Santa Maria", was ordered by the Confederate Purchasing Agent for whom she is often named, at Birkenhead in Scotland. Upon completion in 1863, however, the Confederate States Navy initially accepted the design and then refused to take her into commission, citing several errors in her construction, and claiming that she had not been built to their required specifications. At the time, this was quite a move to make, given the Confederacy's difficulty in acquiring foreign built seagoing ironclads. However, the ship was, in due time, sold to the Danish Navy, which rechristened her as "HMS Danmark." In His Danish Majesty's service, she was said to have a very good arc of fire, excellent protection, and "the positive sailing capabilities" of a brick. Most notably, she rolled excessively, and spent most of the remainder of her career as a receiving ship, though she did bombard Prussian troops during the Second Schleiswig-Holstein War of 1864, an action that caused considerable panic and terror amongst the Prussian Army. This design depicts CSS 1861 as she was delivered to the Confederacy, and is essentially identical to her appearance as HMS Danmark. She could easily have been accepted for Confederate service. There is some new research on the horizon that explains why this was not the case, but it's not my research to share, so I will defer to the researcher in that regard. I will tell you that part of the problem had to do with her depth of keel, which was seen as major problem for a Confederate Navy now dedicated primarily to localized defense rather than active blockade breaking operations. In service, she would likely have been painted like other seaborne Confederate warships. Black overall with red gunwales, a stained wood deck, and white, raised surfaces Masts would likely have been black. If she were used in North American waters, it's highly likely her masts would have been removed, as they had proven to be an unnecessary fire hazard in other masted, armored ships such as New Ironsides. BSF is recommended. It's easier to work with,. more likely to print thin details such as yardarms, and provides a less grainy texture than WSF.