Gun Boat Collection

HMS Sedgefly, river gunboat, Mesopotamia, WW1
HMS Sedgefly, a British river Fly-class gunboat, on the River Tigris in Mesopotamia during the First World War. Date: circa 1916-1918

Union gunboats sunk in Galveston Bay, 1863
Rebel attack on Union gunboats at Galveston, Texas, 1863. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Battle of Mobile Bay, Civil War, 1864
Farraguts flagship USS " Hartford" colliding with the ironclad CSS " Tennessee" to secure Mobile Bay, 1864. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

The 'Havoc' gun-boat, 1860 (engraving)
1579588 The 'Havoc' gun-boat, 1860 (engraving); (add.info.: Engraving depicting the 'Havoc' gun-boat with Fane's horse on board, on its way from Talien-Wan to the Pentang)

The Coronation Year Super Dreadnought Neptune and vessels King George V commanded
2915337 The Coronation Year Super Dreadnought Neptune and vessels King George V commanded. From top left clockwise, Torpedo Boat No

War in China, 1860
1577582 War in China, 1860; (add.info.: War in China. The "Havoc" gun-boat with Fane's horse on board, on its way from Talien-Wan to the Pehtang. From a sketch from the artist C)

H. M. Torpedo Gun-Boat Rattlesnake, from The Illustrated London News
BAL127897 H.M. Torpedo Gun-Boat Rattlesnake, from The Illustrated London News, 26th February 1887 (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; English, out of copyright

Wreck of HMS Wasp, British gun-boat, at Tory Island, Donegal, north coast of Ireland, 1884

Our Success in the Soudan, the Gun-Boat "Melik"saving the Camel Corps from Utter Annihilation at Omdurman
1606552 Our Success in the Soudan, the Gun-Boat " Melik" saving the Camel Corps from Utter Annihilation at Omdurman (litho) by Wollen

The New British Ministers Journey to Peking, Arrival of the Gun-Boat "Snipe"at Wusung
1600459 The New British Ministers Journey to Peking, Arrival of the Gun-Boat " Snipe" at Wusung, with Sir E Satow on Board (litho) by Wright

Confederate ironclads attack the Federal blockade squadron off Charleston
PNP262551 Confederate ironclads attack the Federal blockade squadron off Charleston, 4th April 1863 (litho) by American School

The Advance towards Dongola (engraving)
1605814 The Advance towards Dongola (engraving) by Overend, William Heysham (1851-98) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Advance towards Dongola)

The Soudan Advance, Commander the Honourable C Keppel, DSO, on his Gun-Boat the "Zaffir"reconnoitring Osman
1615479 The Soudan Advance, Commander the Honourable C Keppel, DSO, on his Gun-Boat the " Zaffir" reconnoitring Osman Dignas Position at Shendy (litho) by English School

The Wreck of HMS Wasp (engraving)
1622808 The Wreck of HMS Wasp (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Wreck of HMS Wasp. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 4 October 1884)

The Enforcement of the Neutrality Laws with Spain, The Cruiser Montgomery
LLM459883 The Enforcement of the Neutrality Laws with Spain, The Cruiser Montgomery and the Gun-Boat Annapolis Patrolling Cuban Waters in Search of a Filibustering Schooner by Reuterdahl

Chinese War Preparations (engraving)
1107206 Chinese War Preparations (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Chinese War Preparations)

The Naval Review, Gun-Boat Attack on Southsea Castle (engraving)
1620479 The Naval Review, Gun-Boat Attack on Southsea Castle (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Naval Review, Gun-Boat Attack on Southsea Castle)

Notes with our Australian Squadron (engraving)
1062149 Notes with our Australian Squadron (engraving) by Wyllie, William Lionel (1851-1931) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Notes with our Australian Squadron)

The Coronation Year Super Dreadnought Neptune And Vessels King George V Has Commanded. From Top Left Clockwise, Torpedo Boat No

Danzig The French gunboat L Ancre in Dantzig ( Gdansk, Poland ) harbour 24 October 1921

HMS Firefly, river gunboat, Mesopotamia, WW1
HMS Firefly, a British river Fly-class gunboat, with gun in action in Mesopotamia during the First World War. Captured by the Turks in 1915, and recaptured by the British in 1917

EVCW2A-00140
Confederate ironclad " Merrimac, " from a sketch made the day before the battle with Union " Monitor, " 1862. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th century illustration

EVCW2A-00067
Union gunboats and steamships passing the Confederate stronghold Vicksburg, on the Mississippi River, night of April 16, 1863. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th century illustration

EVCW2A-00113
Sinking of the ironclad USS Monitor in a gale off North Carolina, 1862, crew making for the USS Rhode Island. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th century illustration

Launch of H. M. Gun-Boat Pelter, and the Portuguese Steamship Dom Pedro Secondo, At
Launch of H.M. Gun-Boat Pelter, and the Portuguese Steamship Dom Pedro Secondo, at Northfleet, 1854

Source Size = 3941 x 2486
The New Gun-Boat Staunch, Built at Elswick, Newcastle-On-Tyne, 1868

Desperate Encounter in gun-boats between Nelson and Don Miguel Tyrason, illustration
KW270869 Desperate Encounter in gun-boats between Nelson and Don Miguel Tyrason, illustration from Englands Battles by Sea and Land by Lieut. Col. Williams, engraved by G

On Eviction Duty in Ireland: Sketches in Galway with the Military and Police Forces
BAL127866 On Eviction Duty in Ireland: Sketches in Galway with the Military and Police Forces, from The Illustrated London News, 5th January 1886 (engraving) (detail of 127867) by English School

Gunboat Smith (left) and Chester Conklin spar
SILENT FILM STILL: BOXING. Gunboat Smith (left) and Chester Conklin spar

CIVIL WAR: SABINE PASS. Union gunboats unsuccessfully assaulting the Confederate position at Fort Griffin, near the mouth of the Sabine River, Texas, 8 September 1863

CIVIL WAR: BLOCKADE, 1864. A Union gunboat enforcing the blockade of Confederate ports. Wood engraving, English, 1864

CIVIL WAR: CANNON, 1862. Cannon on the Confederate gunboat Teaser, captured by the USS Maratanza on 4 July 1862 on the James River, Virginia. Photograph by James Gibson

CIVIL WAR: UNION SAILORS. Between decks of a Union gunboat during the American Civil War: wood engraving, 1885, after a contemporary sketch by Rear Admiral Henry Walke (1809-1896)

CIVIL WAR: MONITOR. Double-turreted monitor U. S. S. Onondaga anchored in the James River, Virginia
CIVIL WAR: MONITOR. Double-turreted monitor U.S.S. Onondaga anchored in the James River, Virginia, during the Civil War

UNION IRONCLAD, 1863. Cross section of the gun-boat Weehawken, one of the ironclads that participated in the bombardment of Fort Sumter, Charleston, South Carolina, 7 April 1863

CAPTURE OF NEW ORLEANS. The capture of New Orleans, 1862. Contemporary American steel engraving

CIVIL WAR: RED RIVER, 1863. The engagement of Union and Confederate gunboats at Benwicks Bay, Louisiana, April 1863. Wood engraving from a contemporary American newspaper

ISLAND NUMBER TEN, 1862. Union gunboats under the command of Andrew H. Foote bombarding the Confederate stronghold of Island Number Ten in the Mississippi River, near Tiptonville, Tennessee

CIVIL WAR: FORT HENRY, 1862. The bombardment and capture of the Confederate Fort Henry, on the Tennessee River, by Union gunboats led by Commodore Andrew H. Foote, 6 February 1862

SOUTHERN LOYALISTS, 1862. Alabama loyalists greeting the Federal gun-boats in the spring of 1862: wood engraving from a contemporary American newspaper

ALABAMA LOYALISTS, 1862. Alabama loyalists greeting Union gun-boats in the spring of 1862: wood engraving from a contemporary American newspaper

AMERICA: GUNBOATS, 1807. Five types of gunboats purchased or constructed by the administration of Thomas Jefferson by 1807. Wood engraving, American, 1893

CHINESE PIRATES, 1855. Gunboats from the British ship HMS Racehorse attack and run aground a Chinese pirate ship in Pinghai Bay, China, 4 July 1853, killing nearly all onboard

SIEGE OF KHARTOUM, 1884. General Charles George Gordon and Egyptian troops aboard a gunboat in the Nile during an unsuccessful attempt to break the siege of Khartoum by Sudanese forces of the Mahdi

USS PETREL, 1890. The gun vessel USS Petrel. Wood engraving, 1890

BRITISH AT ABOUKIR, 1801. The Landing of the British Army commanded by Sir Ralph Abercromby at Aboukir Bay, Egypt, 22 March 1801. Line engraving, English, after Richard Caton Woodville, 1894

Destruction of the rebel ram Arkansas: By the United State gunboat Essex, on the Mississippi River, near Baton Rouge, August 4th 1862. Date 1862?

US ironclad gunboat Essex. Photo shows the USS Essex, launched in 1856 as the New Era and acquired druing the American Civil War by the US Army in 1861 for the Western Gunboat Flotilla

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"Gun Boats: A Powerful Force in Naval Warfare" Gun boats have played a significant role throughout history, showcasing their might and versatility on various battlefields. From the HMS Sedgefly patrolling the rivers of Mesopotamia during World War I to the Union gunboats sunk in Galveston Bay in 1863, these vessels have left an indelible mark. During the Civil War, the Battle of Mobile Bay witnessed a fierce confrontation between Confederate ironclads and Union forces. The bravery displayed by Robert Smalls, who commandeered the Confederate gunboat Planter and delivered it into Union hands, is immortalized through contemporary wood engravings. The H. M. Torpedo Gun-Boat Rattlesnake showcased technological advancements as depicted in The Illustrated London News. This vessel exemplified innovation and highlighted how naval warfare was evolving rapidly. Tragedy struck with the wreck of HMS Wasp, reminding us of the risks faced by those serving aboard these formidable war machines. However, success stories also emerged; such as when the gun-boat "Melik" saved the Camel Corps from utter annihilation at Omdurman during our campaign in Sudan. In international affairs, gun boats were instrumental in diplomatic missions like Sir E Satow's journey to Peking aboard the "Snipe. " These vessels served not only as symbols of power but also facilitated communication between nations. Confederate ironclads relentlessly attacked Federal blockade squadrons off Charleston during one chapter of American history that shaped our nation forever. These engagements demonstrated both sides' determination to gain control over vital waterways. From Dongola to Canton, gun boats proved crucial during military campaigns worldwide. Whether advancing towards new territories or engaging enemy forces head-on, they provided firepower and strategic advantage on numerous fronts. Throughout time, gun boats have proven their worth on countless occasions – be it defending borders or projecting power across vast oceans. Their legacy lives on, reminding us of their pivotal role in shaping the course of history.