The USS Weehawken's "Devil"-- Part 3: Also Could Mount Spar Torpedoes

Four chains would secure the raft  to the monitor.  There are references stating that when attached, the "Devil" played the devil with ill effects to the ship's steering.  However, the Weehawken's commander, in an  official report made a few weeks after the April 7 battle with Fort Sumter stated that the raft imposed no  noticeable effects on his ship's steering.

Reference books most often say the raft was designed to snag Confederate torpedoes.  The grappling hooks and chains would certainly  be effective with the torpedoes, but, the author believes that if this took place during a battle that it would not be likely anyone would want to be messing around with several hundred pounds of powder while under fire.  Good point.

Probably better, there was a frame on the front of the raft that could mount two spar torpedoes which might be even more effective at clearing the torpedoes by exploding them.

However, Rodgers did not have the spar torpedoes when he went into battle April 7.  The thought of navigating in the narrow channel with explosives on the front of his ship was too big of a challenge.  But, he was the only commander willing to attach a "Devil" to the front of his ship.  This is why the Weehawken was at the front of the naval column going in to attack as opposed to the USS Passaic, commanded by the more senior Captain Percival Drayton.

--Old B-Runner