April 9, 1864, Confederate Torpedo Boat Squib Attacks USS Minnesota-- Part 2

Continued from April 9, 2019.

This happened off Newport News, Virginia.

The USS Minnesota (one of the most powerful ships in the Union Navy) attempted to open fire, but the distance between the two ships being so close, her guns could not be brought to bear.

The Squib rammed her powder charge of more than fifty pounds into the Minnesota's port quarter.

The log of the Minnesota recorded:  "... a tremendous explosion followed."  John Curtis, second in command of the Squib,  wrote that he closed his eyes at the moment of impact,  "opening them in about a second, I think, I never beheld such a sight before nor since.  The air was filled with port shutters and water from the explosion, and the heavy ship was rolling to the starboard, and the officer of the deck was giving orders to save yourselves and cried out 'Torpedo, torpedo!' "

--Old B-Runner