Battle of Cherbourg ( 1864 ) The Battle of Cherbourg , or sometimes the Battle off Cherbourg or the Sinking of CSS " Alabama " , was a single - ship action fought during the American Civil War between a United States Navy warship , the USS " Kearsarge " , and a Confederate States Navy warship , the CSS " Alabama " , on June 19 , 1864 , off Cherbourg , France . Background . After five successful commerce raiding missions in the Atlantic Ocean , CSS " Alabama " turned into Cherbourg Harbor on June 11 , 1864 . The rebel sloop - of - war was commanded by Captain Raphael Semmes , formerly of CSS " Sumter " . It was Captain Semmes ' intention to dry dock his ship and receive repairs at the French port . The Confederate Navy vessel was crewed by about 170 men and armed with six 32 - pound ( 15 kg ) cannon s , one 110 - pounder ( 50 kg ) and one 68 - pound ( 31 kg ) gun . The " Alabama " had been pursued for two years by the screw sloop - of - war , under Captain John Winslow . The " Kearsarge " was armed with two 11 - inch ( 280 mm ) smoothbore Dahlgren gun s which fired approximately 166 pounds of solid shot , four 32 - pound guns and one 30 - pounder Parrott rifle . She was manned by around 150 sailors and officers . " Kearsarge " had armor - clad , chain cable triced in tiers along her port and starboard midsections . This armor protection gave the Union warship a possible advantage over the rebel raider . On June 14 , " Kearsarge " finally caught up with " Alabama " as she was receiving repairs . " Kearsarge " did not attack ; instead she waited , initiating a blockade of CSS " Alabama " in Cherbourg Harbor , France . Union Captain Winslow telegraphed to request her assistance , but the fighting began before she could arrive . Confederate Captain Semmes used the time to drill his men for the coming battle . On June 19 , CSS " Alabama " , with nowhere else to go , ran up the Stars and Bars and exited the harbor to attack " Kearsarge " . She was escorted by the French Navy ironclad " Couronne " , whose mission was to ensure that the ensuing battle occurred outside the French harbor . Battle . Men aboard USS " Kearsarge " spotted the incoming Confederate raider , so they turned their ship around to take the impending battle out of French territorial waters . Once out , " Kearsarge " turned about again , hoisted the United States Navy Jack , and lined up for a broadside . Captain Winslow ordered his gunners to hold their fire until the range closed . CSS " Alabama " fired the first shots . They are not known to have hit . Eventually " Kearsarge " was under way , and the range closed to within 1 , 000 yards ( 900 m ) when she fired her first shot . The two warship s maneuvered on opposite courses throughout the battle . " Kearsarge " and " Alabama " made seven spiraling circles around each others ' ship , moving southwest in water moving at a current of 3 knots . Both Captain Semmes and Captain Winslow attempted to cross each others ' bow , hoping to inflict heavy raking fire . The battle continued in this manner for several minutes ; in the meantime , on the French Coast , hundreds of Cherbourg citizens watched the battle as it slowly drew closer to a Union victory . " Kearsarge " s armor cladding sustained two hits during the engagement . The first shell , a 32 - pounder , struck within the starboard gangway . The shot cut part of the chain armor and dented the metal hull underneath . The second shot was again a 32 - pounder that caused further damage to the chain armor , and broke a link of the chain armor . Both hits struck the chain armor at just above five feet over the waterline . The gunnery of USS " Kearsarge " was reportedly more accurate than of the Confederates ; she fired slowly with well - aimed shots , while " Alabama " fired rapidly . CSS " Alabama " fired a total of over 370 rounds during the fighting ; it is not known how many " Kearsarge " fired , but it is known that she fired much less than the rebels did . Eventually , after just over an hour of exchanging artillery fire , " Alabama " had received shot - holes beneath the waterline from " Kearsarge " s Dahlgren guns and began to sink . Captain Semmes struck the Confederate colors , but still the " Kearsarge " continued firing until a white flag was seen , raised by one of the rebel sailors with his hand . The battle was over , so Captain Semmes sent his remaining dinghy to Captain Winslow , to ask for aid . During the battle , over forty Confederate sailors were killed in action or drowned . Another seventy or so were picked up by " Kearsarge " . Thirty or so were rescued by the " Deerhound " , a British yacht , which Captain Winslow asked to help evacuate " Alabama " s crew . Captain Semmes and fourteen of his officers were among the sailors rescued by " Deerhound " . Instead of delivering the captured rebels to " Kearsarge " , the " Deerhound " set a course for Southampton , thus enabling Captain Semmes ' escape . This act severely angered the " Kearsarge ' s " crew , who begged their captain to allow them to open fire on the British yacht . Captain Winslow would not allow this , though , so the Confederates got away and avoided imprisonment . Three men were wounded aboard the United States vessel , one of whom died the following day . Aftermath . For many years after the battle , Confederate Captain Semmes stated that he would never have chosen to test USS " Kearsarge " had he known of her armor - clad protection . CSS " Alabama " had destroyed or captured dozens of Union merchant vessels during her Atlantic cruises ; when word of " Alabama " s sinking reached the northeastern United States , many Northerners were joyful . Édouard Manet produced two paintings of the fight , " The Battle of the " Kearsarge " and the " Alabama " , now at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and " The " Kearsarge " at Boulogne " , now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art . American marine artist Xanthus Smith painted six versions of the naval battle . The most famous of these , a massive work exhibited at the 1876 Centennial Exposition , is in the collection of the Union League of Philadelphia .