Comments by "Dave Sisson" (@Dave_Sisson) on "IJN Kotetsu / CSS Stonewall - Guide 256" video.

  1. It's a story nearly as strange as the CSS Shenandoah. Not that it had as many owners, but when it docked in Melbourne for repairs and resupply, the Victorian government did the work in a government owned dock, hosted a huge reception for the officers and the crew got free train trips and accommodation in nice country hotels. Meanwhile the ship was repaired to a high standard and the skeleton crew not on vacation made a tidy profit providing guided tours of their warship. They also recruited extra crew from adventurous locals. Shenandoah then went on to sink about 16(?) Union ships and was the last Confederate unit to surrender, in Liverpool, England of all places. The USA then sued the British government on the basis that their ships would not have been sunk if not for all the work done in Melbourne. The British pointed out that Victoria had "responsible government" was quasi-independent and that they had no control over what their so called colony actually did. However an international tribunal forced Britain to pay compensation for the lost ships, so they sent the bill to Melbourne and asked for a refund. Needless to say, the Victorian government never paid up.
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