The Alabama is the most notorious of the southern commerce raiders. She was built in 1862, fitted with an auxilary steam engine to use alongside her sails. The ship- like many others- was built in Liverpool. Her captain, Semmes, was American, but most of his crew was English. After her completiton, the Alabama spent the next two years capturing and burning Union supply ships- sixty ships, in fact, costing the Union a nice six million dollars.
In June 1864, she was docked in Cherbourg, France when the USS Kearsarge, an American sloop of war paid her a visit. Alabama was bottled up in the harbor. The only way out was through the Kearsarge. Unfortunately, the Alabama was no match for her opponent. The Alabama's powder was poor, as was her ammuniton. The Kearsarge was also better protected than the Alabama, and soon Semmes was forced to surrender. Most of his crew, including himself, escaped on the English yacht Deerhound.
The Alabama is still outside of Cherbourg where the Kearsarge sent her to her fate. There is a joint project between the American and French goverments to study the wreckage.