During the American Civil War, two ironclad ships played significant roles in changing the course of naval warfare forever. These ships were the USS Monitor and CSS Virginia, better known as the Merrimack.
Prior to the Civil War, naval ships were made primarily of wood and were vulnerable to attack from new and improved artillery. In response, the Union and Confederate navies began experimenting with different materials to build ships that could withstand artillery fire.
The USS Monitor was designed by Swedish engineer John Ericsson for the Union Navy. It was a small ship, measuring only 172 feet in length, with a flat deck and a rotating turret that held two powerful guns. The turret was a revolutionary design feature that allowed for a greater range of accurate firing.
The CSS Virginia was originally a wooden ship named the Merrimack that the Confederates captured and converted into an ironclad. It was almost twice the size of the Monitor, measuring 275 feet in length, and had a sloping iron roof that protected its deck. The Virginia carried ten guns, including two powerful broadside guns, and was heavily armored with iron plates.
The two ironclads first clashed in the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 8, 1862. The Virginia, which had already destroyed two wooden Union ships, approached the Monitor with the intention of destroying it as well. The two ships exchanged fire for hours, but neither was able to inflict significant damage on the other due to their advanced armor.
The battle ended in a stalemate with both ships still afloat. Though the battle had no clear winner, it was a turning point in naval warfare history. Traditional wooden ships were no longer effective against these new ironclads, and the era of the wooden navy had come to an end.
The Monitor and Virginia would meet again in battle on May 11, 1862. This time, the Virginia was unable to come to close range with the Monitor due to shallow water conditions, and the battle ended inconclusively.
Sadly, the Monitor would meet its end later that year, sinking during a storm off the coast of North Carolina. The Virginia, meanwhile, was destroyed by Confederate forces in May 1862 to prevent it from falling into Union hands.
Though the two ironclads only saw limited action in their short lifespan, their impact on naval warfare was immeasurable. They proved that a ship made entirely of iron plates could withstand the most powerful artillery of the day, paving the way for the armored battleships of the future.