On March 8th and 9th in 1862 the worlds first battle between two ironclad sea vessels broke out, changing naval warfare forever.
On the 8th the CSS Virgina went up against several wood hulled Union ships to break a blockade and allow supplies to reach the Confederates. By the time the day was over the Virginia had sunk two of the Union ships and threatened another, running her aground.
The Virginia was an ironclad vessel built out of the remains of the sunken steam frigate the USS Merrimack. The vessel was designed to provide maximum shielding and an array of weapons surrounding the vehicle. This would allow the Virginia to fire in most directions. However, when up against the Union wooden ships, the ironclad structure was so strong, all they Virginia had to do was run the opposing vessel with her ram to sink it. Unfortunately for the Virginia the ram broke on after sinking the USS Cumberland. At the end of the day the Virginia had taken some damage, with two broken guns and some loose plates, but was still nearly as powerful, and when placed against the wooden ships, was far superior. On the 9th the battle changed.
On March 9th the USS Monitor sailed into the battle. The ironclad vessel was built very differently for this purpose. The new vessel featured one large gun on a rotating turret, and decks that were so close to the surface of the water that it was a very small target. At a distance, it just looked like a turret above the water. The ship was nimble and deadly to wooden ships, but against the Virginia it was another story.
Both ships battled each other for hours. The Monitor was much quicker than the Virgina, but it's single cannon on a rotating turret proved challenging to target and protect. The battle raged on with the Monitor firing on the Virginia, while the Virginia focused on trying to ram the Monitor, and taking shots when they could.
The battle ended when the captain of the Monitor was injured, and the vessel pulled back into the shoals to prepare to attack again. The Virginia pulled back thinking the Monitor retreated and the battle ended. Both claimed victory, however in actuality the battle was a stalemate. Over the next few weeks the Monitor stayed in safe waters while the Virginia tried to lure her out. But the Monitor was under orders to stay put. Additional Union vessels came in and the Virginia was pushed into a tight spot. They were not stable enough to venture into the ocean, but were too deep to escape via rivers. The decision was made to blow her up and abandon her. Later that year the Union tried to tow the Monitor out to the Atlantic Ocean, and she sank.
The world of naval warfare was never the same again. The was the beginning of the end for wooden war ships. The Monitor became to prototype of modern Union vessels and more were built. In France and England special attention was paid in the Virginia's success in sinking the Cumberland and rams were incorporated into their own new vessels. Even today we feel the effects of those two days in 1862 and what they meant for the world.
-Professor (Uncle) Walter
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