Ironclad+Ships

IRONCLAD SHIPS By: Yvency & Tiffany




 * Ironclads were built for two main purposes: to fight other ships and to attack forces on land.


 * The first ironclad ship was built by the French to attack enemy forts during the Crimean War in the 1850's.


 * The first time that one ironclad fought another ironclad was when the Monitor and the Merrimack fought in Hampton Roads, Virginia on March 9, 1862.


 * The first Ironclad battleship called La Gloire was launched by the French Navy in November 1859.


 * The USS Monitor was the Union's ironclad ship made by John Ericsson which was smaller but had better machinery and was more maneuverable.



THE BATTLE OF THE IRONCLADS The Battle of the Ironclads also known as The Battle of Hampton Roads and Monitor vs. Merrimack was noted as the most important battle of the American Civil War. It was from March 8-March 9 1862 in Hampton Roads. The battle was mostly for the Confederate to break the Union blockade. CSS Virgina had previously defeated two big Federal warships, Congress & Cumberland, destroying and killing more than 240 of their crew men. CSS Virginia was about to attack the third ship, USS Minnesota, but they retired to take care of some of their wounded men. The next day at night (March 9), the ironclad USS Monitor arrived & took position to defend Minnesota. They accepted the challenge and fought for 3 hours with neither making severe damage on another. Virginia returned to their home, Gosport Navy Yard for repairs and strengthening. The battle finally stopped when a chance shell from Virginia struck the pilot house of Monitor and exploded, driving fragments of paint and iron through the viewing slits into Worden's eyes and temporarily blinding him. Monitor was forced to draw off.

USS Monitor on the left approaches broadside to the CSS Virginia



The Union Crew Picture

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Recources: http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/hampton-roads.html?tab=facts http://americancivilwar.com/monitor.html