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IRON CLAD
The first U.S. ironclad was seen on March 8, 1862. The first iron clad was on the Confederate side. The Confederate iron clad was named the C.S.S. Virginia. It was built off a Union hull and was almsot immune to gunfire.
The First U.S. Ironclad
The First Ironclad
The first ever ironcald was used by the French during the Crimean War. This warship sparked new technology in naval battles.
What Is An Ironclad?"
An ironclad is a 19th century warship plated with iron armor to protect it from cannonfire. The most common ironclads in the Civil War were casemates and monitors. Ironclads were steam-powered and could withstand days of enemy fire.
Casemates
A casemate is an armored box, often with slanting sides, used to protect the crew and and guns from enemy fire.
Monitors
Monitors are relatively small warships that carry very strong, powerful guns. Monitors in the Civil War were turreted ironclads that didn't have much armor.
The Battle of the Ironclads
The first battle between the first two U.S. ironclads was a battle to remember. The Merrimac, which was a Union ship, was left in the Newport, Virginia port. The Confederates took advantage of this and built an iron hull around this ship. It also had an underwater battering ram that would allow it to sink ships in one hit. On March 8th, 1862, the Merrimac, which was christened the name C.S.S. Virginia, sunk the Cumberland and defeated the Congress. Dark was descending at this time and the Confederates decided that they would finish off the Minnesota, a third Union ship, in the morning. They were in for a big surprise. In the night, the Union 'built' an answer to the Merrimac. In the light of morning, the first Union ironclad showed itself. The USS Monitor arrived on the scene and challenged the Merrimac. The USS Monitor was at an advantage to the Merrimac becuase it had a revoloving turret. This allowed it to shoot at different angles, instead of turning the ship to shoot. This was a very long, exciting battle. The USS Monitor was a good match for the Merrimac. The battle lasted for some time, but almost no damage was doen to either ship. The cannonfire would have been brutally devastating for any wooden ship, but the iron hull of the ironclad protected the Monitor and the Merrimac. In their day of fighting, neither ship was sunk or badly damaged. The Merrimac ended up retreating and the fight ended in a deadly draw. With this battle, the new age of ironclads was created.
The Battle
The Monitor
The Merrimac
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