While Ironclads were not totally new during the American Civil War (the French had launched the first Ironclad ship “La gloire” in 1856.The British built two ironclads in 1859, and decided by 1861 that the entire fleet should be replaced by this new kind of ships), it was the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia that had the dubious honor of being the first Ironclads to battle in 1862.
At the start of the war, Confederate secretary of the Navy Stephen Mallory understood that the CSA would never be able to compete with the Union on a naval field. So his idea was to build only a few armoured ships that would technically be superior to the Union ships.
The first ship that was selected to become converted to an Ironclad was the USS Merrimack, a ship that was supposed to be destroyed during the Union’s failed attempt to destroy Portsmouth harbor (so that it would not fall in Confederate hands). The Merrymack was damaged, but it was found good enough to be converted. On may 30 1861, the wreck was salvaged and conversion began.
However, the conversion of the Merrimack was one of the CSA’s worst kept secrets, and the Union Congress soon ordered the construction of Ironclads too. A few designs were proposed, but ultimately, it was the “Monitor”, a design of Swedish-born John Ericsson that was selected to become the Union’s first Ironclad warship.
By 1862, both ships were commissioned within one week of each other. The Mrerymack, now rechristened as the CSS Virginia, was commissioned on February 17,1862 and it’s Union counterpart on 25 December 1862.
On 8 March 1862, both ships would see their first action.
The CSS Virginia was sent into action that day to break the Union Blockade. The ship, commanded by captain Franklin Buchanan, met up with other confederate ships: the CSS Patrick Henry, the CSS Jamestown, the CSS Beaufort, the CSS Raleigh and the CSS Teaser. As soon as they arrived at the Union blockade (which consisted of 5 ships and several support vessels), the Virginia headed straight for the Union ship USS Cumberland. The USS Congress and the USS Cumberland immediately opened fire on the CSS Virginia, but the effectiveness of ironclads was immediately proven as the cannonballs bounced of the Virginia’s plating. After being rammed by the Virginia, the Cumberland sunk rapidly, taking 121 crewmembers with her.
The battle could have changed radically here, as the Virginia’s ram initially remained stuck in the sinking vessels’ hull, almost taking the heavy metal ship with it…The Virginia managed to break lost, at the cost of her ram.
The Virginia, together with the other confederate ships, now turned it’s attention now to the Congress. The latter stood it’s ground but had to surrender in front of superior firepower. Captain Buchanan allowed the crew of the Congress to be evacuated but ultimately shot the ship (with many crew still on it) after the Virginia was fired upon by a Union coastal battery. The Congress caught fire and ultimately sank.
By the end of the day, the battle was a disaster for the Union: 400 sailors had died, whereas the CSA had lost only two men.
The CSS Virginia used the calm of the night to perform repairs of the battle damage it had sustained. It’s about at this time that the USS Monitor arrived at Hampton roads.
On the morning of the 9th March, the Virginia moved out and went for the attack. The target was the USS Minnesota, which was aground. Their path to their target was blocked however by a strange vehicle (which one sailor mockingly called a “cheese on a raft”).
The commanding officer of the Virginia (captain Buchanan was wounded in the battle the day before, so his second in command, Roger Jones, had taken over) didn’t immediately understand that the Monitor was, in fact, an Ironclad, but he did see that he had to fight his way past it to engage the Minnesota. The exact nature of the “cheese on a raft” would become clear to him soon enough. The Virginia shot at the Monitor, missed completely and actually hit the Minnesota. The latter responded by firing it’s broadsides at the Confederate Ironclad.
The battle that ensured last for the better part of five hours and was technically inconclusive. While the Monitor had an edge concerning speed and maneuverability, neither ship had enough firepower to pierce the hull of it’s opponent.
The end of the battle came when a confederate shell hit the command post of the Monitor, sending shrapnel into the “cockpit”. Union Captain John Worden was partially blinded by the incoming shrapnel. The monitor temporarily retreated until the replacing officer could take over his place (only one person at a time could look out from the command post).
The Virginia, believing the Union ship had given up, returned to Norfolk for repairs.
When the Monitor turned about for another engagement, they saw the Virginia had retreated, but did not pursue since the ship’s orders were to protect the Minnesota.
In the end, both the Union and the Confederacy thought they had won the day, but practically it was a Union victory, since the Coonfederacy failed to break the blockade.
The ships didn’t fight each other again, but neither of them lived to see the year 1863.
During the month of May 1862, Union troops occupied Norfolk. The Virginia was not seaworthy to enter the ocean and was too heavy to go up the river. Rather than risk it falling into enemy hands, the ship was destroyed by it’s crew.
The USS Monitor nearly saw the next year, but it was finally sunk during a storm on December 31, 1862.
The battle gained worldwide attention, and proved the power of Ironclad warships and the weakness of wooden ships. The way of conducting naval warfare was irrevocably changed that day.
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