Battle of Monitor and Merrimack, also known as Battle of Hampton Roads, (March 9, 1862), naval encounter at Hampton Roads, Virginia, a port at the mouth of the James River, in the American Civil War, as history’s first duel Among notable ironclad warships and the beginning of a new era of naval warfare. Who won the Battle of Monitor and Merrimack? American Civil War, March 9, 1862
Who won the Battle of Monitor and Merrimack? American Civil War, March 9, 1862
The Northern-built Merrimack, a conventional steam frigate, was salvaged by the Confederates from the Norfolk Navy Yard and reentered Virginia. With her upper hull cut away and iron armored, this 263-foot (80.2-metre) masterpiece of improvisation resembled, according to one contemporary source, “the roof of a floating barn”.
Commanded by Commodore Franklin Buchanan and supported by several other Confederate ships, Virginia virtually destroyed the Union fleet of wooden warships off Newport News, Virginia on March 8, destroying the sloop Cumberland and the 50-gun frigate Congress, while The frigate Minnesota ran aground.
The Union ironclad monitors under the command of Lieutenant John Worden arrived that night. This 172-foot “Yankee Cheese Box on a Raft”, with its water-level deck and armored revolving gun turrets, represented an entirely new concept of naval design.
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Thus, the stage was set for the dramatic naval battle of March 9, with crowds of Union and Confederate supporters watching from the decks of nearby ships and on both sides. Shortly after 8:00 a.m. Virginia opened fire on Minnesota and Monitor appeared. They went back and forth in opposite directions. Both crews lacked training; The firing was ineffective.
The monitor could fire only once every seven or eight minutes but was faster and more efficient than its larger rival. After additional action and reloading, the pilothouse of the Monitor was hit, causing splinters of iron to enter Worden’s eyes.
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The ship drifted in shallow water, and Virginia, concluding that the enemy was incapacitated, turned to attack Minnesota again. But her officers reported low ammunition, leaks in the bow, and difficulty maintaining steam. At about 12:30 Virginia left for her Navy Yard; The fight was over.
Virginia’s spectacular success on March 8 not only ended the heyday of wooden navies but also enthralled the South and raised false hopes that the Union blockade might be broken.http://www.histortstudy.in
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The subsequent battle between the two ironclads was generally interpreted as a victory for Monitor and created a feeling of combined relief and excitement in the north. While the battle was inconclusive, the profound effect it had on morale in both areas is difficult to exaggerate.
The two ironclads once again faced each other on April 11, 1862, but did not engage, neither willing to fight on the other’s terms. The Union side wanted the encounter to take place in the open sea. On the other hand, Virginia tried unsuccessfully to lure Monitor into another battle in Hampton Roads Harbor.https://studyguru.org.in
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Who won the Battle of Monitor and Merrimack?
On May 9, 1862, following the Confederate evacuation of Norfolk, Virginia was destroyed by her crew. The Monitor was lost with 16 crew on board during a gale at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, on December 31, 1862. debris.
USS Monitor declared victory as it had prevented the Confederate ironclad from destroying any more Union wooden warships. and CSS Virginia also claimed success as it damaged Monitor, destroyed five ships, and remained to guard Norfolk and the James River during the first two months of the Peninsula Campaign of 1862.
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