It was a clash that would change the course of naval warfare. During the American Civil War, the Union ship USS Monitor fought the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia on 9 March 1862, the second day of the Battle of Hampton Roads in Virginia. The encounter was the first time that ironclad ships engaged in combat against each other. The two vessels pounded on each other for nearly four hours at less than 100 yards, but, amazingly, neither ship critically damaged the other. The outcome was much different from what the Confederate Navy had experienced the previous day, when its iron-armored ship destroyed or damaged several wooden Union ships. Although the encounter between the ironclads was ultimately a draw, the battle signaled the end of the wooden warship. It was clear: Iron is superior.
On 31 December 1862, the Monitor was caught in a storm and sank 16 nautical miles off...
