Hampton Battle Analysis

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The United States Navy has been involved in countless engagements since their creation in October of 1775. Throughout the Navy’s history, the importance of having advanced technology and superior leadership was their key to becoming a world power and staying that way. However, some battles see a greater emergence of new technology and leadership than others do. The Battle of Hampton Roads during the Civil War is one of the paramount battles that lead to the growth of the United States Navy, due to the fact this encounter between the Union and Confederate ironclad ships was unlike any other naval engagement that preceded it. On March 9, 1862 after a two-day intense struggle, the Union ironclad, USS Monitor, left Hampton Roads as the victor due to the impressive leadership of Lieutenant John Worden, innovative naval technology, and frankly pure luck.
On the morning of March 8, 1862, the CSS Virginia steamed into Hampton Roads looking to pick a fight. However, this ship was nothing like the other vessels in the harbor.
“The Confederate State Ship Virginia boasted no masts or spars, nor sails of any kind. The black smoke emerging from its single stack amidships marked it as a steam-powered vessel… To add to the menacing, even sinister aspect of this grotesque craft, its entire superstructure was coated with iron plate, four inches thick, bolted on top of nearly two feet of oak and pine” (Symonds 82). The CSS Virginia is a captured steam ship named the Merrimack, which the Confederate Navy bolted iron sheeting too. By adding the four-inch thick iron plates, the ship become almost invincible. As for the artillery on board, it had an iron casemate that spread the whole length of the ship and had eleven guns. The ironclad also boasted a fifteen hundred pound ram. Using a ram on a ship was not unique since it was first used by the Romans but had not been attempted since then. While in the bay the CSS Virginia sank three Union vessels which out taking a single casualty. From this, a new era of naval warfare had begun (Symonds 83-137). Being the first of its kind, the CSS Virginia expectedly had its drawbacks. At the time of construction the Confederacy lack the necessary resources to properly construct the ship of this nature. The Confederacy became so desperate for iron, “Brooke scavenged scrap iron, old smoothbore cannon, even tools, all of which was melted down into iron plate, but he still came up short. To make up the difference, the Confederacy began ripping up hundreds of miles of its own railroads, a measure of both its industrial weakness and its desperation” (Symonds 96). Since the iron plating need was constantly being delayed, the Union was giving time to catch up with their rebuttal vessel.
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To speed up the process iron plating was only put several inches below the water line, making the ship vulnerable. Another major drawback was that the twenty-two foot draft caused by the numerous iron plates restricted where the vessel could operate. The large draft caused numerous problems during the Battle of Hampton Roads since it was fought in a shallow harbor. In Buchanan’s report following the battle, he remarked, “during all the time her keel was in the mud; of course she moved slowly” (Smith 379) (Symonds 83-137). Since the USS Monitor was built in response to the Confederate’s vessel, it not only had to match the strength of the CSS Virginia but also had to surpass it in order to be worthwhile. With sinking the CSS Virginia in mind and the leaked design plans allowing the Union to predict armament needs. Due to the design plans of the enemy’s vessel, much more effort and planning went in to the making of the USS Monitor. Swedish engineer John Ericsson was the lead designer of the Union ironclad. Ericsson ensured it was built from the ground up in just ninety days and made entirely of iron, giving the vessel a leg up over its opposition. The key design feature that sets the USS Monitor apart from the CSS Virginia is the turret that measured “twenty-one feet across and eight feet high,

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