Compare And Contrast The Battle Of Hampton Roads

The Battle of Hampton Roads: Monitor Versus Merrimac

The Battle of Hampton Roads forever altered naval warfare despite ending in a draw. While the introduction of ironclad technology saw many changes to warship defense and gunnery, neither ship decisively won. This draw actually benefitted the Union in the Civil War effort. The Confederate States of America failed to utilize human intelligence assets, which in conjunction with their ironclad warship, could have led to a Southern victory in the battle of the ironclads. This paper explores how the Confederate States of America could have emerged victorious in the battle with the use of human intelligence thereby changing the course of the Civil War.

The U.S.S. Merrimac (a.k.a. C.S.S. Virginia)

This intelligence discovery enabled the North to react and build their own ironclad warship. In August, Congress authorized an “Ironclad Board” to accept proposals for their own ironclad warship. John Ericsson, a Swedish engineer, submitted his plan for what became the U.S.S. Monitor. The Union Navy constructed the Monitor at Green Point in Brooklyn, New York. A flat-topped, iron-plated vessel, the deck of the Monitor rose only 18 inches above the water line. The Monitor, at 172 feet long, was equipped with a revolving gun turret. Eight inch thick iron plating coated the turret, or “cheesebox.” The turret held the only guns on the ship – two twin Dahlgren 11-inch guns. ("Monitor vs. Merrimac Civil War battle",

On March 8, the Merrimac destroyed two Union vessels, the U.S.S. Cumberland and the U.S.S. Congress. A third, the U.S.S. Minnesota, almost met the same fate before nightfall. The Union also lost two small transport vessels and one schooner while most of the other ships sustained damage. The Merrimac’s path of destruction on March 8 was the worst defeat for the U.S. Navy until the attack on Pearl Harbor 80 years later. News of the day’s tragedy made it to Washington, D.C., via telegraph. Rumors ran rampant that Washington was the Merrimac’s next target. Unbeknownst to them, the Merrimac could not make that short journey. Her mission was to stay and finish destroying the Union ships at Hampton