In 1862, two experimental ironclad warships fought a battle that changed naval warfare forever
The era of wooden warships ended in a single day as two ironclads clashed in a historic stalemate that rendered every other navy in the world obsolete overnight.
The Battle of Hampton Roads in 1862 marked the first time ironclad warships engaged in combat. The low-profile USS Monitor and the heavy CSS Virginia pounded each other for hours with heavy cannon fire, but the shells simply bounced off their metal plating. While the battle ended in a tactical draw, its impact was global and immediate.
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