by F D Mosley

Created on: February 15, 2009   Last Updated: February 16, 2009

A New Era Of Naval Warfare is introduced in The Civil War

Development and Deployment of the Ironclads

Every powerful, seafaring nation in the world was keenly interested in the historic duel that took place in Hampton Roads, VA, March 8 and 9, 1862. The war of iron against wood in the American Civil War, and around the world, however, had begun much earlier. Advanced abilities in shipbuilding and manufacturing ordnance and armament had been a catalyst in the drive to protect ships with armor for a few years before the dramatic battle between the Merrimac (christened the CSS Virginia) & USS Monitor took place. Great Britain and France had been experimenting with various vessels in an effort to create a ship covered in armor that could withstand bombardment by ordnance of the day and had succeeded in launching a few experimental vessels.

In his History of the Confederate Navy, Raimondo Luraghi, points out, "Naval constructors had learned that to achieve such an objective they had to solve the extremely difficult problem of reconciling protection, speed, firepower, and seaworthiness, any one of which tended to neutralize the others. The danger existed that a compromise among these factors might not guarantee enough protection, or speed that would enable a ship to choose between fighting or not, or adequate firepower. Finally, the heavy weight of armor might affect a ship's buoyancy; this, indeed, seemed the most difficult problem of all." (Pg 89)

Stanislas Charles Henri Laurent Dupuy de Lom is recorded as one of the very earliest to bring all of these issues to resolution. France launched the Gloire on November 24, 1859. Even though the Gloire was limited in many ways, compared to traditional wooden vessels, it was clear to all that this was the new conqueror of the seas. It was obvious that this new type of warship was able to sweep aside any wooden opponents she may face.

The fact that an ancient, efficient weapon could be resurrected was apparent, too. The ram had faded and disappeared from navy arsenals because ships powered by sails could not muster the power needed to make the use of the ram effective. Before sails became the primary means of energy, oars, sometimes multiple levels of oarsmen manning hundreds of oars, powered ships. They could generate enough momentum to effectively ram their enemy's ships, often fatally crippling them. Sails made this tactic obsolete. Now, with a steam powered warship, built strong enough to withstand the impact of ramming

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