The Northern Star
Monitor Wins the War of the Ironclads
Monitor vs.Merrimack in a war of the ironclads
One day ago the war between the ironclads erupted. It took place just off the coast near Norfolk Navalyard, and was one of the most revolutionary naval battles in history.
The USS Monitor was actually considered small for a warship. It was only 172 feet long and 42 feet wide. The Johnny Rebs thought it looked like a floating shingle with a cheesebox on top. The north's ironclad Monitor had only two 11 inch cannons. They were massive, rifled cannons, and could fire many kinds of shot. The armor of the ship was a 2 inch thick layer of pure steel that protected it's impenatrable hull! The deck was only a foot above the waterline, with water always washing over onto it. A single armor piercing shot would kill the whole crew, because they were all below the water. The only man crazy enough to command this steel ship was Lt. John Worden.
The CSS Merrimack was originally a Union frigate. The rebs took over the abandoned shipyard at Norfolk, along with the scuttled Merrimack, at the shallow bottom of the ocean floor. It had 8 inch thick iron plating covering it's whole massive body. They also added an incredibly large battering-ram at the head of the ship to be used for ramming Union ships. The ship was then equipped with ten 12 lb. cannons. The rebels' ship stretched 22 feet from top to bottom, and was so big and slow, that it required a mile wide turning radius. The rebels changed the name from the Merrimack to the CSS Virginia.
After four and a half hours of exchanging "shell, grape, musket, and rifle balls," did no damage to either ship had occurred. Finally, the CSS Merrimack retreated back into the port. The USS Monitor did not chase them because of a small crack in one of their massive turrets. After all that, they decided the whole battle was unconvincing. We lost about 409 sailors, and the bloody rebs lost only 29 sailors. This battle impressed both sides, and they will probably make even more iron warships to add to their navy.