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They could resist burning, withstand cannon fire, splinter wooden ships, and travel much faster than other ships.

The speed of ironclads during the US Civil War is questionable in its relation to the speed of wooden warships.

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9y ago

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Initially, wooden ships were "clad" with iron plates for protection against shelling. The most famous duel between ironclads was the battle of the USS Monitor against the CSS Virginia (Merrimack) which took place in the Hampton Roads off Norfolk, Virginia. The Union developed a great river fleet of ironclads and gunboats were built at Mound City, Illinois, for use on the Mississippi River and its tributaries during the Civil War. Some few commercial riverboats used as troop transports were piled high with bales of straw to protect soldiers from riverbank snipers. The had to be kept wet or they would catch fire easily.

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15y ago
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An ironclad was a type of battleship used during the Civil War.

in the year 101

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14y ago
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Q: What does the word ironclad have to do with the Civil War?
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