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They were the first heavily armoured warships. After news of the battle reached Britain we immediately made plans to rebuild the navy in the new armoured form.

They were not the first ironclads actually. Britain and France already had multiple ironclads in their navy. The real significance was that it was the first actual engagement of an ironclad in battle. It brought about the age of iron ships because it made wood obselete. It also kept the Union Blockade standing.

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12y ago
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15y ago

The Merrimac was a union vessel scuttled when the union abandoned Gosport- it was rebuilt by the Confederates and re-christened the CSS Virginia. It was rebuilt as an "ironclad" a new type of gunship that was Steam powered and entirely covered in Iron plates above the waterline. She was built to break the Union blockade of Southern ports that hampered Confederate trade with Europe and other parts of the world. The Monitor was a new Union Ironclad, and was innovative in that it had only two guns, but those gun were mounted in an armored turret. The first use of a turret on a warship. The monitor was also odd in that it was almost entirely below water, only a very thin deck and the turret stuck above the waterline, offering little to target for enemy gunners. The Monitor and Virginia faced each other In the battle of Hampton Roads on Mar 8 1862- and after hours of fighting, neither ship had gained advantage, however, the Monitor had successfully prevented the Virginia from further attacks on the more vulnerable Union blockade ships. Thus the Virginia and other ironclads were essentially nullified by Union deployment of Ironclads in response. The blockade held.

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16y ago

it was the first battle between iron clad warships in the civil war.

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Q: Why was the battle of the Monitor and Merrimack important?
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Related questions

What year was the battle between the merrimack and monitor important?

On March 9, 1862


Why was the battle between monitor v merrimack historically important?

It was the first battle between ironclad ships.


How many people died in the monitor and the merrimack battle?

261 people died at the Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack (renamed the CSS Virginia).


Who won between the battle of the Merrimack and the Monitor?

The Merrimac,


Where did monitor vs merrimack take place?

The monitor vs. Merrimack took place in 1862.


How many were in the battle between the Monitor and the Merrimack?

If the question asks only about the crews of the two ships, the Monitor had a crew of 59, and the Merrimack had 320, but the entire two-day Battle of Hampton Roads involved thousands more. The Merrimack was joined by five CSN gunboats, and there were five USN warships at Hampton Roads. [The Merrimack sank two of them before the Monitor arrived.]


Where did the battle of the Monitor and the Merrimack take place?

Hampton Roads


Why was the battle between the Monitor and the Merrimack significant?

1st battle btwn iron ships


Where was the battle of monitor v merrimack?

It took place into Hampton Roads.


What was to gain in winning the battle Monitor v Merrimack?

The first battle between ironclads at Hampton Roads turned out to be a draw. The battle between the USS Monitor and the Confederate Merrimack became a moot point as they never battled again. The South had to sink the CSA Merrimack as it took in too much water. The USS Monitor, was in a draw with the Merrimack, and eventually was lost at sea. As it turned out, the gains would have been minimal.


When was the battle of the Monitor and the Merrimack?

The CSS Virginia and the USS Monitor had their clash on the morning of 9 March 1862.


How long did the battle of monitor and Merrimack?

From about 7,00AM to about 14,00PM of March 9, 1862.