Review of "Duel Between the First Ironclads," by William C. Davis

 Review of

Duel Between the First Ironclads, by William C. Davis

Five out of five stars

While neither ship was destroyed, it was historic

 In 1862, two very oddly shaped and for the time constructed, ships battled in what was essentially a one-on-one duel. On the Confederate side was the former USS Merrimack, scuttled and then raised for the Confederate Navy. It was then covered with iron plating and renamed the CSS Virginia. On the Union side was the ironclad called the USS Monitor. On March 8, 1862, these two ships met in battle at Hampton Roads, Virginia at the mouth of the James River.

 The Virginia had already demonstrated how destructive it was as it previously rammed and sank the U S S Cumberland before the Monitor arrived. The Cumberland did not give up without a fight, but their cannonballs simply bounced off the Virginia.

 Davis does an excellent job in setting the background of the context, from the Union blockade of the Confederate ports to the struggle of the Confederates to find the iron and munitions to make the Virginia and arm it for battle to the irascible inventor of the Monitor, John Ericsson. A genius in and out of his own mind, Ericsson was almost impossible to deal with. Yet, the Union situation appeared to be so desperate, the officials, all the way up to Abraham Lincoln, gave him everything he wanted, including significant flattery.

 It is hard to overstate how historically significant this inconclusive battle was. It was clear to all that the days of the wooden battleship were over it now became a race to see who could develop the most powerful ironclad ships. Shortly after the battle between the Virginia and the Monitor, the decision was made by the British to build only ironclad ships from that point on. Given that the British navy dominated the oceans, this meant that all other nations had to follow suit.

 Most battles that demonstrate the power of a new form of warship lead to one side being overwhelmed. In this case, the battle was just as significant, but it was essentially a draw. Making it one of the most interesting naval battles that ever took place.

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