MONITOR AND MERRIMACK, BATTLE OF THE


Meaning of MONITOR AND MERRIMACK, BATTLE OF THE in English

(March 9, 1862) Naval engagement in the American Civil War at Hampton Roads, Va.

The Merrimack , originally a federal frigate, had been salvaged by the Confederates, fitted with iron armor, and renamed the Virginia . It sank several wooden Union warships before meeting the Union's Monitor . After a four-hour battle, both ships were damaged, but each side claimed victory. Both ships were destroyed later in 1862, the Virginia by its crew to avoid capture and the Monitor in a storm. The battle is notable as history's first duel between ironclad warships and as the beginning of a new era in naval warfare.

Britannica English dictionary.      Английский словарь Британика.