Battle of the Hampton Roads - The Fury of Iron and Steam

The first ironclad vs ironclad battle is reviewed, along with the origins of the ships and some of the myths and legends about this historic battle.
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Music - / ncmepicmusic

[@Drachinifel]

Pinned post for Q&A :)

[@Ex-LDS]

Drachinifel Q&A: where was the second airplane of the Graf Spee stowed? In parts below?

[@hooey5870]

How plausible is Popular Mechanics 1940 "Battleship of the Future" concept such as in terms of design and combat viability?

[@HaydenLau.]

What countermeasures did warships have against torpedos, other than avoidance and the torpedo defence system. Were there any doctrinal methods to deal with live fish? You mentioned that a Japanese pilot dove into the sea into the path of a torpedo headed for the Taiho, were there any other examples of this? How did rough waters and tides affect the accuracy of torpedos? Lastly, why weren't torpedos shot out of the water with secondary guns or AA?

[@captaindusty4884]

Notable actions of the Soviet Navy during WW2 since this topic isn't nearly as discussed as other navies. Same goes for the French and the Dutch.

[@johnfisher9692]

While absorbing the lessons in this video I had this thought. What would have happened if the Union navy had decided to concede the coast to the CSS Virginia and adopted a distant blockade similar to the one used by the British in WW1? The Union ships could have intercepted any Confederate ships trying to get through and dared the Virginia to come on out and fight on the open sea. Would the CSS Virginia have been seaworthy enough to survive chasing ships at sea or remaining afloat after battle with Union steam frigates?

[@Kardia_of_Rhodes]

It's like watching two alcoholics try to knock each other out using only Hulk Hands.

[@whynot-tomorrow_1945]

underrated comment xD

[@scottmcintosh4397]

Alzheimer's victims in a whorehouse 😂😅

[@jasoncarswell7458]

The Monitor was much more technologically advanced in terms of design, but I cannot imagine the terror of her crew having to operate such an unseaworthy craft. It VERY nearly sank on the way to Hampton Roads and ended up sinking that same year from the same cause (with 16 men and 4 officers still aboard). The CSS Virginia was a grossly underpowered barn-on-a-barge but when it came time for her to die, it was by logical suicide, with no losses to her crew.

[@sorsorsor11]

and later by effort inventing the nuclear bomb. So it worked out good for them.

[@arashimiyazawa8165]

@@jasoncarswell7458 To be fair, the MerriVirginiac was equally unseaworthy. It just had the good fortune of having been built in the same harbor it fought in. That's why they ended up blowing it up when they lost control of the harbor rather than sailing it to Charleston or Savannah or some other port to try and break the blockade there. They didn't think it could actually make it very far once it left gentle waters.

[@pandoranbias1622]

"So how'd you get tinnitus?" "I sat in a metal box and got shot at by cannons for hours."

[@daveybernard1056]

I suppose you could call our Eastern Seaboard the Eastern Front.

[@erikjarandson5458]

"They say you served on the Monitor?" "What?" "They say you served on the Monitor!" "What?" "THEY SAY YOU SERVED ON THE MONITOR!" "What?"

[@Copainization]

Grandpa was said to suffer the jitters. Today it's known better as PT stress. A bit like a concussion.

[@pedrolopez8057]

@@erikjarandson5458 I CAN'T HEAR YOU I SERVED ON THE MONITOR!

[@Zain-fi]

WHAT!?!

[@bearsamoyed]

All hail the battle-cheese!

[@noname-wo9yy]

Waves to the ship as it passes, spontaneously sinks

[@bskorupk]

" Ironclad Attack! " "..Throw the CHEESE!!!!! " "... yea...!"

[@octaviocuesta1155]

@@bskorupk Best. Throwback. Ever.

[@kevinagnew1519]

Weaponized Limburger cheese

[@Jan-mu6vs]

Sounds like a name a Dutch ship would proudly bear.

[@hatchcrazy]

When looking at the designs of both _Monitor_ and _Virginia_ it's important to remember that breaking the blockade was not the only useful thing a shallow-draft ironclad could do in that area. Both Richmond and Washington DC sit on tributaries to the enormous Chesapeake Bay, which despite the name is an estuary with an average depth of just over 20 feet. So neither _Monitor_ nor _Virginia_ needed to dare even the Atlantic coast to raise absolute havoc; just gaining command of the Chesapeake would allow either side to maneuver near the other's capital with impunity.

[@ryanmorley8211]

Right, just that influence alone could determine the outcome of the war for both sides, not just naval domination but on land as well.

[@rangerman9241]

Proud to call the Chesapeake my home

[@voxxpopuli1649]

The salvaged remains of a Merrimack style vessel are on display at Vicksburg, Mississippi... The data reads; Salvaged from the Mississippi / Yazoo Rivers... Viewing the firing distance from the top of the Confederate cannon outpost, down to the river, is amazing...

[@nathanalday3062]

@@voxxpopuli1649 The _USS Cairo_. Sunk by a sea mine, then called torpedoes. Considerably smaller than the Merrimack, I think?

[@simulatedpilot3441]

Yeah at that time there was no channel to run was there. Love the Chesapeake Bay

[@Vagus32000]

My favorite description of the start of the battle is as follows: “The Monitor sailed towards the Virginia, looking every bit like a small dog rushing to protect a tall stag from a lumbering bear.”

[@seregrian5675]

I remember reading this in elementary school, in the 1970's!

[@malsypright]

24:23 so they were literally 360 no-scoping the Virginia

[@gabeking9444]

Does this mean the union were the first to make the 360 no-scope?

[@frednel4326]

Well doctors never had scopes in those days..they used there hands clamps to scope a virginia 😂😂😂

[@CuttySobz]

What do you mean 360?

[@jacobrzeszewski6527]

Except instead of bass boosted dubstep, there was a rhythmic steam engine and at least one crew member beat-boxing to it.

[@TheRealBirdmann]

No because there wasnt a scope installed to even use

[@jacobrzeszewski6527]

This is literally the most American naval battle I could ever imagine. They took the shit they had laying around and started raising hell with it. So American.

[@foo219]

Also a lot of ships running aground, nearly sinking, and generally being at least as dangerous to their crews as to their enemies...

[@testtestesen9702]

🤠

[@charliesthill4790]

@@foo219 actually , by that wording. "dangerous to their own crews" . there design makes them very 1940s german ideas.

[@n0denz]

*Southern All it's missing is an angle grinder.

[@KeithHearnPlus]

Sounds kind of like an episode of the A-Team.

[@csours]

5:30 I'd be pretty salty if someone burned my top.half too

[@buzzywatkins]

Cameron Sours p

[@barleysixseventwo6665]

That was terrible. Upvoted.

[@jamespocelinko104]

USS Monitor: the deadliest merry-go-round in history.

[@andreibogorodski288]

Virginia: less agile then a random glacier Also Virginia: "Dear Rose, our captain ordered us to turn the ship around and back to port, with some luck ill see you at Christmas, 2 years from now. With all my heart, your beloved sailor"

[@connormclernon26]

You thought it was Merrimac, but it was I, Virginia!

[@irenerivera4827]

Why is the Iowa posting this

[@connormclernon26]

Irene Rivera Wisconsin actually

[@g.55centaurosimp18]

Both ships upon receiving each other’s fire: *MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDAAA*

[@snakes3425]

She was originally named Merrimac but was renamed Virginia when the Confederates rebuilt her

[@cliffcampbell8827]

I kept thinking it was the Merrimack that was attacking the blockade. I totally forgot the confederates renamed it.

[@oliversmith9200]

After hearing about the rotation in use, I want to see the turret painted as a merry go round and sent to battle.

[@Paladin327]

whenever the turret spins speakers should play "you spin me right round baby right round..."

[@willandersen3695]

Paint wouldn't last 🤷‍♂️

[@tomservo5347]

@Herbert Norkus I got it-paint it like a shooting gallery with ducks that go round and round.

[@spikespa5208]

Paint fake gunports on the opposite side. Let 'em wonder.

[@drtidrow]

The turret was built very much like a typical carousel, with the entire thing being suspended from a central shaft.

[@dndboy13]

that turret sounds like the most frustrating thing to operate in even the best conditions

[@KittycatKye]

It was.

[@sergarlantyrell7847]

I never realised this was only about 40 years before HMS Dreadnought was launched!

[@stacyhamilton2619]

44 years. Wait until I tell you about what Orville saw happen to airplanes in the 44 years and 1 month between Dec 1903 and his death in Jan 1948.

[@KlunkerRider]

Warships of this period had an effective lifespan of 5-10 years before they were rendered technologically obsolete by the rapidly expanding science of warship design, Dreadnought herself was obsolete withing 5 years of building by the super-dreadnought.

[@jic1]

@@stacyhamilton2619 I've often said that if firearms had developed as quickly as aircraft did, the Mongol hordes would have been equipped with assault rifles. It's really shocking how quickly aircraft developed, even with two world wars to hurry them along.

[@jic1]

@@therake8897 True; but even so, aircraft developed at a much faster rate. By the way, I imagine that the Spitfire would probably be useful in a close support/counterinsurgency role even today. Also, the B-52 and Tu-95 are only 16 years younger than the Spitfire, and are still in regular use by major militaries. The C-130 is only 18 years younger, and is not only still in use, but still in production! (obviously, the 'ages' I'm giving for these aircraft don't include things like avionics and weapons systems)

[@Jamie-kg8ig]

@@therake8897 I mean bolt actions are still obsolete. But semi-autos are totally not obsolete in war at all. Are assault rifles a lot better? Yeah but semi-autos are still pretty useful. But yeah the US has been using the AR-15 for almost 60 years now.

[@nolunchiseverfree]

Upvoted for spinning seal... and the usual outstanding quality.

[@tomservo5347]

What's the name of that terminally happy theme music? It's so schloppy I was laughing uncontrollably.

[@danthelad3585]

@@tomservo5347 just search spinning seal

[@roundy_roundy6064]

That was so unexpected and went on for an unusually hilarious amount of time.

[@mrmoore2050]

16:12 The spinning seal is no more! KZbin perfidy I say! A foul deed that must be decried. I mean, still a good video though.

[@ThatSlowTypingGuy]

So that's what went missing.

[@SnowmanTF2]

"USS Galena - Possibly the single worst ironclad in history" - I am glad this already has a follow up episode, since this totally has me sold on finding out what went wrong

[@craigkdillon]

When you said, "The Congress was ineffective", for a moment I thought you were making commentary on our government. I soon realized you were talking about a ship.

[@gangfire5932]

Why can't it be both? :P

[@richardzehrung9776]

Accurate for either

[@edstyer2566]

Craig Dillon or both?

[@TheNavyShark]

I mean...that wouldn't be a wrong statement.

[@jamesharris4695]

Both fairly accurate lol

[@salinagrrrl69]

Ages ago I read a first hand account of a sailor abourd Virginia who claimed the gunnery officer yelled in frustration on no dammage done, "DAMN! I'D DO MORE DAMMAGE IF I SNAPPED MY FINGERS EVERY 2 MINUTES!"

[@timesthree5757]

I also read an account of the helmsman yelling back up to the Command Officers. When he was ordered to turn tighter. Ask the cheese box if they could tie to on to us so we can swing around. If it would help.

[@Scarheart76]

Beware the harbor seal! It keeps going 'round and 'round! Wait...are you implying the Monitor was adorable?

[@nathanbrown8680]

Of course. It's cute as a button.

[@1Korlash]

I'd totally buy a Monitor plushie.

[@Cpt_Boony_Hat]

You see you people are why the USS Dictator was named Dictator instead of protector like we originally wanted to call it

[@craigkdillon]

@@Cpt_Boony_Hat WOW!!! I never knew that our Republic, our Democracy, our home of the free, and the land of the brave, ever had a ship called "Dictator". If we ever have a USS Trump, we may as well call that Dictator, too.

[@Grimmwoldds]

@@craigkdillon It referred to invocation of emergency powers. Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot were the people who attached the stigma to the title.

[@theeddorian]

One of the great ironies of the period was that a Spanish inventor was attempting to sell a design for a double-hulled, dual powered wooden submarine - the Ictineo II. The vessel was designed to operate to depths of about 30 meters. It had two different kinds of engines, a regular steam powered engine for surface operations and a chemical engine that generated oxygen as a by-product of operation. The vessel could be trimmed by weights that could be run fore and aft as needed. It would great to see a discussion of this and why the US and British navies dismissed the idea,

[@billwilson-es5yn]

The Americans had the Turtle during the Revolutionary War. I believe Robert Fulton designed and built a submarine in the 1820's. Southern engineers in Charleston came up with steam powered semi-submersible torpedo boats during the Civil War that were more practical than submariners. Those had a raised open superstructure that stayed above the water when the hull was submerged so the crew and firebox got plenty of air and the pilot a full view of his surroundings. It presented a small target that was difficult to see at night when those came up to spear a torpedo onto the side of a ship. Those would've been successful if the engineers had access to new steam engines since all they could find were worn out old ones discarded by industries. Those caught the attention of foreign navies since those could approach larger vessels with a small chance of being hit then being below the reach of their guns when closer to release a torpedo powered by compressed air.

[@sirrliv]

16:12 - 16:37 This is why I love Drachinifel: Factually accurate, great attention to detail, and an incredible sense of humor.

[@davidanderson8989]

That section got cut! :(

[@mrmoore2050]

@@davidanderson8989 I know! I came to comments to decry that the spinning seal is no more!

[@benjaminepstein5856]

@@mrmoore2050 I'm watching this for the first time and I guessed that that's what was originally there

[@michimatsch5862]

Why was it cut though? I didn't even know this was possible for an uploaded video (apart from deleting it and uploading it again).

[@WatcherMovie008]

@@michimatsch5862 if a video gets flagged for copyrighted material, you have an option to either: A) Dispute the claim (which 99% of the time never works because KZbin is a massive pos that caters to the big companies and just get automated bot replies if you do) B) Have KZbin cut out the section of the video which has the supposed "copyrighted material" which will removed the bit from the video entirely without deleting the entire video

[@ghostface1529]

Fun fact the design of the monitor was meant to present as small of a target as possible to maximize survival and when the turret is rounded to deflect shot and the pilot house is fairly small it really worked as you only had the turret as the biggest target to hit

[@lucamckenn5932]

Not entirely the same but an apt comparison is trying to shot a handgun in someones hands versus shooting a rifle in someones hands. Both tasks have challenges associated but that size difference certainly adds to the handguns favor in this thought process.

[@afishynado6812]

Dear Dairy, Today we encountered battle cheese.

[@paulmanson253]

That needs to become a caption of a Gary Larson drawing.

[@carmium]

@@paulmanson253 With a note to the milkman or something? "Dear Dairy..?"

[@paulmanson253]

@@carmium That's about exactly it. Larson said himself he was never very good at drawing,but his off kilter images no one else thought of were just choice.

[@davidtuttle7556]

It was a smoking gouda.

[@scottmcintosh4397]

"GORGONZOLA, Creature from the East." 🐉

[@falloutghoul1]

11:37 I saw that. My sides are in orbit.

[@chrisc1140]

And it's even more fitting with the Monitor basically being a littoral combat ship, since taking that thing into open water would be an...interesting proposition, as its fate showed

[@Cpt_Boony_Hat]

Yah and the Independence class is about as useful as the Galanea

[@barleysixseventwo6665]

@@Cpt_Boony_Hat I'm not entirely convinced they didn't mean "Ignoramus class"

[@Cpt_Boony_Hat]

I like you. I wish I had seen this earlier

[@FaustoTheBoozehound]

LCS are a joke and a failure. Huge waste of taxpayer money.

[@Wolfen443]

Legend says, the moment they engaged each other every wooden and sailed warship in the world became obsolete.

[@garethbaus5471]

Arguably the moment either one of them or really any passible ironclad was finished.

[@bagel4944]

It was in 1859 when Gloire was launched

[@keegantripp1245]

@@bagel4944 yes…but much of the European warships never saw combat, thus they’re relatively untested in battle damage.(idk much on any major naval combat between navies during the time period of the ironclads aside from Monitor vs Virginia. Correct me if I am wrong) but the fact that this being the first battle between two ironclads does warrant the saying as none of the European forces has had any chances.

[@paulfasching7417]

​@keegantripp1245 1866,the battle of lissa. Just 4 years later.

[@rickjohnson6559]

That's no legend. It's fact. The day of the iron clad was that very day. Look at world navies and what they do before our civil war was over ❤❤

[@t1t0s89]

upvoted because..the seal sought approval

[@renardgrise]

I've visited The Mariner's Museum that has the Monitor replica and also has the raised Turret. I can confirm that it is open to the public (though you can't go inside), and that it's a great museum trip if you ever get the chance! They have nice mock-ups of the Virginia and the Monitor in the Museum as well, that you can actually go inside and experience for yourself.

[@JoeOvercoat]

The nearby Military Aviation Museum (MAM) is a jewel in its own right, albeit about…you know, flying machines.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

only the rebs called the Virginia...to the rest of the world it's still the Merrimac...

[@lancerevell5979]

@@frankpienkosky5688 But in CSS service, it IS the Virginia.

[@Laotzu.Goldbug]

The world's one and only waterborne bumper car fight

[@joerogers4227]

I was stationed at the Naval Amphibous School at Little Creek, VA. in 1963-45. I worked in a building that we stated amphibious battles using models, a terrain model, slides and movie clips. We staged a recreation of the battle of Hampton roads as a special show. Models, narration , spot lights, civil war music. We had a great reception to the show. Lots of work and lots of fun.

[@philguer4802]

27:00 "You retreated first!" "You retreated second!"

[@kastandlee]

Me and my wife watched this video and enjoyed it very much. My wife is the military history buff in our family, and she wanted me to pass on that this is the finest and most detailed depiction of this battle that she's ever seen or read.

[@kane357lynch]

She should watch more of drach then. Him and mhv have helped to dispell a number of misconceptions the American school system taught.

[@kastandlee]

@@kane357lynch She does watch a lot of his videos.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

@@kastandlee the movie "Ironclads" does a good job of describing this fight as well as the characters involved....seem to recall a earlier b&w film that also featured this fight...

[@tonydenner8098]

My great grandfather was a chief petty officer aboard the 1880s Admiral class battleship HMS Howe. There is not a lot of information about this ship (and pre-Dreadnoughts in general) online but there were several innovations in turret / gun design and the total dependence on steam propulsion introduced around the time. I know that the Howe ran aground in Valletta Harbour and other pre-Dreadnoughts were involved in a collision during maneuvers in the Mediterranean during this period resulting in a great loss of life. The pre-Dreadnought era could be an interesting period for review from a number of perspectives.

[@taylormoore5098]

Howe interesting. I'll see myself out now.

[@frednel4326]

@@taylormoore5098 lol

[@fat_basturd5345]

The Galena was named after my home town of Galena Illinois. For a small town that is pretty impressive even if it was the worst ironclad. I suppose Grant coming from here had a lot to do with it.

[@connormclernon26]

Except at that stage of the war, Grant was a relative nobody

[@vincentrees4970]

Hey, a small town gave rise to a legend. Nice going, Galena Illinois

[@L0stEngineer]

"the battle cheese". That single line earned you a subscriber.

[@Nick-rs5if]

Virginia: *Enters Battle* Cumberland: "Why do I hear Boss music?"

[@anantr99]

Wonderful as always, Uncle Drach! When you said "With that, the first ironclad against ironclad engagement in history had begun", I literally got goosebumps remembering Jutland, Guadalcanal and Leyte Gulf.

[@BrassLock]

Jolly interesting details of the construction sequence of CSS Virginia and reasons for such a strange design. I never had any real knowledge of naval ship design, armour, armament or tactics until I subscribed to this channel. It is very educational and an eye-opener, thank you!

[@garrybragg7244]

How the Virginia was made helped her a lot

[@s.31.l50]

You are one heck of a funny historian. I like this style of episodes, a good amount of info on both the ships and the battle.

[@penkagenova7073]

And there is no end to humor

[@spartanalex9006]

Absolutely no one and not a single soul: Turret of the USS Monitor: You spin me right-round, baby right-round, like a record baby.

[@JoeOvercoat]

Watch out, here I come!

[@DeutschPorsche]

Well now you have to talk about the Galena

[@arashimiyazawa8165]

Her armor wasn't thick enough to reliably block shots, basically, so she got shot up by a shore battery. Saying she's the worst ironclad in history is a wild exaggeration. There were plenty of half-assed ironclads that were built during the war that were MUCH worse. The Monitor was even in that same battle and couldn't actually engage the battery because her guns wouldn't elevate high enough.

[@jadunandanadas3089]

Intro Sequence: 5 min guide to warships ww1-ww2 Time Bar and Title: AM I A JOKE TO YOU?

[@JediKnight19852002]

The full size Monitor replica is open for the public at the Mariners' Museum and Park in Newport News, VA. From what I understand, it was a graduation project for the shipyard's Apprentice School.

[@leeboy26]

16.24 -Wow, I've never seen an Icelandic warship before.

[@Dave_Sisson]

You may not believe it, but Icelandic patrol boats won the Cod Wars against the might of the Royal Navy.

[@Saturnus_Ouranos]

16:24

[@johnfisher9692]

Thanks for another informative video I had read about the half charge used by Monitor's guns. Thanks for clearing up the misconception.

[@mikeholton9876]

seems i recall the 15 inch dahlgrens were eventually deployed in some of the later monitors

[@frankpienkosky5688]

....little leery of those guns since the designer of the monitor had one blow up earlier killing the sec. of the Navy....

[@77gravity]

This was March 9, 1862. I watch the video March 9, 2019. 157 years ago, to the day.

[@testtestesen9702]

No that is not right

[@snuffeldjuret]

The joy (or sigh of relief) when you invent Ironclads in Civilization :).

[@Groza_Dallocort]

They do move slower then frigates and privateers though Civ 5 stats will say

[@kemarisite]

And then lose your first one attacking a phalanx along the coast.

[@snuffeldjuret]

@@kemarisite I don't let mine do such dirty work :D

[@razorburn645]

Submarines vs sail ships....

[@LordZontar]

The CSS Virginia was a brilliantly improvised design which turned not only upon armour but also a sloping casemate for its protection. The USS Monitor was the apex of American steam technology for the period, with 53 patentable inventions built into her machinery. But the battle was not only between these two prototype ironclads but also of handcraft v. industrial production. The Confederacy could only build by hand a comparatively small number of Virginia-type casemate ironclads while the Union could build several dozen one- and twin-turret monitors in shipyards. By the end of the war, more than 60 monitors were on the blockade line closing off every major Confederate port, while the Confederate Navy only managed to complete 24, powered by repurposed and underpowered machinery which limited their operations.

[@adamdubin1276]

At 16:22 I laughed so hard for almost the entirety of the rest of the video...

[@blubb9004]

That has to be the most hilarious naval battle in history.

[@subjectc7505]

I like how he threw some shade at the failed littoral ships 😹

[@robertpeterson1734]

As a young naval architect I must say your videos are great. Working while listening to these has been great.

[@samuelmartin865]

I was literally laughing out loud at the description of the monitor’s crew giving up on the turret control and just letting it spin freely while shooting 😂

[@archlich4489]

The whole battle must've been loopey. A nonstop comedy of errors.

[@lucamckenn5932]

We have cool new ships. Oh wow cool awesome great yeah. Do we know how to use it? Of course, silly, gun go boom.

[@kansascityshuffle8526]

The come at me bro fight that eroded into strategies involving reach arounds and wedgies

[@testtestesen9702]

Rather dirty and cunning.

[@justdustino1371]

Nearby, in the city I was born in, is the wartime home of Raphael Semmes, as well as a late 19th century statue of him. During the Union's struggles to capture this city in 1864-1865, three Monitors were lost to Raines' keg mines and remote detonated riverine mines. USS Tecumseh in the bay, USS Osage and USS Milwaukee ( a double turret Monitor) in the rivers. Two "tin clads" , armed and converted commercial paddle wheelers, were also lost: USS Ida and USS Rodolph. CSS Hunley was built in this city also, and shipped by train to Charleston.

[@seth1422]

The suggestion that US industry was primitive misses the mark by a couple decades. By 1860 the US had laid more than half of all the railroad track in the world, and had given birth to the American System of Manufactures (a term coined in Britain). The Monitor was built in 100 days by using modularity and subcontractcing in a feat of industry that would have been difficult for any shipyard on Earth.

[@Drachinifel]

US industry could produce iron to certain thicknesses in vast quantities but in early 1860 was not capable of producing the full thickness single armour plate such as that used on Warrior or Gloire. It was also not capable of producing the steel shot that RN guns were being issued with. As was the nature of the Industrial Revolution the US would catch up in these regards before 1870, eventually of course it would he the US that invented Harvey steel armour. In 1860-65 the US industry could make things in bulk but was not generally on the cutting edge of tech.

[@seth1422]

Thank you for the excellent response. I see your point. But I do think you are tilting your attention too much toward naval developments. I think already by 1860 that British observers were noting how “peculiar” the American industrial revolution was compared to their own. There was much more a flavor of everyone pulling in a different direction at once. America was a leading developer of the mechanization of agriculture, the creation of labor saving devices for the home (such as the consumer-household sewing machine), and of firearms. A delegation from the US Armory displayed interchangeability of American rifles to a Parlimentary committee. After disassembling 10 rifles made in ten different years and reassembling 10 functional rifles at random, the British investigators ordered machine tools from the American supplier at once.

[@Drachinifel]

@@seth1422 I agree with the comparison, generally speaking (although there always exceptions) European industry of the late 19th century was generally more technically advanced, but American industry was catching up and was demonstrating increasingly the ability to mass manufacture items on a vast scale that most European powers couldn't hope to match. Eg overtaking France as a naval power within a couple of decades of starting, despite France being one of the larger European countries and a major naval power for nearly a millennium prior.

[@Zarastro54]

@@seth1422 Do you know the name of the rifle they used for the demonstration? I would like to know.

[@seth1422]

It was the Springfield model 1842. The rifles in question were manufactured from 1844 to 1853.

[@davidtuttle7556]

"The fact that ducks spend much of their in in the water on the sea or river bottoms escaped him.

[@jimmym3352]

Excellent. Spent 4+ years of my life in Hampton Roads in the U.S. Navy. Drove across the bridge/tunnel many times, almost every day (I either lived in Hampton or Newport News as my ship was originally in Newport New shipbuilding when I first checked in). I wasn't a lifer, but I still enjoy Navy stuff. Proud of my time served.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

....only bridge I ever crossed that featured a sign that said "bon voyage".....a little scary out on that sucker at night...kept worrying about a ship going off-course and looming-up out of the darkness.....

[@frankpienkosky5688]

...every day?...those tolls aren't cheap...

[@russwoodward8251]

You are one of the finest historical documentarians on KZbin. Thank you very much.

[@dhnsou5337]

The inventors of tanks must have been like: Imagine warships "yeah" but on land "sounds cool to me"

[@Crimethoughtfull]

Like, literally, yes. They were called "Land Ships" in WW1. And, well, it seems to have worked!

[@kevinbyrne4538]

In 1903, H.G. Wells wrote the short story "The Land Ironclads" -- which predicted of the development of tanks.

[@BogeyTheBear]

When they were developed and tested in Great Britain, they were envisioned as and called 'land ships'. It's why they have nautical terms for their components such as a deck and hull. When they were shipped over to France for combat, their true nature had to be kept secret. So the shipping manifests listed the machines as nothing more than some tanks.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

@@Crimethoughtfull ....got a look at one of those suckers at the Patton museum....thing was as big as a house!.....

[@tommyestridge9301]

To fulfill her main mission, the Virginia should have just ignored the Monitor and attacked the remaining Union ships in the channel, breaking the blockade.

[@nikolajwinther5955]

@@couterei.1953 Are you a virgin? I'm not really interested. I'm just using it as a general term of abuse.

[@Gj23jk2]

Wouldn't have worked that way. The Monitor was bravely bulldogging for the stricken wood-clad USS Minnesota, guarding her and daring the Virginia to attack. The Virginia was incredibly slow and poorly maneuverable. There was no question of going AROUND the Monitor; if they wanted to keep killing that day, they'd have to go through her. And that turned out to be a mutually destructive exercise in futility. Tactical victory: Monitor. Too bad her crew had so little time to appreciate the matter before they drowned horribly in their leaky prototype boat.

[@Icetea-2000]

Nikolaj Winther What the hell is that discussion here

[@williamdaniels6943]

i dont think the merrimac could have effectively ignored the monitor and survived.

[@richardmj6015]

YES! YES! Tom. Always wondered why the confederacy didnt employ this tactic! Shoot me shoot me! cant hurt me! sez the Monitor; but I can still sink your damn wooden vessels!

[@Superuser009]

Great video. Congrats on 30k subscribers!

[@Driver-qt9jh]

HOW TO SIMULATE THIS FIGHT AT HOME: Monitor; put a gun on a roulette wheel and slap it on the top of an armored kids push-petal car, after the battle try and drive through a pit of cement and die Virginia; put armor plates on a forklift with a steering rack that's been sanded off, have a pistol poking out of every plate, use only rubber bullets. After the battle throw it into the same pit of cement the monitor went into. also, the battle starts at 5am, the first person to leave for lunch wins.

[@brucetucker4847]

My great-great-grandfather fought against the Monitor - not on the Virginia, but at the battle of Drewry's Bluff two months later when a Union flotilla led by the Monitor (and also including the Galena) tried to force the passage of the James River to support McClellan's advance on Richmond and were stopped by the Confederate battery at Fort Darling on top of the bluff for which the battle was named. The bluff is nearly 200 feet high and the Monitor couldn't elevate her guns enough to hit the Rebel batteries from close range, so she had to stand off at a considerable distance and her fire had little effect on the Confederates, while the Confederate fire inflicted serious damage on the Galena and the other smaller Union vessels. The fort's earthworks and several of the Confederate guns (which may have been salvaged from the Virginia) are still there as part of the Richmond Battlefield National Park.

[@viesturssilins858]

This was wonderfull! I learned so much I never knew I did not know. And your humor and high polish of the video made it extra enjoyable. Than you!

[@frednel4326]

I also never knew i never knew this..but now im glad i know i never knew this but now i know 👍😂

[@rodritchison1995]

A full scale model of the Monitor, plus two hundred tons of salvaged items from the wreck of the original Monitor, can be viewed at The Mariners Museum, Newport News, VA any day of the week.

[@asiftalpur3758]

OwO

[@mb2000]

Fun fact: In Star Trek, the starships USS Monitor and USS Merrimac(k) both belong to the Nebula-class and have rarely seen adjacent registry numbers (NCC-61826 and NCC-61827 respectively) as a sort of bringing together of the names. There is no Starfleet USS Virginia though.

[@rileyvolz9574]

All good things, start with a questionable plan, that is actually pretty useful. Just look at the first tanks.

[@scocon8658]

The term "Monitor" would be reused approximately 100 years later in Vietnam, when the United States would heavily modify LCMs to make them into shallow-water troop transports ("Tango" boats) and mini-battleships: Monitors of the Brown Water Navy.

[@westcoaststacker569]

Thank You for the informative video. Seems in hindsight it would of been best if Virginia ignored the Monitor and continued to attack the blockade ships.

[@AllanJTaylor]

The monitor replica is open to the public, but you can only walk on top of it, AFAIK it’s just a metal block with no actual inside. There are tons of pieces of the actual ship under restoration that you can see in their lab.

[@fatherthomas1575]

Virginia crew : How come they get a shuffleboard deck? Wait? Is that beer they're drinking?. Monitor Cpt to Lincoln: Virginia surrendered , no shots fired.

[@RayyMusik]

24:17 😆 I love your sense of humour.

[@Wolfen443]

I laughed out loud, that Seal turning around was hilarious, but ironic so the battle took place between a Confederate Turtle and an Union Seal. So, it was like the famous Battle of WWI that never decided anything.

[@johnhess351]

The spinning seal is missing in action.

[@stonegardner9380]

"This Battle Cheese was maneuvering to engage them" are the only words I needed to hear today

[@victorylibrary9597]

Excellent. Dahlgren's "bottle gun" referred to the significant increase in wall thickness (beginning near the trunnions for maximum blast protection), and tapering away toward the muzzle (where the reduced gas pressure required less material, and saved weight).

[@Maddog3060]

Now see, this is how history should be taught.

[@rickhobson3211]

Great series! This will form a great reference to people interested in this sort of thing. Well done!

[@mikeyzero2439]

"Armored Raft" is my new metal/bluegrass band.

[@matthiasfraser1617]

This was wonderful, thank you for your time and posting this. Hope to see more soon

[@uniwasamistake6334]

Everyone else: Finds something notable and entertaining in this excellent video Me: Wonders why the hell the specific body of water is named Hampton "Roads"

[@Rex12459]

Five minute guide* 36 minutes long

[@mikepotter5718]

It beats missing the details.

[@Dave_Sisson]

I'm not complaining. I usually don't follow American stuff, so I probably wouldn't have clicked on it if I had known who was fighting the battle... but wow... I've never learnt so much in half an hour or had so much fun learning it.

[@amerigo88]

Five minute guide (more or less)

[@nathanbrown8680]

Five minute guide to the ships of WWI and WWII, no less.

[@spikespa5208]

The best concise detailed description of the ships and the battle in a short vid. Well done.

[@jeffd1962]

What a great video Drach. Extremely well done. I have enjoyed every one of your videos. Thank you!

[@mattblom3990]

Fantastic video. Drach's dry humour is on full display. My favorite Patreon :)

[@TMacPen]

Having been on the propeller salvage team, and a history student (retired US Navy), you did a fairly good job, but it was the Navy that removed the advantages of the ship. First was the moronic stuffing of packing under the turret! In the trip past NJ, the packing was partially washed out giving horrible flooding that was only saved by the advanced steam driven bilge pump! When they lost the pump operations off NC later, they lost the ship. Second off, the turret engine was jammed into complete rotating after the battle started and that was eventually found to be a major advantage as it did pretty much spread any damage around while the Virginia did have some major damage to the support beams inside the casemate which might have eventually allowed the armor to break apart. At least one picture was out of order as the slope around the pilot house on Monitor was installed in the post battle shipyard. I do have additional details of other information if you like. (T. MacPherson, MM1(SS) Ret., Chief Eng. Merchant Marine Ret., NNSYDDCO Quality Control Coordinator)

[@theq4602]

Something not often mentioned is the Virginia's use of sloped armor. I think its odd that not many historians mention the significance of Virginia's sloped armor, even it if wasn't known at the time the advantage it gave.

[@theodoresmith5272]

Castles have sloped Armour. It was nothing new.

[@JostVanWair]

Tumblehome

[@raymondstrehl3679]

One of my favorite battles. Wonderfully done. I knew not of that particular powder measure,now I do. Thank you very much.

[@wrightflyer7855]

I thoroughly enjoyed this presentation. Thank you!

[@Tiger74147]

Good stuff! I would love to see an animation of the Monitor turret action. Anyone know of such a thing? I've also wondered why the Virginia didn't, at some point, just ignore the Monitor and continue blowing up wooden blockaders.

[@boiledliddo]

the Virginia also kept firing at the Minesotta. There's one site with details on how the Minesotta captain described the battle. He almost ordered the Minesotta burned to prevent it falling to confederate hands.

[@josepheller8395]

The mariners museum has a model of the turret and its steam propulsion drive.

[@freddieellis8449]

I’m surprised you didn’t mention the battle of Drewery’s Bluff which involves the Monitor. A small fleet of ships attempting to sail up the James River in order to directly shell Richmond. The confederate shore battery, high up on Drewery’s Bluff was able to repulse all of the Union ships, including Monitor, mostly due to not being able to sufficiently depress their guns enough to return fire. Monitor having to withdraw because of the huge amount of water thrown up by near misses ended up partially flooding into the air intakes for the boiler room.

[@model-man7802]

A small remedy for poor vision was a bucket of white paint and compass markings along with Bow,port,starboard and stern marked on the walls of the turret.

[@N0rdman]

Lovely job! Thank you for going through the details of CSS Virginia and USS Monitor design as so many don't really know and clearing up some of the misconceptions of the battle, there are so many sources and even books that claim that Virginia had railroad rails laid along the superstructure of the ship as armour, many other do a scant job at explaining what actually happened in the battle of Hampton Roads.

[@sirrliv]

Magnificent. Superbly told, thoroughly researched (no mean feat considering the volume of myth and misquoting that's dogged these ships over the past century), entirely factual, and delivered with a hilarious sardonic dry wit. This is why I love this channel. Bravo, sir. Bravo. If I may humbly slip in a possible request for a future Ship Guide, what exactly was so wrong with USS Galena to make her possibly the worst ironclad warship ever build?

[@Drachinifel]

She is on the list :)

[@sjonnieplayfull5859]

@@Drachinifel at least you refer to her as 'she' now. Nice 😁

[@21owlgirl72]

I think for being one of the first Monitors, they did a ok job with the tech they had. Id like to see a episide of later ironclads

[@frankpienkosky5688]

built in 100 days...something to remember

[@shorttimer874]

When this popped up, I initially ignored it, thinking I already knew all about this battle and it would take up more time than I'd want to spend on it. Glad I changed my mind, and appreciate that this was 'more' rather than a 'less'.

[@alexwest2573]

The duel between shore artillery and the man with the rifle would make for a cool oil painting

[@voxxpopuli1649]

IN THE 6th GRADE WE LEARNED ABOUT THE MONITOR AND MERRIMACK AND THEIR BATTLES... AS TO THE FIRE POWER, WE WERE ONLY TAUGHT ABOUT THEIR INABILITY TO DESTROY EACH OTHER... UNFORTUNATELY, AT THAT AGE, WE WERE NOT TAUGHT THE ENGINEERING ISSUES... BEING FROM CENTURIES OF DESIGNERS AND ENGINEERS, IT'S ALWAYS A BLAST TO REVIEW EVERY STEP OF CREATION... AND YES, THIS INCLUDES THE UNIVERSE ITSELF... THANKS FOR THE VIDEOS... ENCOURAGE THE LEARNING OF SCIENCES BY PHYSICS BY SPREADING THIS VIDEO WORLD WIDE...

[@michaelblaszkiewicz7283]

Great video, very informative, the fact that Monitor was built so fast and worked at all is amazing. How bout' Css Hunley next?

[@billbutler335]

Actually the Hunley was not a CSS, the ship was run by the Army and not the Navy so was not a Confederate States Ship.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

word is they had trouble getting the Monitor out of New York harbor...thing was zig-zagging all over the place....

[@mackenziebrock8137]

you finally did it! Thanks :)

[@TheGhoulishWeeb01kenzie]

RIGHT ON!! This is why i love this channel.. IRON CLADS very few surface warfare channels talk about these