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| Career | |
|---|---|
| Ordered: | 1861 |
| Laid down: | 1862 |
| Fate: | scuttled by crew |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | approx. 3200 tons (the data differ, 800 tons is unlikely) |
| Length: | 275 ft (84 m) |
| Beam: | 38.6 ft (11.8 m) |
| Draft: | 22 ft (6.7 m) |
| Speed: | 9 knots (17 km/h) |
| Complement: | 320 officers and men |
| Armament: | two 7 in (178 mm) rifles two 6 in (152 mm) rifles six 9 in (229 mm) Dahlgren smoothbores two 12-pounder (5 kg) howitzers |
| Armor: | Iron |
CSS Virginia was an ironclad warship of the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War. It was one of the participants in the Battle of Hampton Roads in March, 1862 opposite the USS Monitor. The battle is chiefly significant in naval history as the first battle between two powered ironclad warships, which came to be known as ironclads.
Prior to then, warships were made primarily of wood. Afterwards, the ships and naval warfare changed dramatically.
When the Commonwealth of Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861, one of the important federal military bases threatened was Gosport Shipyard (now Norfolk Naval Shipyard) in Portsmouth, Virginia. Accordingly, the order was sent to destroy the base rather than allow it to fall into Confederate hands. Unfortunately for the Union, these orders were bungled. The steam frigate USS Merrimack sank before she completely burned. When the Confederates entered the yard, they raised the Merrimack and decided to use her engines and hull to build an ironclad ram.
This new ship was named the CSS Virginia. She had an iron deck and casement, four inches (102 mm) thick. She mounted ten cannons, one in front and rear and four on each side. Further, the designers of the Virginia had heard of plans by the North to build an ironclad. Figuring that cannon would be unable to harm such a ship, and to conserve gunpowder, they equipped the Virginia with a ram—the first ship so equipped in over a thousand years. The Merrimacks engines, now part of the Virginia, had not been in good working order, and had not been improved by being submerged in the James River. The addition of a number of tons of iron did not improve the situation.
The famous Battle of Hampton Roads began on March 8 1862 when the CSS Virginia set out for Hampton RoadsHampton Roads is the name of both a body of water and the land areas which surround it in southeastern Virginia in the United States. World's largest natural harbor The water area known as Hampton Roads is a channel through which the waters of the James R. Despite an all-out effort to complete her, the ship still had workmen on board when it sailed. Supported by the CSS Raleigh and Beaufort , and accompanied by the Patrick HenryCareer Launched: 1853 Commissioned: 17 April 1861 Fate:burned 3 April 1865 General Characteristics Displacement:1300 tons Length:250 ft (76 m) Beam:34 ft (10 m) Draft:13 ft (4 m) Depth of Hold:17 ft (5 m) Complement:150 officers and men Armament:1 x 10 in, JamestownCSS Jamestown originally a passenger steamer, was built at New York City in 1853, and seized at Richmond, Virginia in 1861 for the Commonwealth of Virginia Navy. She was commissioned by the Confederate States Navy the following July, and renamed CSS Thoma, and Teaser , the Virginia took on the blockading fleet. The first ship engaged, the USS CumberlandTwo ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Cumberland after the Cumberland River. The first Cumberland was a 50-gun sailing frigate launched in 1842 and sunk by the CSS Virginia in 1862. The second Cumberland (AO-153) was a fleet oiler. The C, was sunk after being rammed. However, in sinking, the Cumberland broke off the Virginias ram. Seeing what happened to the Cumberland, the captain of the USS CongressFive United States Navy ships have been named USS Congress after the legislature of the US. The first Congress was a galley built on Lake Champlain, and that served as flagship in the Battle of Valcour Island. The second Congress was a 28-gun sailing frig ordered his ship grounded in shallow water. The Congress and Virginia traded fire for an hour, after which the badly-damaged Congress surrendered. While the surviving crewmen of the Congress were being ferried off the ship, a Union battery on the north shore opened fire on the Virginia. In retaliation, the captain of the Virginia ordered the Congress fired upon with red-hot shot, to set her ablaze.
The Virginia did not emerge from the battle unscathed. Shot from the Cumberland, Congress, and Union troops had riddled her smokestack, reducing her already low speed. Two of her guns were out of order, and a number of armor plates had been loosened. Even so, her captain attacked the USS MinnesotaTwo ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Minnesota in honor of the 32nd state and the river which shares its name. The first USS Minnesota a wooden steam frigate, saw action during the American Civil War, including an encounter with CSS Vir, which had run aground on a sandbank trying to escape the Virginia. However, because of the deep draft of the ship, the Virginia was unable to do significant damage. It being late in the day, the Virginia left with the expectation of returning the next day and completing the destruction of the Union fleet.
Later that night, the USS Monitor arrived. This Union ironclad had been rushed to Hampton Roads in hopes of protecting the Union fleet and preventing the Virginia from threatening Union cities.
The next day, 9 March 1862, the world's first battle between ironclad warships took place. The smaller and nimbler Monitor was able to outmaneuver the Virginia, but neither ship proved able to do significant damage to the other. Finally, the Virginia retreated up the James River, leaving the Monitor and the rest of the Union fleet in possession of the "battlefield."
During the next two months, the Virginia made several sorties to Hampton Roads hoping to draw the Monitor into battle. The Monitor, however, was under orders not to engage the Virginia and refused to fight.
Finally on 10 May 1862, advancing Union troops threatened to capture Norfolk. The Virginia was unable to retreat further up the James River due to her deep draft. So she was ordered burnt to keep her from being captured. Early on the morning of 11 May 1862, the flames reached her magazine and the ship was destroyed by a great explosion.
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