NAVAL WARFARE

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 5372, 3 September 1904, Page 13

NAVAL WARFARE

A REAIINISCENCE OF THE FIRST FIGHT BETWEEN IRONCLADS.

Tlio fight between the Monitor and the Virginia tor tho Merrimac, as she was called in tho Northern States) is notable not merely from the fact that it was the first encounter that ever took place bowcon ironclads, but because it was in itself one of the most remarkable battles of a most remarkable war. The following account is given from data supplied by Captain Hunter Davidson, formerly of the Confederate Navy, who was second in command of the Virginia, and took part in this historical fight. This officer, who distinguished himself on many occasions during the. war, was also the first man to destroy a vessel by the agency of an electric torpedo.

On the outbreak of hostilities between North and South, the State of Virginia ranged herself on tho side of tho latter. At Norfolk, within the limits of Virginia, tho Cnitcd States Government possessed an important naval yard and depot of supplies. When hostilities commenced Norfolk was full of vessels of war and naval and military stores, including many hundred cannon. In order to prevent this valuable property from falling into the hands of the Southerners, who were then threatening Norfolk, tho order was given to destroy everything. In a few hours tho sky was lurid with tlio glare of burning ships, buildings and stores. It was a weird, awe-inspiring sight as tho waves leapt up the masts cf the burning ships and lit up the country for miles around, a- fitting omen of tlio terrible wasto of blood and treasure which was to take place in tlio stupendous conflict about to commence. Tim Northerners had to leave Norfolk so hurriedly that there was no tunc oven to save the ships in the harbour, and they were unable to make their destruction effective; a vast amount of property fell into tho hands of the Confederates uninjured or with but little damage done to it. AMONG THK VESSELS which had been partially destroyed to prevent their capture by the Confederates was the Merrimac, a large frigate. Sho was first burnt to tho water’s edge and then sunk, being then, so to speak, left for dead by tho Federate (Northerners). She was by no means dead, however, for tho Southerners resuscitated her; in other words, they raised her without much difficulty. Although her upper part had been de--stroyed, they found that she was admirably adapted for the purpose of transformation into an ironclad. At that time ironclads were now in naval warfare; in fact, they were as yet merely in the experimental stage. The so-called ironclads employed by the French in the Crimea were mere floating batteries, and the first British seagoing ironclad was tho Warrior, built in 18G0, two years before tho battle about to bo described. Tho fight between the two American vessels (Monitor and Virginia was the first in which rival ironclads measured their strength in combat.

Tho Southerners were painfully aware of their inferiority at sea to their enemies of the North, who remained in possession of almost tlio entire fleet when tho Union was split in two. They were further galled by a blockade which threatened to shut them out from tho markets of Europe. Hence their desire to possess at least ono ship of sufficient strength to destroy the entire Northern fleet and break the blockade. Nor wore fixes© hopes exaggerated; for had it not been for the timely arrival of the Alonitor there is little doubt that they would have been able to accomplish this with the A'irginia. which vessel on her completion might have claimed to bo the AIOST FORAIIDABLE MAN-OF-WAR in the world. Great credit is due to the South for the admirable manner in which they constructed an ironclad of tlio first rank with the most defective resources and out of tho most unpromising materials. The whole part of the vessel above water was sheathed with railroad iron, ingeniously interlaced so as to form an armour of great strength, impenetrable to any of the guns of the enemy which could be brought to bear on her. This armour was avraixged at an angle of forty-five degrees, completely covering her deck, so that the portion of tho vessel above the water resembled a manSfird-roof. She was armed with ten guns of the largest size, and tilted with a ram under the water-line, which could be driven into tlio side of an adversary. Owing to the defective resources of the Confederacy, it was some nine months before this novel engine of destruction could be got ready.

From time to time/feports of the construction ot this wonderful ship reached the Northerners, who on their part were not idle, for they wore also engaged in building an ironclad of an entirely different type from the Virginia, and there was a race as to which side should get their vessel ready first. The Federals aero well aware of the formidable nature of the ship which the South were preparing, and they also knew that it she could be got ready even a few clays before the Monitor (as they bad named their'oa-n ironclad) she would do a terrible amount ot destruction among the ■wooden vessels which composed their fleet. Tho South was determined to he first in tho field (or rather on the water), and with this object the number of workmen was doubled and the work was carried on night and day. Owing to this haste they were able to take the water a day before the Monitor arrived on the Been© of action, and oven on this single day the amount of destruction they wrought was so appalling that it may enable one to form some idea of the terrible castigation they would have inflicted on tho enemy had it not been for the timely arrival of THE NORTHERN IRONCLAD. So great was the hurry that the Virginia was launched literally from tho shipyard right into the battlefield. The Virginia, it may ho here stated, was the name which the Southerners gave to the old frigate Merrimac after they had raised her and converted her into an ironclad, although the Northerners always continued to call her by her old name of Merrimac. On tho completion of the Virginia it was found that she had serious defects. She could not bo driven at more than five knots an hour, and she was very slow in answering her helm. She drew twenty-three feet of water, which, owing to the narrowness of the channel and the proximity of the coast, put her in constant danger of grounding, while it enabled gunboats-of lighter draught to escape by taking refuge in shallow water where tho Virginia could not follow them. As the Virginia left-the dockyard on the day she was launched the shores were lined with excited crowds, proud to consider themselves the owners of the most

formidable ship of war afloat. They thought she was only on her trial trip; but it was a trial trip which was fraught with death to hundreds of brave men anti tho destruction cf an entire squadron, for, all unknown to the crowd, (he Virginia, which had just left the dockyard, was already on her way to meet the enemy’s fleet.

At Hampton Roads, on the Gtb of March, 1802, the Federal fleet lay at anchor, little dreaming of tho vicinity of their formidable opponent. It was a beautiful day. after a storm, and the vessels swungTazily at their moorings. About midday the officer in command of the fleet received a report that three steamers were in sight, and that it was evidently their intention to attack the Federal squadron. It was tlio redoubtable Virginia, attended by two smaller vessels. The'first ships to he encountered by the Southerners were the Congress and Cumberland, which were anchored close together at Newport News. The Virginia came straight towards tho hostile ships. She fired no shot; no man showed himself on her decks. Tlie Federal? assailed her with well-aimed discharges from their heaviest guns, hut they bounded harmless from her sides. Nearer and’nearer sho drew, steering straight for the Cumberland. A moment of breathless expectation ensued, as it became evident that it Mas the intention of tho Virginia to ram her opponent, an operation at that time quite UNPRECEDENTED IN NAVAL WARFARE. Watching her opportunity, tlio Southern ironclad, with full steam ahead, crashed into the side of the Cumberland, making (to use the language of a spectator) a hole through which a horse and cart could be driven. The water rushed with a roar into heil gaping side, and sho commenced to fill rapidly. Nevertheless, tho officer in command of the Cumberland continued tho unequal fight. As deck after dock was submerged those guns which still continued above water were fired, until the ship went down with her colours flying. Her commander was not on board at tho time, being engaged in a court of inquiry oil shore. As soon as he heard that the Virginia was in sight, he procured a horse and galloped off to Newport News, but arrived there just in time to sec his fine vessel disappearing under the water. Of the Cumberland’s crew one hundred and twenty-eight were killed in action or drowned while of those saved a large number were wounded. The Congress, which had been an eyewitness of tho fate of her sister-ship, now sought protection under cover of the land batteries; but in so doing she ran’ashore, .where she lay a helpless target" f6r the Virginia, which bored her through and through with shells, and finally set her on fire. Sho then surrendered ; but the officers of tho Virginia were unable to approach her in order to take possession, Giving to the murderous fire from the shore batteries within whose range she was. DURING THE FIGHT

Commodore Buchanan, the commander of''the Virginia, was wounded and dis aided, and the command devolved on Lieutenant Jones. Notwithstanding tho heavy armour of the ironclad, her loss in killed and wounded so far was twenty-one. Another of the enemy’s ships, the Minnesota, had also grounded, and tho Virginia now turned her attention to that vessel. It was evident that sho was completely at the mercy of the ironclad, and her commander had already prepared to set her on five and thenjabandon her, when the Viriginia, on the approach of night, drew off, intending to renew her work of destruction on the morrow. Tho nows of this eventful day was telegraphed all over the South, and caused immense rejoicing, for already in anticipation they saw the entire Northern fleet destroyed, the blockade raised, and tho seaport towns of the enemy laid under contribution. But their rejoicing was premature, for tho Virginia had only received half of her baptism of fire, and the following day was destined Vo be a still more notable one in tho naval annals of the country. As a matter of fact, while the unequal battle was raging in Hampton Roads, tho rival ironclad was already on her way to avenge tho disaster suffered by the North ; about nine o’clock the same evening she arrived on the scene, several hours after the withdrawal of the Virginia. She was designed by a Swede named Ericsson, and had, on account of her peculiar shape, been humorously described as a cheeso-box on a plank, for she presented a flat surface almost flush with the water, surmounted by a gun-turret and a small conning-tower. The construction of tho Monitor bad been ridiculed in tho North, so that it had been necessary to build her under private enterprise, her inventor add builders stipulating that they were to receive no pay unless it was proved that Gie craft could withstand the fire of THE HEAVIEST BATTERIES. Next morning the Virginia reappeared on the scene, intending to' give the coup do grace to the Minnesota. This latter vessel was in her old position; but alongside of her was a curious-look-ing craft which the Southerners at once knew to he the Monitor. The Northern ironclad steered directly for tho Virginia, wliereupon tho latter slowed down her engines os if to better survey her new adversary. As tho two vessels approached, the Virginia opened fire on her opponent, which was promptly returned. It soon became apparent to the commander of tho Virginia that the turret of the Monitor was invunerablo, and ns she was level with the water and had no broadside at which to aim, the shot passed harmlessly over her. Ho now directed his attention to tho . con-ning-tower with better result, for a shell struck directly in front of the sight-hole, and Lieutenant Worden, in command, received a wound in the face which temporarily blinded him. tho command devolving on Lieutenant Greene. After two hours of hard fighting the ironclads had been able to make no impression on one another, the armour on either side having proved to bo invulnerable. Lieutenant Jones, in command of the Virginia, thereupon determined to ram his opponent, or. failing in that manoeuvre, to grapple with her and board her. Owing to the defective steering-gear of the Virginia nearly an hour was spent in trying to bring her into the proper position to effect this operation, and the movement was taken by onlookers as an attempt to retreat, or at least as evidence that the Southern ironclad had been SERIOUSLY DAMAGED. When at last the Virginia had gob into the required position it was found that she could not get enough headway to effect a decisive blow, for her chimney had been so riddled with shot that she could scarcely get enough draught to keep her engines in motion. For the same reason the idea of boarding had to bo given up, tho Monitor proving too nimble for her opponent. While at close quarters, if not actually touching .her adversary, the Monitor fired two shots at the Virginia. So great was the concussion caused by this discharge, that

the crew of the after-guns were knocked over, bleeding profusely from the nose and cars. All tins while tho vessels were ■so enveloped in smoke that they were to a great extent invisible to each other and to the spectators on shore, who were following with breathless excitement tho progress cf a contest which was destined to have such an important bearing on the war. New and then, when one of the hostile .ships, in the course of her evolutions, emerged so far from life cloud of smoke as to ho distinctly visible, her appearance was greeted with ringing cheers by friends on cither shore or on board the vessels of the contending fleets. The fight had now continued for about four hours, and the Monitor evidently thought it useless to proceed further, as it had been proved that either ironclad was quire invulnerable to tlio other; she accordingly withdrew, while the Virginia returned to tho dockyard at Norfolk to repair her injuries, and to give an opportunity to her crew to take a rest after two days of hard and exciting fighting. Tiiis remarkable contest was decisive in more ways than one. It wrested from tho South their brief hopes of naval supremacy, while it gave a lesson to tho Bowers of tlio Old World by proving decisively that the days of old wooden ships of war were numbered. Acting on the hint, they commenced with renewed impetus the construction of armour-clad vessels, the practical history of which max' bs said to date from the famous combat between the Monitor and the Virginia. Both of tho vessels which took part in tiiis strange encounter met with a tragic end. A few months later, when Norfolk navy-yard was again evacuated (this time by the Confederates), the Virginia was destroyed to prevent her from falling into the enemy's hands while in the same year the Monitor was lost at sea.—“ Chambers's Journal.”