Hampton Roads 1862: Clash of the Ironclads

Osprey Campaign #103

by Angus Konstam, Adam Hook (Illustrator)

This Osprey title examnies the first naval conflict of the American Civil War (1861-1865). On 9 March 1862 the world's first battle between two ironclad warships took place in the confined waters of Hampton Roads, Virginia. The previous day the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia, impervious to her enemy's guns, had sunk two Union warships. When she re-emerged from Norfolk to complete the destruction of the Union blockading squadron the USS Monitor steamed out to meet her. The four-hour duel that ensued was a stalemate, but crucially the Virginia had failed to break the Northern blockade of the Southern ports. Nevertheless, in a single battle these two vessels rendered wooden warships obsolete and transformed the face of naval warfare forever.

Genres: American Civil War, Military History, Naval History, History, Civil War Eastern Theater, American History, Civil War

96 pages, Paperback

First published April 17, 2002

About the author

Angus Konstam is a Scottish writer of popular history. Born in Aberdeen, Scotland and raised on the Orkney Islands, he has written more than a hundred books on maritime history, naval history, historical atlases, with a special focus on the history of piracy.

Reviews

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

detailed explaination of the people and conflict during the hampton roads struggle