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Monitor sank off Cape Hatteras on December A1,
1862.
16 of the B2 crewmen were lost in the storm.
Cache location: N35 36.38A W84 39.89B
The Anchors Aweigh series was placed in honor of the men of the
US Navy who have served in the defense of our country. Each cache
is dedicated to one of the warships involved in battle. If you find
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picture (by email, not in your log) of where you think the cache
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Because of the difficulty in finding suitable locations for some
of the caches, some puzzle caches were used so that the find icon
could be in a location separate from the cache. You should be able
to solve the puzzles with information on this cache page. I suggest
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USS Monitor
USS Monitor was the first ironclad warship commissioned
by the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She is
most famous for her participation in the Battle of Hampton Roads on
March 9, 1862, the first-ever battle fought between two ironclads.
The Monitor fought the ironclad CSS Virginia (the
former frigate USS Merrimack) of the Confederate States
Navy.
The need for an ironclad warship in the U.S. Navy began when the
state of Virginia seceded from the Union, and ships at the Gosport
Navy Yard in Norfolk were scuttled to prevent them from falling
into Confederates hands. The Merrimack was only burnt to her
waterline and was successfully raised by the Confederate States
Navy (CSN). Her hull, with new upper works added, including an
armored casemate, began to be refitted as Virginia. When
Gideon Welles, the Secretary of the Navy, found out about this, he
created a board of three naval officers to review designs for an
ironclad. Three ships were accepted, including USS Monitor,
designed by the Swedish-born engineer and inventor John
Ericsson.
Monitor was innovative in several respects, including the
first 360 degree rotating armored gun turret on a warship. The hull
was completely underwater and was protected by an overhanging
armored deck and armored "belt". Her keel was laid on October 25,
1861, and she was launched 118 days later.
She was most famous for her participation in the Battle of
Hampton Roads, where she encountered the Virginia. The
battle ended in a draw, but it ushered in a new era of naval
combat, the use of armored warships.
While the design of Monitor was well-suited for river
combat, her low freeboard and heavy turret made her highly
unseaworthy in rough waters. This feature probably led to the early
loss of the original Monitor, which foundered during a heavy
storm. Swamped by high waves while under tow by Rhode Island, she
sank on December 31, 1862 off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. 16 of
the 62 crewmen were lost in the storm.
Battle of Hampton Roads
On March 8, 1862, CSS Virginia attacked the Union
blockading squadron in Hampton Roads, Virginia, destroying
Cumberland and Congress. Early in the battle,
Minnesota ran aground while attempting to engage
Virginia, and remained stranded throughout the battle.
Virginia, however, was unable to attack Minnesota
before daylight faded.
That night, Monitor — under command of Lieutenant
John L. Worden — arrived from Brooklyn after a harrowing trip
under tow. When Virginia returned the next day to finish off
Minnesota and the rest of the blockaders, Monitor
moved out to stop her. The ironclads fought at close range for
about four hours, neither one sinking or seriously damaging the
other. At one point, Virginia attempted to ram, but she only
struck Monitor with a glancing blow that did no damage. It
did, however, aggravate the damage done to Virginia's bow
from when she had previously rammed Cumberland.
Monitor was also unable to do significant damage to
Virginia, possibly due to the fact that her guns were firing
with reduced charges as ordered by Commander John Dahlgren, the
gun's designer.
Towards the end of the engagement, Virginia was able to
hit Monitor's pilothouse. Lt. Worden, blinded by shell
fragments and gunpowder residue from the explosion, ordered
Monitor to sheer off into shallow water. Command passed to
the executive officer, Samuel Greene, who assessed the damage and
ordered Monitor to turn around back into the battle.
Virginia, seeing Monitor turn away, had turned her
attention back to Minnesota. The falling tide, however, prevented
her from getting close to the stranded warship. After an informal
war council with his officers, Virginia's captain decided to
return to Norfolk to repairs. Monitor arrived back on the
scene as Virginia was leaving. Greene, under orders to
protect Minnesota, did not pursue.
Tactically, the battle between these two ships was a draw,
though it could be argued that Virginia did slightly more
damage to Monitor than Monitor to Virginia.
Monitor did successfully defend Minnesota and the
rest of the U.S. blockading force, while Virginia was unable
to complete the destruction she started the previous day.
Strategically, nothing had immediately changed: the Federals still
controlled Hampton Roads and the Confederates still held several
rivers and Norfolk, making it a strategic victory for the
North.