What kind of ship is a Monitor?

ironclad warship
Monitor, ironclad warship originally designed for use in shallow harbours and rivers to blockade the Confederate states in the American Civil War (1861–65). Built by the engineer John Ericsson for the U.S. Navy, the original vessel of this type was named Monitor.

What does a Monitor ship do?

A monitor was a relatively small warship which was neither fast nor strongly armored but carried disproportionately large guns. The original monitor was designed in 1861 by John Ericsson, who named it USS Monitor. They were designed for shallow waters and served as coastal ships.

Was the Monitor a Confederate ship?

NRHP reference No. USS Monitor was an ironclad warship built for the Union Navy during the American Civil War and completed in early 1862, the first such ship commissioned by the Navy.

How many Monitor ships were built?

Though Ericsson’s original monitor is well known, it is not commonly understood that it served as a prototype for several other monitors built during the Civil War. In all, including the original Monitor, sixty monitor type ships were constructed during the war, and of these thirty-seven were actually commissioned.

What is the USS Monitor famous for?

The USS Monitor was the Union Navy’s first ironclad warship during the American Civil War; it sunk in 1862 off the coast of North Carolina and became the site of our nation’s first national marine sanctuary in 1975.

Has the USS Monitor been found?

Little of it has ever been found. The Monitor sank in a gale on Dec. 31, 1862. Most of the 63 crewmen escaped.

Where is the USS Monitor now?

Today, the remains of the Monitor rest on the ocean floor off North Carolina’s Outer Banks, where the ship sank in a storm on December 31, 1862.

Can you dive the USS Monitor?

Diving the USS Monitor This makes the Monitor a difficult dive for even the most experienced technical divers. Currents can shift quickly and water temperatures can plummet from 75 degrees to 60 degrees (24 to 15 C) in just minutes. Depending on conditions, visibility also varies from zero to 100 feet (30 m).

How was the USS Monitor sunk?

Shortly after midnight on December 31, 1862, while being towed by the USS Rhode Island to Beaufort, North Carolina, the Monitor sank in a gale off Cape Hatteras. Its final resting place was designated as the nation’s first national marine sanctuary in 1975.

What was the purpose of the Monitor warship?

Monitor (warship) A monitor was a relatively small warship which was neither fast nor strongly armoured but carried disproportionately large guns. They were used by some navies from the 1860s, during the First World War and with limited use in the Second World War. During the Vietnam War they were used by the United States Navy.

Who was the inventor of the monitor ship?

The unique design of the ship, distinguished by its revolving turret which was designed by American inventor Theodore Timby, was quickly duplicated and established the monitor class and type of armored steam-powered warship built for the American Navy in the next several decades.

How did the USS Monitor get its name?

In Latin, a monitor is someone who admonishes: that is, reminds others of their duties—which is how USS Monitor was given its name. She was designed by John Ericsson for emergency service in the Federal navy during the American Civil War (1861–65) to blockade the Confederate States from supply at sea.

Where was the first Swedish monitor warship built?

Three months after the Battle of Hampton Roads, John Ericsson took his design to his native Sweden, and in 1865 the first Swedish monitor was built at Motala Warf in Norrköping, taking the engineer’s name. She was followed by 14 more monitors.