Battle of the Ironclads 

This video describes the battle between the Monitor and the Merrimack. On March 8, 1862, the world's first ironclad ship, CSS Virginia, destroyed two wooden-hulled U.S. warships at Hampton Roads. This battle revolutionized naval warfare by proving that wooden vessels were obsolete against ironclads. The next day the Union's first ironclad-the USS Monitor-arrived and fought the Virginia to a draw, ensuring the safety of the Union blockade fleet.