Pirates & Shipwrecks · Ironclad warship, 1862
USS Monitor
Off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
What happened
USS Monitor was a Union ironclad built during the American Civil War, with a gun turret that could turn in a circle. On 9 March 1862 it fought the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia at Hampton Roads, Virginia. Later in 1862 it sank in a storm off Cape Hatteras while under tow.
Why it matters
The battle showed that wooden warships were becoming out of date.
What came next
The wreck was found in 1973 and became a national marine sanctuary in 1975. Its turret was raised in 2002, and its relics are at the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia.
Did you know?
Monitor turned over as it sank and rests upside down on the seabed.
Timeline
- 9 March 1862Monitor fights CSS Virginia at Hampton Roads.
- December 1862Monitor sinks in a storm off Cape Hatteras.
- 1973The wreck is found.
- 1975It becomes a national marine sanctuary.
- 2002The turret is raised.