Existing comment:
The Navy Mural
Hoffbauer depicts the March 8, 1962, battle in which the world's first ironclad ship, CSS Virginia, sank two wooden-hulled U.S. warships -- USS Cumberland and USS Congress -- at Hampton Roads, proving that wooden vessels were obsolete. The next day the Union's first ironclad -- USS Monitor -- fought the CSS Virginia to a draw, ensuring the safety of the Union blockade fleet. |