Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads was a naval battle during the War of Secession. It is best known for its climactic action on its second day, the contest between the USS Monitor and the CSS ''Virginia. This was the first battle between armored warships in the history of the world.

The U.S. Navy claims to have won the battle, though the C.S. Navy maintains that the action was inconclusive, pointing out that the Virginia attained its vague mission objective of inflicting "as much damage as possible" on the US fleet. What both sides can agree on is that it was a legendary battle that survived in the lore of both navies for decades to come.