Monitor became the Union's model ironclad and served on the James River in support of the Peninsula Campaign. Its river service suited the shallow-water strengths built into the design. Ordered south for blockade duty, it foundered while under tow in a storm off Cape Hatteras on 31 December 1862, exposing the same low-freeboard weakness described earlier in the lecture. The wreck's 1973 discovery and partial salvage connect the ship's famous combat career with the material evidence preserved at the Mariners' Museum in Newport News. Its short service history links design compromise, operational employment, loss, and modern preservation.
Notable Point · 15:23-16:50
Monitor's short service and long preservation story
After Hampton Roads, Monitor supported the Peninsula Campaign before a storm off Cape Hatteras exposed the limits of its coastal design.