It was the first recorded naval battle between ironclad (ships with iron hulls) ships.
Until that battle, all others had been between wooden sailing vessels, or the occasional ironclad against wooden sailing vessel. It signified a new era in naval warfare.
On March 9, 1862
It was the first battle between ironclad ships.
The battle between the USS Monitor and the formerly known Union ship called the USS Merrimack, was the first ever battle between ironclad warships. The Merrimack had been reconstructed as an ironclad and renamed the CSS Virginia. Although the Monitor received the most damage between the two ships, for all practical purposes it was a draw.
The battle that occurred between the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia was significant because it was the first between ironclad warships. The battle occurred in 1862.
The fight between the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia (Merrimack) took place March 9, 1862 during the Battle of Hampton Roads. Neither ship could gain the upper hand in the battle and it is considered a draw.
Merrimack is a river that flows through New Hampshire and Massachusetts. It is also the name of a Naval fight fought in 1862 during the Civil War between the Union Monitor and the Confederate Virginia.
The battle was the first one fought between two ironclads and signed the unrestrainable decline of the wooden warship's era.Furthermore, after the battle the Virginia didn't dare to fight against the Monitor again.Read more: What_was_significant_about_the_merrimack_v_monitor
The Union Monitor and the Confederate Merrimack, renamed the Virginia, traded blows in Hampton Roads for several hours but neither was able to disable the other. Eventually both ships retreated to their bases, the Virginia more the worse for wear, and never met again.
AnswerIt was the first battle between ironclad warships.Monitor vs. Virginia (converted from the Merrimack)The battle between the Monitor and Virginia was important because it was the first naval battle where the ships involved used armored plating.
The significance of the former USS Merrimack was that it became a powerful Confederate ironclad that effected the Peninsula campaign in 1862. The "new" CSS Virginia caused problems for US troops scheduled to land on the east coast of Virginia. The CSS Virginia destroyed several Union warships. Then, the USS Monitor entered Hampton Roads and caused the world's first battle between ironclads to be fought.
If the question asks only about the crews of the two ships, the Monitor had a crew of 59, and the Merrimack had 320, but the entire two-day Battle of Hampton Roads involved thousands more. The Merrimack was joined by five CSN gunboats, and there were five USN warships at Hampton Roads. [The Merrimack sank two of them before the Monitor arrived.]
The battle was fought in Hampton Roads, Virginia, between the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia. The Virginia had been originally built as the USS Merrimack but the name was changed when the ship was taken by the Confederacy. The Monitor prevailed in the battle. The Virginia was not destroyed but was damaged enough that it was never used in battle again.