„Monitor“ – the American ironclad

"Monitor" was designed by the Swedish constructor John Erickson, who worked in the USA. It was ordered by the United States Navy on October 4, 1861, during the Civil War, when it was necessary to quickly build an ironclad, that could oppose the Confederate ironclad CSS "Virginia", which was not similar to any ship, built before it. The "Monitor" also had no prototype, and featured very low sides, that were armored with 127 mm thick iron plates. Only a small part of the side rose above the water, making the ship difficult to hit. But on the other hand half of her seaworthiness was completely unsuitable and she was considered a coastal or river vessel. For the first time, the entire armament of the ship was placed in an artillery turret, which mounted two 279 mm guns. The turret rotated on a central axis, but it had to be lifted slightly, before it could be rotated. Turret was the only feature of the ship, that protruded above the deck apart from a small conning tower forward and a collapsible stack. The ship was launched on January 30, 1862 in New York, and completed on March 6 of the same year. On the same day, without any trials, the "Monitor" sailed on her first combat trip to Hampton Roads Bay. On March 9, he clashed with his arch-rival CSS "Virginia" here. It was the first battle of armored ships in the world. During the battle, the "Monitor' was hit 22 times, the "Virginia" about 20, but none of the shells penetrated the ships' armor and the battle ended without a winner. The "Monitor "was commanded by Lt. John Warden, who was wounded in action. Following the "Monitor's" successful debut, the US Navy built 10 more upgraded "Passaic"-class armored ships, and other nations also began building similar vessels. After this battle, the "Monitor" continued to shell Confederate artillery coastal batteries and fortifications in May and July 1863. On December 31, 1862, while being towed to a blockade in the Carolinas, she sank in a storm in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Hatter. 16 sailors died. In 1974 the remains of the "Monitor" were found and some of its parts were raised.

A simple, but well-designed and accurate model of the ship, suitable even for modelers with little experience, working under the supervision of a more experienced colleague. There is a color reserve, where necessary, the details are double-sided printing.