uss monitor, first monitor (1861).
lópez fortified humaitá in era of wooden paddle-steamer warship. gloire, first ironclad warship not launched until 1859 , in france, intended blue-water navy; , no battles between european ironclads had happened.
however, evolution of navies in american civil war (1861–65) had fulfilled demand heavily armoured vessels navigate in river waters. battle of hampton roads, in iron-armoured union , confederate warships unable sink each other, dramatically demonstrated resistance heavy artillery. news of naval engagement arrived in river plate on 14 may 1862 , reported in buenos aires standard in these terms:
the 2 steel vessels commenced cannonade mile apart, without doing damage on either side. in less hour , half alongside, , raged terrible encounter both vessels enveloped in smoke. 2 balls monitor entered adversary s cuirass; wind cleared away smoke monitor seen running round merrimac, looking vulnerable point, vessels being 35 yards apart ...
the merrimac drove spur against monitor, received awful shock motionless , unhurt. close guns fired each others mouths: @ length confederate got wound made hail others tow norfolk. after terrible conflict several hours against heavy artillery, monitor showed few dinges , scratches. merrimac s spur scarcely marked side.
the superiority established of steel-clad vessels has caused immense sensation in america ...
the american sea-fight caused great excitement in england, since feared new invention rob country of naval supremacy. wooden men of war declared, in house of commons, useless, , admiralty had stopped fortifications , arsenals, devote attention construction of steel fleet 35 in number.
apart more conventional ironclads, brazilian navy order britain or france, noted americans had invented monitor, armoured, shallow draft, turreted vessel presented little superstructure enemy fire; monitors , built in brazil. time lopez ii fired first shots against brazil (december 1864) humaitá defences obsolescent latest naval weaponry manufactured or purchased. brazil enormous country , after war broke out have (and did have) @ least 10 ironclads.
that said, ironclad naval force, itself, unlikely pose strategic threat paraguayan nation. assuming latest ironclads past humaitá – did – did not follow unarmoured troopships so. without logistical support of invading army, ironclads not have operated far ahead of lines of supply, except temporarily.
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