A monitor is a relatively small ironclad warship that is neither fast nor strongly armored but carries
disproportionately large guns. They were used by some navies from the 1860s, during the First World War and with limited use in the Second World War. The whole category of monitors took its name from the first of these, USS Monitor, designed and built for the U.S. Navy in 1861 by the engineer John Ericsson.
Monitors were low-freeboard (for minimal exposure above the waterline), steam-powered ironclad vessels, with one or two rotating armored turrets, rather than the traditional broadside of guns. The low freeboard meant that these ships were unsuitable for ocean-going duties and were always at risk of swamping and possible loss, but it reduced the amount of armor required for protection. Many improved monitors were built during the American Civil War and used by the U.S. Navy with mixed results. Though quite effective against other vessels and, hence, valuable in maintaining the blockade, monitors were not very effective in attacking fortified harbours.
They were succeeded by more seaworthy armored cruisers and battleships.
Monitors can be subdivided into River, Harbor, Coastal and Seagoing vessels.
River Monitors
Hull | Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Status |
-- | USS Ozark | Ozark class | 18-02-1864 | 24-07-1864 | Sold for scrap 29-11-1865 |
-- | USS Neosho | Neosho class | 13-05-1863 | 23-07-1865 | Sold for scrap 17-08-1873 |
-- | USS Osage | Neosho class | 10-07-1863 | -- | Sunk by mine 29-03-1865, Raised and sold 23-11-1867 |
-- | USS Marietta | Marietta class | Never comm. | -- | Sold in 1873, never commissioned |
-- | USS Sandusky | Marietta class | Never comm. | -- | Sold in 1873, never commissioned |
-- | USS Benton | Benton class | 24-02-1862 | 20-07-1865 | Sold for scrap, 29-11-1865 |
Harbor Monitors
Hull | Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Status |
-- | USS Casco | Casco class | 04-12-1864 | 10-06-1865 | Broken up, April 1875 |
-- | USS Chimo | Casco class | 20-01-1865 | 24-06-1865 | Sold, 1874 |
-- | USS Cohoes | Casco class | -- | -- | Sold, July 1874, never commissioned |
-- | USS Etlah | Casco class | -- | -- | Sold, 12 September 1874, never commissioned |
-- | USS Klamath | Casco class | -- | -- | Sold, 12 September 1874, never commissioned |
-- | USS Koka | Casco class | -- | -- | Broken up, 2 October 1874 |
-- | USS Modoc | Casco class | -- | -- | Broken up, August 1875 |
-- | USS Napa | Casco class | -- | -- | Broken up, 1875 |
-- | USS Naubuc | Casco class | 27-03-1865 | -- | Broken up, 1875 |
-- | USS Nausett | Casco class | 10-08-1865 | 24-08-1865 | Broken up, August 1875 |
-- | USS Shawnee | Casco class | 18-08-1865 | November 1865 | Sold for scrap, 9 September 1875 |
-- | USS Shiloh | Casco class | 17-09-1874 | 05-10-1874 | Sold, 1874 |
-- | USS Squando | Casco class | 06-06-1865 | 26-05-1866 | Broken up, 1874 |
-- | USS Suncook | Casco class | -- | -- | Broken up, July 1874 |
-- | USS Tunxis | Casco class | 12-07-1864 | September 1864 | Broken up, 1874 |
-- | USS Umpqua | Casco class | -- | -- | Sold, 12 September 1874 |
-- | USS Wassuc | Casco class | -- | -- | Sold for scrap, 9 September 1875 |
-- | USS Waxsaw | Casco class | -- | -- | Broken up, 25 August 1875 |
-- | USS Yazoo | Casco class | -- | -- | Sold for scrap, 5 September 1874 |
-- | USS Yuma | Casco class | -- | -- | Sold, 12 September 1874 |
No Images available
USS Cohoes
USS Etlah
USS Klamath
Never commissioned
No images available
USS Koka
USS Modoc
USS Napa
Never commissioned
USS Naubuc
No image available
USS Shiloh
No image available
USS Suncook
No image available
No images available
USS Umpqua
USS Wassuc
USS Waxsaw
USS Yazoo
USS Yuma
Never commissioned
Coastal Monitors
Hull | Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Status |
-- | USS Monitor | Monitor class | 25-02-1862 | -- | Lost at sea during a storm, 31-12-1862 |
-- | USS Passaic | Passaic class | 25-11-1862 | 11-09-1898 | Sold, 10 October 1899 |
-- | USS Montauk | Passaic class | 14-12-1862 | March 1899 | Sold, April 14, 1904 |
-- | USS Nahant | Passaic class | 29-12-1862 | 1898 | Sold, April 6, 1904 |
-- | USS Patapsco | Passaic class | 02-01-1863 | -- | Sunk by mine, 15 January 1865 |
-- | USS Weehawken | Passaic class | 18-01-1863 | -- | Sunk at anchor, 6 December 1863 |
-- | USS Sangamon | Passaic class | 09-02-1863 | 1899 | Renamed USS Jason on 10-06-1869, Sold april 1904 |
-- | USS Catskill | Passaic class | 24-02-1863 | 22-09-1898 | Ren. Goliath, 15-06-1869; Ren. Catskill, 10-08-1869; Sold, 04-12-1901 |
-- | USS Nantucket | Passaic class | 26-02-1863 | 24-06-1865 | Ren. Medusa, 15-06-1869; Ren. Nantucket, 10-08-1869; Sold, 14-11-1900 |
-- | USS Lehigh | Passaic class | 15-04-1863 | 18-09-1898 | Sold, 14 April 1904 |
-- | USS Camanche | Passaic class | May 1865 | 1898 | Sold, March 22, 1899 |
-- | USS Canonicus | Canonicus class | 16-04-1864 | 1877 | Ren. Scylla, 15-06-1869; Ren. Canonicus, 10-08-1869; Sold, 19-02-1908 |
-- | USS Saugus | Canonicus class | 07-04-1864 | 18-10-1877 | Ren. Centaur, 15-06-1869; Ren. Saugus, 10-08-1869; Sold, 15-05-1891 |
-- | USS Tecumseh | Canonicus class | 19-04-1864 | -- | Sunk during the Battle of Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864 |
-- | USS Manhattan | Canonicus class | 06-06-1864 | 1877 | Ren. Neptune, 15-06-1869; Ren. Manhattan, 10-08-1869; Sold, 24-03-1902 |
-- | USS Mahopac | Canonicus class | 22-09-1864 | 1889 | Renamed Castor ,15-06-1869; Ren. Mahopac, 10-08-1869; Sold, 25-03-1902 |
-- | USS Wyandotte | Canonicus class | 24-01-1876 | 20-09-1898 | Renamed Vesuvius, 15-06-69; Wyandotte, 10-08-69; Scrapped, 17-01-1899 |
-- | USS Ajax | Canonicus class | 01-01-1871 | 01-09-1898 | Sold for scrap, 10 October 1899 |
-- | USS Catawba | Canonicus class | -- | -- | Sold to builder in Peru, 13 April 1868 |
-- | USS Oneota | Canonicus class | -- | -- | Sold to builder in Peru, 13 April 1868 |
-- | USS Milwaukee | Milwaukee class | 27-08-1864 | -- | Sunk by a mine, 28 March 1865, raised and scrapped 1868 |
-- | USS Winnebago | Milwaukee class | 27-04-1864 | -- | Ren. Tornado 15-06-1869; Ren. Winnebago, 10-08-1869; Sold, 12-09-1874 |
-- | USS Chickasaw | Milwaukee class | 14-05-1864 | 06-07-1865 | Ren. Samson, 15-06-1869; Ren. Chickasaw, 10-08-1869; sold, 12-09-1874 |
-- | USS Kickapoo | Milwaukee class | 08-07-1864 | 29-07-1865 | Ren. Cyclops 15-06-1869; Ren. Kewaydin, 10-08-1869; Sold, 12-09-1874 |
Sea Going Monitors
Hull | Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Status |
-- | USS Dictator | Dictator | 11-11-1864 | 01-06-1877 | Scrapped, 27-09-1885 |
-- | USS Onondaga | Onondaga | 24-03-1864 | 08-06-1865 | Sold to builder, France |
-- | USS Puritan | Puritan | -- | -- | Scrapped, 1874 |
-- | USS Miantonomoh | Miantonomoh | 18-09-1865 | 28-07-1870 | Scrapped, 1874 |
-- | USS Monadnock | Miantonomoh | 04-10-1864 | 30-06-1866 | SScrapped, 1874 |
-- | USS Agamenticus | Miantonomoh | 05-05-1865 | 10-06-1872 | Scrapped, 1874 |
-- | USS Tonawanda | Miantonomoh | 12-10-1865 | 1872 | Renamed USS Amphitrite 15-06-1869, Scrapped, 1874 |
-- | USS Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo | -- | -- | Suspended 17-11-1865, Scrapped, 1884 |
-- | USS Passaconaway | Kalamazoo | -- | -- | Suspended 17-11-1865, Scrapped, 1884 |
-- | USS Quinsigamond | Kalamazoo | -- | -- | Suspended 17-11-1865, Scrapped, 1884 |
-- | USS Shakamaxon | Kalamazoo | -- | -- | Suspended 17-11-1865, Scrapped, january 1874 |
Suspended (no images available)
“New Navy” Monitors
Hull | Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Status |
BM-1 | USS Puritan | Puritan class | 10-12-1896 | 23-04-1910 | Sold, 26-01-1922 |
BM-2 | USS Amphitrite | Amphitrite class | 23-04-1895 | 31-05-1919 | Scrapped, 1952 |
BM-3 | USS Monadnock | Amphitrite class | 20-02-1896 | 24-03-1919 | Sold, 24-08-1923 |
BM-4 | USS Terror | Amphitrite class | 15-04-1896 | 08-05-1906 | Presumed scrapped 1930s |
BM-5 | USS Miantonomoh | Amphitrite class | 27-10-1891 | 21-12-1907 | Sold for scrap, 26-01-1922 |
BM-6 | USS Monterey | Monterey class | 13-02-1893 | 27-08-1921 | Scrapped, februari 1922 |
BM-7/M7 | USS Arkansas | Arkansas class | 28-10-1902 | 20-08-1919 | Renamed Ozark, 02-03-1909; sold 26-01-1922 |
BM-8/M8 | USS Nevada | Arkansas class | 05-03-1903 | 01-07-1920 | Orig. named Connecticut; ren. Nevada; Ren. Tonopah, 02-03-1909; sold 1922 |
BM-9/M9 | USS Florida | Arkansas class | 18-06-1903 | 24-03-1922 | Renamed Tallahassee, 01-07-1908; Sold for scrap 25-07-1922 |
BM-10/M10 | USS Wyoming | Arkansas class | 08-12-1902 | 01-06-1926 | Renamed Cheyenne, 01-01-1909; sold for scrap, 1939 |
Vietnam War “brown-water navy” Monitors
The U.S. Navy established the Mobile Riverine Force (MRF) during the Vietnam War, reviving riverine warfare on a large cale for the first time since the American Civil War., during the Vietnam War. World War II all steel 56-foot (17 m)-long Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM-6s) were used as the basic hull to convert into 24 Monitors from 1966-1970. This was a separate US Navy Mobile Riverine Force from the Swift Boats (PCFs) and PBRs already operating in country. The twenty-four river Monitors were divided into two groups: Program 4 & 5.
Program 4, RAD 91
River Assault Division:
Vessels:
M-91-1
M-91-2
M-91-3
C-91-1
Program 4, RAD 92
River Assault Division
Vessels:
M-92-1
M-92-2
C-92-1
Program 4, RAD 111
River Assault Division
Vessels:
M-111-1
M-111-2
M-111-3
C-111-1
Program 4, RAD 112
River Assault Division
Vessels:
M-112-1
M-112-2
C-112-1
Program 5,
Vessels:
M-1 to M-8
Z-1 to Z-6
No images available
Reference:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_monitors_of_the_United_States_Navy