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It’s a historic moment in the history of the Civil War when two iron clad ships face off.
Tension runs high in the Naval war department. The Confederate iron clad, the Merrimac has just damaged several Federal ships. What can be done to keep more damage from happening? CBS reporters interview Naval officers about the damage, and the threat that the Merrimac poses. The new class of ship appears to be unbeatable by technology and weapons of the day. This new type of ship has just made all other warships obsolete. Will this be the cornerstone that the South needs to make its final break and be recognized by the world as an independent nation? Will this brin a swift end to the war?
A reporter on the scene delivers a descriptive narrative of the Merrimac, and its armaments. Navy crewmen are interviewed about the battle that recently took place, and it is recounted with dramatic detail.
Suddenly the we turn in the war is met by the Federal ship, the Monitor. The two iron clads duke it out, trading punch for punch as they empty their cannons at each other. The battle renews, and rages on. The CBS reporters declare a federal victory, because the Navy port is saved as the Merrimac is repelled.
PS: The actual battle ended in a stalemate when both ships ran out of ammunition, and with exhausted crews, the ships broke off the fight and went their separate ways.
