March 9, 1862: Uss Monitor steams into Hampton Roads to face the rebel ironclad CSS Virginia--but Virginia is gone--sunk in the battle of March 8. While ramming Cumberland, she couldn't back out, and the two ships went down together.
Clearly, this is unlikely to change the outcome of the war, and ironclads were already the coming thing--but would it have much long term results, since the ironclad sunk?
And how much of a fiference if it wasn't an accident caused by ramming, but an explosive shell going in a gunport (freak hit, but those happen) and setting her ablaze--Virginia blows herself up?
Clearly, this is unlikely to change the outcome of the war, and ironclads were already the coming thing--but would it have much long term results, since the ironclad sunk?
And how much of a fiference if it wasn't an accident caused by ramming, but an explosive shell going in a gunport (freak hit, but those happen) and setting her ablaze--Virginia blows herself up?