MAY CONTAIN NUTS
HOME
 
JUMP TO PAGE   100  >  200  >  300  >  400  >  500  >  600
VINTAGRAPH • WPA • WWII • YOU MEAN A WOMAN CAN OPEN IT?

U.S.S. Onondaga: 1864

1864. "James River, Virginia. Double-turreted monitor U.S.S. Onondaga; soldiers in rowboat." From photographs of the Federal Navy and seaborne expeditions against the Atlantic Coast of the Confederacy, 1861-1865. View full size.

1864. "James River, Virginia. Double-turreted monitor U.S.S. Onondaga; soldiers in rowboat." From photographs of the Federal Navy and seaborne expeditions against the Atlantic Coast of the Confederacy, 1861-1865. View full size.

 

On Shorpy:
Today’s Top 5

USS Onondaga

The Onondaga was a floating fortress with 4 heavy guns and was able to prevent Confederate raids down the James River.

Federal Navy

That was a tough way to earn your three squares a day.

Difficult targets

I've always been amazed at how little the Monitor-class ships rose above the waterline; it is evident that the design was meant for calm, protected coastal waters where the small overboard height would make it difficult to landlocked artillery to aim efficiently to the ships. The problem with this design, as demonstrated by the loss of the U.S.S. Monitor, is that in rough waters they were very prone to being swamped.

Must have been really claustrophobic below deck!

Syndicate content  Shorpy.com is a vintage photography site featuring thousands of high-definition images. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago. Contact us | Privacy policy | Accessibility Statement | Site © 2024 Shorpy Inc.