Ramming Speed – The Rise & Fall of the Ram as a Naval Weapon

Presented by: John V. Quarstein, Director, USS Monitor Center & Foundation

The advent of ship-mounted artillery, as proven during the 7 October, 1571 battle of Lepanto, proved the power of musket and cannon over ram and crossbow. It was Confederate Secretary of the Navy, Stephen Russell Mallory, who recognized that, if you built a shot-proof warship, it would be capable of ramming enemy ships without fear of destruction. Consequently, rams became a feature in every Confederate warship and influenced ship design until the introduction of the HMS Dreadnought in 1906, which featured long range heavy (10-inch) guns.