#27: The CSS Albermarle
Facing a dire Union blockade in 1863-64, the Confederacy launched the CSS Albermarle, a formidable ironclad gunship. This secret weapon breached the blockade, invigorating supply lines to the beleaguered North Carolina coast, and outmatched any Union naval challenge.
The Albermarle, with its superior maneuverability, shattered Union defenses, targeting Southfield and Miami. Its iron hull effortlessly sank the Southfield, while the Miami’s artillery was no match; bullets ricocheted off the Albermarle’s armor, fatally wounding the Miami’s captain in a dramatic naval engagement.