A breastwork monitor was a modification of the

monitor Monitor or monitor may refer to: Places * Monitor, Alberta * Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States * Monitor, Kentucky * Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States * Monitor, Washington * Monitor, Logan County, West ...

, a warship which was first built in the United States in 1861, designed by

John Ericsson John Ericsson (born Johan Ericsson; July 31, 1803 – March 8, 1889) was a Swedish-American inventor. He was active in England and the United States. Ericsson collaborated on the design of the railroad steam locomotive ''Novelty'', which co ...

and distinguished by the first rotating gun turret, designed by

Theodore Timby Theodore Ruggles Timby (5 April 1819 – 9 November 1909) is credited as the inventor of the revolving gun turret that was used on the USS ''Monitor'', the ironclad warship that fought in the American Civil War. He was born in Dutchess County, ...

. The modified design known as a breastwork monitor was introduced by Sir Edward Reed, the

Chief Constructor The Director of Naval Construction (DNC) also known as the Department of the Director of Naval Construction and Directorate of Naval Construction and originally known as the Chief Constructor of the Navy was a senior principal civil officer resp ...

of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

between 1863 and 1870. The original monitors were very stable, and difficult to damage by gunfire, because of their very low

freeboard In sailing and boating, a vessel's freeboard is the distance from the waterline to the upper deck level, measured at the lowest point of sheer where water can enter the boat or ship. In commercial vessels, the latter criterion measured relativ ...

. This, however, caused them to behave, some said, as a "half-tide rock", with the ever-present risk of being swamped in a sea should water gain access to the interior through hatches, turret bases or other openings in the deck. Reed proposed to overcome this risk by the addition of an armoured breastwork. This was an armoured superstructure of moderate height ( in ), centrally placed on the ship and containing within its armoured circumference the gun turrets, bridge, funnels and all other upper deck appurtenances needed to operate the ship. The presence of this breastwork allowed the ship to operate without fear of being flooded by waves breaking over the deck, and allowed the main armament to be positioned at a greater height than in the American monitors, gaining thereby greater command and range, while preserving the defensive advantage of low freeboard. Reed's concept was copied by other designers and breastwork monitors served in the French and Imperial Russian Navies, among others.

External links

HMVS ''Cerberus'' website
Ship types Monitor classes {{UK-mil-ship-stub

See also

External links