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Man, that ship sitting so low in the water gives me anxiety. I understand the reason behind it, but it doesn’t not make it and underwater tomb waiting to happen.
Some of the early reporters who got to take a ride along on low-draft Monitors like that wrote that it felt surreal to see water dip over the deck and not sink the ship.
Of course, that's also why they couldn't be used outside of rivers and calm coastal waters.
What is the reason? That seems so bad
Much lower cross-section for enemies to hit.
So there is more wooden ship under the water. That’s where the engine and coal and stuff is. So, you have a wooden ship made using civil war technology,, with people inside under the water. With iron plates fixed to the exposed part of the hull.
I’m sure it was safe enough, but just the idea seems less than ideal.
"safe enough" is relative. they weren't properly sea-going vessels; they could only handle relatively calm coastal waters. bad weather or just open water would prove problematic. that said, it being lower gave it better protection from threats. They were used to defend harbors, though, so it wasn't necessary for them to be sea worthy.
once you are in range of its 15 inch guns, all you can see is a pair of small, fortified towers flashing at you.. it would have been mostly a deterrent, just like any fortification..