 The Union ironclads played an important role in the Mississippi and tributaries by providing tremendous fire upon Confederate forts , installations and vessels with relative impunity to enemy fire . They were not as heavily armored as the ocean @-@ going monitors of the Union , but they were adequate for their intended use . More Western Flotilla Union ironclads were sunk by torpedoes ( mines ) than by enemy fire , and the most damaging fire for the Union ironclads was from shore installations , not Confederate vessels . 
 The Union ironclads played an important role in the Mississippi and tributaries by providing tremendous fire upon Confederate forts , installations and vessels with relative impunity to enemy fire . They <a href='negative_concord' title='1'><mark>were</mark></a> <a href='negative_concord' title='2'><mark>not</mark></a>as heavily armored as the ocean @-@ going monitors of the Union , but they <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> adequate for their intended use . More Western Flotilla Union ironclads <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>were</mark></a> sunk by torpedoes ( mines ) than by enemy fire , and the most damaging fire for the Union ironclads was from shore installations , not Confederate vessels . 
Da Union ironclads played an important role in the Mississippi and tributaries by providing tremendous fire upon Confederate forts , installations and vessels with relative impunity to enemy fire . They ain't as heavily armored as the ocean @-@ goin monitors of the Union , but they was adequate for their intended use . More Western Flotilla Union ironclads was sunk by torpedoes ( mines ) den by enemy fire , and the most damaging fire for tdaUnion ironclads was from shore installations , not Confederate vessels .