Who established the advisory board that developed the first ironclad warship?
Ironclad Board The Ironclad Board was an advisory board established by the Union in 1861 in response to the construction of the "CSS Virginia" by the Confederacy during the US Civil War. The primary goal of the Ironclad Board was to develop more battle-worthy ("ironclad") ships, leading to the construction a number of innovative designs, including the USS Monitor. The Board consisted of senior naval officers Commodore Hiram Paulding, Commodore Joseph Smith, Commander Charles Henry Davis and assistant Secretary of the Navy Gustavus Vasa Fox.
Re d'Italia-class ironclad The "Re d'Italia" class was a pair of ironclad warships built for the Italian "Regia Marina" (Royal Navy) in the 1860s. The class comprised two ships, "Re d'Italia" and "Re di Portogallo" . The two ships were built in the United States, and were based on the French ironclad "Gloire" ; they were armed with a battery of thirty-eight guns in a broadside arrangement and were protected with 120 mm of wrought iron plating.