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.
Roma-class ironclad The "Roma" class was a pair of ironclad warships built for the Italian "Regia Marina" (Royal Navy) in the 1860s and 1870s. The class comprised two ships, "Roma" and "Venezia" . "Roma" was a broadside ironclad armed with five 10 in and twelve 8 in guns, while "Venezia" was converted into a central battery ship during construction, armed with a much more powerful battery of eighteen 10-inch guns. Neither ship had an eventful career, due in large part to their rapid shift to obsolescence. "Venezia" and "Roma" were withdrawn from service for auxiliary duties in 1880 and 1890, respectively. Both were stricken from the naval register in 1895 and broken up for scrap the following year, "Roma" having been badly damaged in a fire in 1895.