The two American Civil war ships that spelled the end of the wooden ship age. In March of 1862, the Merrimac put to sea to raise the Union Blockade off the St. James. There she sank the Cumberland and Congress. The Monitor, the Union's only ironclad and the first turret ship, was rushed to the scene. The epic battle between the two iron-clad ships ended in a draw, with the Merrimac suffering a little more damage than the Monitor. The Merrimac was blown up to avoid capture; the Monitor sank in a gale in 1862. The Monitor is 10 inches long and the Merrimac is 11 inches long when built. Both are full hull models and include display stands. Although dated, these kits are generally considered superior to the Lindberg issues of the same ships.