Establishing airfields to fight the Japanese Air Force
The battle you are referring to is actually called the Battle of the Ironclads. In this battle, it was the Merrimac (from the Confederacy) versus the USS Monitor (from the Union). This was the first battle between iron-fortified vessels in the Civil War. This battle ended up in a draw but represented a new form of fighting that both the Union and Confederacy had to be ready for.
It is A, because it was only the Soviet and USA. Hope it helps!