During the 1862 Battle of Hampton Roads, the CSS Virginia took part in the first naval battle between ironclads when it fought the Union ship, the B. Monitor. In fact, the CSS Virginia was built of the remnants of the Merrimack which is why the battle is also known and the Battle of the <em>Monitor </em>and <em>Merrimack.</em>
Supporters of the bombings generally believe that they prevented an invasion of the Japanese mainland, saving more lives than they took by doing so. Opponents contend, among other arguments, that the bombings were unnecessary to win the war or that they constituted a war crime or genocide.
