Design
Naval architect and engineer John Ericsson designed the Passaic-class warships, drawing upon lessons learned from the first USS Monitor, which he also designed. The Passaic monitors were larger than the original Monitor and had their pilothouses atop the turret, rather than near the bow. This allowed a wider field of view and easier communications between captain, pilot and crew. The shape of the hull was an improvement with a less pronounced overhang than the Monitor. The Passaic class featured an 18 ft (5.5 m) funnel and improved ventilation.
The turret was 21 ft (6.4 m) in diameter inside with the 15 in (380 mm) gun mounted flush. As a result, the 15 in gunners could not see their targets and had to aim with the 8 in (200 mm) or 11 in (280 mm) guns. The Lehigh had her 11 inch smoothbore replaced with an 8 inch Parrot. The Passaic also had this modification by July 1863, and, eventually, all surviving members of this class had an additional 15 inch smoothbore added.
Later improvements included an additional 50 tons of deck plating over the magazines and machinery spaces as well as rings fitted around the turret and pilot houses.
Read more about this topic: Passaic Class Monitor
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