December 12, 1862, The USS Cairo, one of the most powerful and formidable union ironclad vessels, led a US flotilla up the Yazoo River, Mississippi, north of Vicksburg, to destroy Confederate batteries.

Cairo was rocked by two explosions in quick succession which tore gaping holes in the ship's hull. Within twelve minutes the ironclad sank. Cairo became the first ship in history to be sunk by an electrically detonated torpedo.