Saturday, October 21, 2006
This Day in Naval History
On this day in 1797, we launched the USS Constitution, a 44 gun frigate which is still the oldest ship in the navy although it can barely limp around Boston Harbor now. In the War of 1812 (American Revolution II) the Constitution accounted for two of the three naval victories in row against British ships, which drove the Limeys crazy (Guerrire on Aug. 19, 1812, and Java on Dec. 29, 1812). It has been rebuilt three times since its launching so not a single original plank, spar or beam remains, creating the ontological problem of how is it still the Constitution.
Also on this day but in 1805, the British soundly defeated a French/Spanish fleet in the Atlantic off Spain, to end forever any chance of French naval ascendancy under Napoleon (and thus any chance France could invade England). The British commander of the fleet, Admiral Horatio Nelson, a legend even before Trafalgar, was killed in the battle by a sniper in the fighting tops of the French ship of the line, Redoubtable. Nelson's flagship was the HMS Victory, another sailing ship still around today.
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 7:38 AM 
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US "44s" actually carried up to 60 guns and were essentially very fast 4th rate ships of the line rather than frigates. The British considered calling them "frigates" to be rather unsporting. In many ways, the US frigates were the prototype of the later Battle Cruisers: fast enough to get away from anything more powerful and powerful enough to beat anything faster.
An aside: During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the British were not very good ship designers. They'd been using the same designs for way too long. The French built a much better ship. But since the French seldom went to sea and had standing orders to avoid most sea battles, their crews were never very good after about the 1780s. The American frigates were well built and very well crewed, so were a big surprise for the British.
An aside: During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the British were not very good ship designers. They'd been using the same designs for way too long. The French built a much better ship. But since the French seldom went to sea and had standing orders to avoid most sea battles, their crews were never very good after about the 1780s. The American frigates were well built and very well crewed, so were a big surprise for the British.
But everyone called them frigates so why should I be different. And yes, we were just as good sailors and shots as the British in darned good ships (just think of the tons and tons of ancient slow growth oak there was back east then). The string of naval victories stopped at three in Wo1812 with the Chesapeake losing quickly to the Shannon off Boston Harbor. The mortally wounded American captain's final ofder "Don't give up the ship" could not be obeyed.
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