- Associated Press/Charles Krupa, File - FILE - In this July 21, 1997 file photo, the Blue Angels fly in formation over the USS Constitution as she free sails off the coast of Marblehead, Mass., in celebration
BOSTON (AP) — The U.S. Navy's
oldest commissioned warship will sail under its own power for just the
second time in more than a century to commemorate the battle that won it
the nickname "Old Ironsides."
The USS Constitution,
which was first launched in 1797, will be tugged from its berth in
Boston Harbor on Sunday to the main deepwater pathway into the harbor.
It will then set out to open seas for a 10-minute cruise.
The
short trip marks the day two centuries ago when the Constitution bested
the British frigate HMS Guerriere in a fierce battle during the War of
1812. It follows a three-year restoration project and is the first time
the Constitution has been to sea on its own since its 200th birthday in
1997.
Before that, it hadn't sailed under its own power since 1881. The Constitution is periodically tugged into the harbor for historical display.
Chief Petty Officer Frank Neely, a Constitution spokesman and crew member, said the crew wants to honor and preserve the Constitution with Sunday's sail.
"This ship is a national icon to us. ... She's very special to us. We think she's very special to the United States," he said.
The
Constitution was under the command of Capt. Issac Hull when it engaged
the Guerriere off Nova Scotia on Aug. 19, 1812. The young war was not
going well for America, which had surrendered Detroit to the British
with basically no resistance a week earlier.
But
the Guerriere proved no match for the Constitution, which was heavier
and longer. The vessels blasted away at each other at close range, even
colliding at one point, during the 35-minute battle. The Constitution's
24-pound cannonballs felled the Guerriere's mast, while the British
vessels' 18-pound cannonballs had trouble penetrating the Constitution's
two-foot thick live oak hull, said Matthew Brenckle, a historian at the
USS Constitution Museum.
Brenckle
said a sailor's memoirs recorded how one cannonball seemed to slightly
penetrate the ship, before dropping into the sea. The sailor then called
out the quote that would give the Constitution its nickname, "Huzzah,
her sides are made of iron! See where the shot fell out!"
It
wasn't the first naval win in what would be a divisive, expensive war,
but it set off celebrations around the country, Brenckle said.
"Strategically,
it really did nothing to change the course of the war," he said. "But
the morale boost that that provided for the American cause, I think was
quite important."
During
Sunday's sail, the Constitution's crew of about 65, accompanied by 150
sailors selected to be part of event, will unfurl four of its 36 sails,
Neely said. The tugs will stand by as a precaution when the Constitution
sails on its own. And the trip can't happen unless the weather
conditions are right.
The ship
won't move in winds less than five mph and anything over about 15 mph
would put too much stress on the vessel, Neely said. But the forecast
looks favorable.
The lengthy
work in preparation for Sunday's sail was largely on the Constitution's
aesthetics, though the masts were restored, Neely said. The crew also
underwent extensive training on how to handle a vessel that's unlike any
other in the U.S. Navy.
"A
lot of hours of work went into this one day right here," Neely said. "I
wouldn't be surprised if I broke a couple of tears after this."
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