The U.S.S Constitution celebrates another birthday.

I Published the original blogpost in 2012.  The Subsequent article was published in 2019.  It was neat seeing a pic of my son from back in 2011 when we did the first post. 

   We saw the Constitution last year in Boston and took a tour of her, her mast were off during that time as they were being overhauled.   This is my son visiting the Oldest commissioned warship in the world.   I loved visiting Boston,  "B" town was my favorite while I was stationed at Fort Devens in MASS for 9 long months during A.I.T.  I hated Massachusetts because of the way I was treated, but I loved Boston going where all the historical figures had walked was thrilling.  Seeing Boston Commons,  Fanual Hall, Quincy Marketplace and of course "Cheers"

Navy's oldest commissioned warship to sail again

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  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 …more 

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."

October 2019

The USS Constitution is the world’s oldest commissioned warship still sailing the seas. Nicknamed “Old Ironsides” due to its success in the War of 1812, it is 222 years old and has a record of 33 victories.
The crew of 80 sailed the historic ship to Fort Independence on Castle Island in order to fire a 21-gun salute in honor of its anniversary and the 244^th anniversary of the US Navy.
The USS Constitution launched on October 21, 1797, after being built in a shipyard that is now Coast Guard Sector Boston. She fired another salute as she passed there on her way back to her dock at the Charleston Navy Yard.

USS Constitution

Construction began in 1794 at Edmund Hartt’s Shipyard in the North End of Boston. It took three years to complete the construction.

Not even a month after the US declared war on Britain in June of 1812, Captain Isaac Hull and crew were surrounded by five British ships, the HMS Africa, the HMS Belvidera, the HMS Aeolus, the HMS Shannon, and the HMS Guerrierre.
The USS Constitution had been ordered to go to New York as quickly as possible in order to join up with Commodore John Rodgers’ squadron. What Hull didn’t realize was that Rodgers had already set sail to search for British merchant ships crossing the Atlantic.
After passing the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Hull spotted sails on the horizon. Assuming them to be Rodgers’ squadron, he sailed toward them.
To Hull’s surprise, the ship he reached was not one of Rodgers’ ships but the 38-gun frigate HMS Gurriere.

Constitution and Guerriere in battle.

Once Hull determined that the ships he had reached were not American, he tried to get away. But by now the wind had died down and the sea was completely calm. The little breeze there was only served to push the British ships closer to the Americans. By now, two more British ships had joined in making a total of seven chasing the Constitution.
The British opened fire but missed. The Constitution returned fire but also missed.
The sails were let out to the maximum and were wet down in order to make them able to capture the slightest breezes. Eventually, Hull ordered several thousand gallons of fresh water be pumped out to decrease the weight of the ship.
The British soon reached firing range. Desperate for a way to escape, Hull turned to his Lieutenant Morris. Morris’ plan was to take a cutter with the anchor and row ahead of the ship. Then the anchor would be dropped out in front of the USS Constitution.

The earliest known photograph of Constitution, undergoing repairs in 1858.

 

Crewmen on the ship would pull the anchor chain which would pull the ship forward.
Meanwhile, a second cutter with another anchor rowed ahead a dropped it to be used to continue the pulling while the first cutter gathered its anchor and rowed ahead. They continued that way for hours, alternating cutters and anchors.
They continued this all night with crewmen sleeping by their guns in case there was action. After more than 60 hours of the chase, the Constitution finally pulled far enough ahead of her pursuers that they ceased their pursuit.

Constitution during the chase

Due to Hull’s seamanship and cunning tactics, the Constitution was able to outrun the British ships and arrive in Boston without damage on July 27, 1812. Hull and his crew had been challenged by seven British warships, including two captained by some of the most famous captains in the Royal Navy, and escaped to tell the tale.

This is known in British history as “The Great Chase” and to US historians as “The Great Escape.”