:''For similarly named ships, principles of government, and other uses, see
Constitution (disambiguation).''
'USS ''Constitution''', known as "'Old Ironsides'," is a wooden-
hulled, three-
masted heavy
frigate of the
United States Navy. Named after the
United States Constitution, she is the oldest commissioned ship ''afloat'' in the world, although the dry docked
HMS Victory is older by some decades, and is still in service in the
Royal Navy. The ''Constitution'' was one of
the six original frigates authorized for construction by the
Naval Act of 1794 and was launched in 1797.
Joshua Humphreys designed them to be the Navy's
capital ships and so ''Constitution'' and her sisters were larger and more heavily armed than the standard frigates of the period.
In 1917 she was renamed to '''Old Constitution''', to free the name for a new
''Constitution'', a
Lexington class battle cruiser that was never completed. She resumed the name ''Constitution'' in 1925 after the new hull was canceled. In early 1941, ''Constitution'' was assigned the
hull classification symbol 'IX-21'
[1] (the "IX" hull code stands for "Unclassified Miscellaneous"), but was
reclassified to "none" on
1 September 1975.
[2]
History
Construction and early service
''Constitution'' was built at Edmund Hartt's shipyard in
Boston, Massachusetts from the resilient lumber of 2,000
live oak trees (specifically
Southern live oak) cut and milled at
Gascoigne Bluff on
St. Simons, Georgia. ''Constitution's'' planks were up to seven inches (178 mm) thick. The ship's design was also unique for its time because of a diagonal cross-bracing of the ship's skeleton that contributed considerably to the ship's structural strength.
Paul Revere forged the copper spikes and bolts that held the planks in place and the copper sheathing that protected the hull. It took several abortive attempts to launch ''Constitution'' in 1797 before she finally slipped into Boston Harbor. Armed, ''Constitution'' first put to sea
22 July 1798 and saw her first service patrolling the southeast coast of the
United States during the
Quasi-War with
France. During her service in the conflict, ''Constitution's sailors and
Marines took part in the amphibious operation against
Puerto Plata,
Santo Domingo wherein the
French privateer ''Sandwich'' was cut out and guns from the local
Spanish fort were spiked.
In 1803 ''Constitution'' was designated
flagship for the
Mediterranean Squadron under Captain
Edward Preble and went to serve against the
Barbary States of
North Africa, which were demanding
tribute from the United States in exchange for allowing American merchant vessels access to Mediterranean ports. Preble began an aggressive campaign against
Tripoli, blockading ports and bombarding fortifications. Finally
Tripoli,
Tunis, and
Algiers agreed to a peace treaty.
''Constitution'' patrolled the North African coast for two years after the war ended, commanded by
Stephen Decatur and two other captains between 1803 and 1805, to enforce the terms of the treaty.
She returned to Boston in 1807 for two years of refitting. The ship was recommissioned as flagship of the
North Atlantic Squadron in 1809 under Commodore
John Rodgers.
War of 1812
Carronade on the deck of the ''Constitution''
By early
1812, relations with the
United Kingdom had deteriorated and the Navy began preparing for war, which was declared
20 June. Captain
Isaac Hull, who had been appointed ''Constitution's commanding officer in 1810, put to sea
12 July, without orders, to prevent being blockaded in port. His intention was to join the five ships of Rodgers' squadron.
''Constitution'' sighted five ships off
Egg Harbor, New Jersey,
July 17. By the following morning the lookouts had determined they were a British squadron that had sighted ''Constitution'' and were giving chase. Finding themselves becalmed, Hull and his seasoned crew put boats over the side to tow their ship out of range. By using
kedge anchors to draw the ship forward, and wetting the sails down to take advantage of every breath of wind, Hull slowly made headway against the pursuing British. After two days and nights of toil in the relentless July heat, ''Constitution'' finally eluded her pursuers.
Locked in combat, ''Constitution'' brings down ''Guerriere's mizzenmast
But one month later on
August 19, she met with one of them again—the smaller
frigate HMS ''Guerriere'' off the coast of
Nova Scotia. The British
frigate opened fire upon entering range of ''Constitution''. Captain Hull held his ship's guns in check until the two warships were a mere 25 yards apart, at which point he ordered a full broadside. Over the course of the engagement, the ships collided three times but musket fire from the Marine complements on both ''Guerriere'' and ''Constitution'' prevented boarding parties from being sent. During the third and final collision, ''Guerriere'' 's bowsprit became entangled in ''Constitution'' 's rigging. When the two ships pulled apart, the force of extracting the bowsprit sent shockwaves through ''Guerriere'' 's rigging. Her foremast soon collapsed and it took the mainmast down with it shortly afterward. At the conclusion of the engagement ''Guerriere'' was a dis-masted hulk, so badly damaged that she was not worth towing to port. Hull had used his heavier broadsides and his ship's superior sailing ability, while the British, to their astonishment, saw that their shot seemed to rebound harmlessly off ''Constitution's strong live oak hull—giving her the nickname "Old Ironsides".
Under the command of
William Bainbridge, "Old Ironsides" met
HMS ''Java'', another British frigate, in December. Their three-hour engagement left ''Java'' unfit for repair, so she was burned. ''Constitution's'' victories gave a tremendous boost to the morale of the American people.
Despite having to spend many months in port, either under repair or because of blockades, ''Constitution'' managed eight more captures under the command of
Charles Stewart, including a British
frigate,
HMS ''Cyane'', and a
sloop, HM Sloop ''Levant'', sailing in company which she fought and defeated simultaneously, before she returned to port in 1815 to find the war had ended. After six years of extensive repairs, she returned to duty as flagship of the Mediterranean Squadron. She sailed back to Boston in 1828.
1835 Service after reconstruction
An examination in 1830 found her unfit for sea, but the American public expressed great indignation at the recommendation that she be scrapped, especially after publication of
Oliver Wendell Holmes' poem "". Congress passed an appropriation for reconstruction and in 1835 she was placed back in commission. She served as flagship in the Mediterranean and the South Pacific and made a 30-month voyage around the world beginning in March 1844.
In the 1850s she patrolled the African coast in search of
slavers, and during the
American Civil War served as a training ship for midshipmen. But ''Constitution'', along with all ships of her type, was becoming rapidly obsolete as a fighting vessel. As early as 1838,
steamships had begun to make regular transatlantic crossings (see
steamboat) and the Civil War's
Battle of Hampton Roads had shown the impotence of wooden-hulled warships when faced with ships made of (or clad in)
iron.
Even when restricted from front line duties, however, ''Constitution'' continued to serve the Navy and the country, and after another period of rebuilding in 1871, she transported goods for the
Paris Exposition of 1877 and served once more as a training ship. Decommissioned in 1882, she was used as a receiving ship at
Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She returned to Boston to celebrate her centennial in 1897.
1925 restoration
In 1905, public sentiment saved her once more from scrapping. In 1917 she was renamed '''Old Constitution''', to free her name for a planned new
''Lexington''-class battlecruiser, . ''Constitution'' (CC-5) was canceled in 1923 (only 14 percent completed) due to the 1922
Washington Naval Treaty. In 1925 the ship, once again bearing the name ''Constitution'', was restored through the donations of schoolchildren and patriotic groups. After being recommissioned on
July 1,
1931, she set out under tow for a tour of 90 port cities along the
Atlantic,
Gulf, and
Pacific coasts.
More than 4.6 million people visited her during the three-year journey. Having secured her position as an American icon, she returned to her home port of Boston. In 1940, she was placed in permanent commission, and an
act of Congress in 1954 made the
Secretary of the Navy responsible for her upkeep.
On
July 11,
1976, as part of her
Bicentennial Visit to the United States,
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh came to Boston and toured the ship with Commanding Officer
Tyrone G. Martin. Secretary of the Navy
J. William Middendorf presented the queen with a sea chest made from original wood that had been removed from the hull of ''Constitution'' during refurbishment in the early 1970s.
1992-95 refit and return to sail
From 1992 to 1995, the ''Constitution'' underwent a 44-month refit and overhaul that returned the ship to fully sailable condition. Her refit was far less extensive and intensive than
''Constellation'''s, as ''Constitution'' was in much better shape. The refit restored many of her original hull design elements that had been omitted to save time and money in previous refits, including Humphreys' unique diagonal riders which resist
hogging.
[3]
On
July 21,
1997, as part of her 200th birthday celebration, ''Constitution'' set sail for the first time in 116 years. She was towed from her usual berth in Boston en route to an overnight mooring in
Marblehead. The visit to Marblehead marked the first time since 1934 that the ship had been absent overnight from its berth in Charlestown. Embarked dignitaries among the approximately 450 personnel onboard included the
Secretary of the Navy,
Chief of Naval Operations, the Assistant
Commandant of the Marine Corps (General Richard I. Neal),
Senator Kennedy, and the venerable
Walter Cronkite, an avid sailor. A little more than five nautical miles offshore, the tow line was dropped, and the commanding officer (Commander Mike Beck, USN) ordered her six sails set -- (
jibs,
topsails, and
driver). ''Constitution'' then sailed unassisted for 40 minutes on a South South East course. With true wind speeds of about 12 knots, the ship attained a top recorded speed of six and a half knots. (See infobox picture at top.) While under sail, her modern naval combatant escorts, and , rendered Passing Honors to Old Ironsides. The ship was overflown by the Blue Angels, honoring the ship's first sail in over 116 years. Inbound to her permanent berth at Charlestown the following evening, she rendered a
21-gun salute to the nation, abeam
Fort Independence (
Castle Island) in
Boston Harbor.
[4]
Present day
The modern day role of "Old Ironsides" is that of "ship of state". USS ''Constitution'' is today considered the most famous vessel in American naval history. Her mission is to promote the Navy to millions of visitors and observers each year. The crew of 55 sailors participates in ceremonies, educational programs and special events (including sail drill) while keeping the ship open to visitors year-round and providing free tours. The crew are all active-duty sailors and the assignment is considered special duty in the Navy. Traditionally, the duty of captain of the vessel is assigned to an active duty Navy
commander.
While ''Constitution'' is the oldest fully commissioned vessel afloat, she is not the oldest commissioned.
HMS ''Victory'' holds the honor of being the oldest commissioned warship by three decades, however ''Victory'' is permanently
drydocked.
''Constitution'' is one of only two presently commissioned ships in the US Navy known to have sunk an enemy vessel. The other is
USS ''Simpson'' (FFG-56). No others are still in service.
''Constitution'' is berthed at Pier 1 of the former
Charlestown Navy Yard at one end of Boston's
Freedom Trail. She is open to the public year round. However, as a commissioned US Navy ship, a visit to "Old Ironsides" is subject to Navy provisions and the fact that she occasionally puts out to sea. Consult her official website for
schedule and provisions. The private
USS Constitution Museum is nearby, located in a restored shipyard building at the foot of Pier 2.
Timeline
★
October 21,
1797 - USS ''Constitution'' launched and christened at Edmond Hartt's Shipyard, Boston.
★ August 1798 - Ordered into action in the
Quasi-War with France.
★ 1803–1806 - Flagship, Mediterranean Squadron,
Barbary Wars.
★ 1812–1815 -
War of 1812 with
United Kingdom.
★
★
August 19,
1812 - Defeats 38-gun British frigate
HMS ''Guerriere''. Crew bestows her with "Old Ironsides" nickname because of cannonballs bouncing off her sides.
★
★
December 29,
1812 - Captures British frigate
HMS ''Java'' and five smaller vessels.
★
★
February 20,
1815 - Captures British frigate
HMS ''Cyane'' sailing in company with HM Sloop ''Levant''.
★ 1828–1830 - Laid up at Boston and condemned by naval commissioners, she was saved by the poem "" by
Oliver Wendell Holmes.
★ March 1844 - Begins 30-month voyage around the world.
★ 1920 - Renamed ''Old Constitution'' in preparation for the construction of a brand new all-steel battlecruiser to be named
USS Constitution (CC-5).
★ 1923 - ''Constitution'' (CC-5) is canceled before completion and scrapped. The word "Old" is dropped from the name of ''Old Constitution'', restoring her to her original name.
★ 1931–1934 - National cruise takes "Old Ironsides" to 90 American cities, returns to her place of honor in Boston harbor.
★ 1957 - Norwegian cadet sailors of the
''Christian Radich'' came aboard ''Constitution'' in Boston during summer filming of the wide-screen motion picture "
Windjammer". The movie was released in America in 1958. Scenes of the movie were also filmed in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
★
December 19,
1960 - ''Constitution'' designated a
National Historic Landmark.
★ 1972–1975 - A restoration of ''Constitution'' takes place in preparation for the Bicentennial celebration of the United States; some original wood is removed from the hull.
★ 1976 -
Queen Elizabeth II tours "Old Ironsides" during the U.S. Bicentennial.
★ March 1996–1997 - Completes 44-month restoration.
★
July 21,
1997 - Underway on sail alone for the first time in 116 years.
Specifications
'USS ''Constitution'' Specifications'| Specification | Data |
|---|
| Builders | Col. George Claghorn, Edmond Harrt's Shipyard, Boston, Massachusetts. |
| Cost | $302,718 (1797 dollars) |
| Materials | Wood from 2000 trees |
| Propulsion | 42,710 ft² (3,968 m²) of sail on three masts |
| Mast heights | foremast, 198 ft (60 m) |
| mainmast, 220 ft (67 m) |
| mizzenmast, 172.5 ft (52.56 m) |
| Displacement | 2,200 t |
| Speed | 13 kt (24 km/h) |
| Boats | one 36 ft (11 m) long boat |
| two 30 ft (9 m) cutters |
| two 28 ft (9 m) whaleboats |
| one 28 ft (9 m) gig |
| one 22 ft (7 m) jolly boat |
| one 14 ft (4 m) punt |
| Anchors | two main bowers 5300 lb (2,400 kg) |
| one sheet anchor 5400 lb (2,400 kg) |
| one stream anchor 1100 lb (500 kg) |
| two kedge anchors 400-700 lb (180-320 kg) |
''Constitution'' in literature, film, and popular culture
USS ''Constitution'' underway for her annual turn around cruise
''Constitution'' is portrayed by a sea-going replica in the 1926 silent film ''Old Ironsides'', which features a dramatized version of the actions in the
First Barbary War. Noteworthy scenes include
Stephen Decatur's raid on the captured
USS ''Philadelphia'',
Richard Somers' destruction of the ketch
''Intrepid'', and the on-screen sinking of the three-masted barquentine ''S. N. Castle'' (representing a Tripoli raider).
In
C. S. Forester's novel ''
Hornblower and the Hotspur'', HMS ''Hotspur'', in port in
Cádiz, Spain, is briefly berthed next to ''Constitution'', which is visiting there during her service against the
Barbary pirates.
''Constitution's action against
HMS ''Java'' appears in
Patrick O'Brian's book
''The Fortune of War''.
[5]
In the movie, , the fictional
French frigate ''Acheron'' was computer modeled after the ''Constitution'', using a stem to stern digital image scan of the real Old Ironsides.
[6] The fictional ''Acheron'' was built in
Boston by the Americans. In the novel
''The Far Side of the World'', ''Acheron'' did not appear; ''Surprise's'' quarry was the fictional American frigate USS ''Norfolk'', based on the actual
USS ''Essex''.
An episode of the animated series featured sailing the ''Constitution'' after
Cobra Commander used a device to render his flagship, the fictional
battleship ''USS Montana'', invulnerable to modern warships with electronic devices.
The WizKids Game "
Pirates of the Revolution" features the ''Constitution'' as a playable ship.
Author
Clive Cussler's novel ''Fire Ice'' involves the USS ''Constitution'' in a battle scene.
The Enterprise in the science fiction television series
Star Trek is a Constitution class starship, named as such after the USS Constitution.
Urban legend
On
August 6,
1997,
Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton gave a speech about the ''Ironsides''.
[1] He described in detail a journey as part of the
War of 1812, that took her from Boston to
Jamaica to the
Portuguese Azores to
England, defeating five British men-of-war and scuttling 12 English merchantmen, before heading, unarmed, up the
Firth of Clyde in
Scotland to raid a
whiskey distillery, and finally returning to Boston Harbor on February 23. The point of the story was that the Navy and Marine Corps had "spirit", and weren't much for drinking non-alcoholic beverages. However, despite the seemingly specific details, and the fact that the story is often forwarded around the internet via email, and appears in several personal "naval history" websites (often suffixed with the traditional "Go Navy!" or "
Beat Army!"), it is almost certainly false. There is no historical record of the ship sailing anywhere near Scotland, nor of engaging in battle with that many warships. Additionally, the legend would have required each crewman to consume over two gallons of alcohol per day.
Some versions of the story have the journey 1812-1813, some have it 1779-1780 (especially unlikely, since the ship was not launched until 1797). The exact origin of the story is not clear. Some reports say that it was printed in a periodical of the
Oceanographer of the
US Navy, ''Oceanographic Ships, Fore and Aft'', although this may have simply been an embellishment on the
urban legend.
[2] Another source is quoted as "U.S. Atlantic Command, Joint Training, Analysis and Simulation Center."
See also
★
USS ''Constitution'' (CC-5)
★
Space Shuttle ''Enterprise'' (OV-101)
★
USS ''Constitution'' (NCC-1700) (fictional)
References
1. IX-21 Constitution
2. USS CONSTITUTION
3. USS Constitution Rehabilitation And Restoration
4. Sail 200
5. The Fortune of War, Patrick O'Brian, , , , 1980,
6. Now Playing at a Theater Near You: Old Ironsides
★
Thomas P. Horgan, ''Old Ironsides'' (Burdette & Co., 1963)
★
Tyrone G. Martin, ''A Most Fortunate Ship'' 2nd edition (Naval Institute Press, 1997)
★ ''Undefeated'' (Tryon Publishing Company, 1996)
★ ''"The Great Ships - Frigates"'' (The History Channel, 1997)
★ [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/
★ ''A Signal Honor'' (Tryon Publishing Company, 2003)
★ ''"A Call to the Sea: Captain Charles Stewart of the USS Constitution"''
External links
US Navy links
★
Official USS ''Constitution'' homepage
★
Old Ironsides' Battle Record, including original documents
★ Artwork of ''Constitution'' in the War of 1812
escaping the British fleet and
capturing HMS ''Guerriere''
★
''Constitution's U.S. Navy Fact File entry
★
''Constitution's Naval Vessel Registry entry
General links
★
The Captain's Clerk
★
USS ''Constitution'' Museum
★
local.live.com Bird's Eye View of USS ''Constitution'' at port
★
Biography of Captain Charles Stewart of the USS ''Constitution''
★
Maritimequest USS ''Constitution'' Photo Gallery
★
Boston National Historical Park Official Website
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