Frigate Duels of the War of 1812 - USS Constitution vs HMS Java

[Music] hello everybody and welcome to this video which is kind sponsored by Squarespace So today we're publishing an article if you use the article's page there's already some pre-formatted ones so we're editing the last of the pre-formatted ones and you can see we're doing on admal Yamamoto the reason for this is a few people have emailed asking you know what does your script look like etc etc so I thought well why don't I just you know put the script of the video the text itself up as an article that people can read in their own free time so there's the article and as you can see by default you have a single picture you can add more of course but it's very easy to just add your own so I put a meme I created for a moto in this case and then that's all ready to go publish and then you'll notice the actual thumbnail for the article is still the original default one there so to change that one you have to go into settings remove the old image upload your own and of course at the moment that's a fixed ratio so once we've chosen the relevant photo of Abal Yamamoto we also then want to go in and adjust the vo the focal point just there with the little button and then with that done our article ready to publish lets me know what you think if you'd like to see other script up as articles for you to read so if after all these little mini tutorials I've been doing you think you could build a website for maybe ideally Naval History purposes but you never know you might want to do it for some other reason then head over to squarespace.com trenell you can get a free trial and once you're ready that little link will give you 10% off your first website or domain so thanks once again to Squarespace for sponsoring the video and on with the main show the end of 1812 would also see the last of the big mid ocean solo frigate jewels of the war it all started at the end of October Captain Hull the Victor in the fight between Constitution and gerer had as we mentioned in the first video of the series left Constitution which was now under the command of commodore or Captain Banbridge because he had the rank of commodore but of course anyone who's in command of a ship is a captain he was formerly of the USS Constellation technically Constitution was supposed to be leading a squadron that consisted of herself the smaller frate USS Essex and the Sloop USS Hornet but only Hornet was in Boston along with Constitution whilst Essex was sitting in the Delaware so it was decided that before the British could block a the two ships in in the way that they would end up doing a few months later to the USS United States they would instead Sail Out orders were sent Overland to the Essex giving a list of locations and dates for the ship to meet up with constit ution and Hornet and if none of those Rendevous ended up being possible Essex was to sail on as best her captain saw fit on October the 26th a day after the USS United States had captured hm Macedonian and obviously unaware of that incident since both ships were still well out at Sea Constitution and Hornet set sail and headed roughly west southwest arriving off San Salvador in the cape verie Islands in mid December here they found the 20 gun Sloop hus Bon siten which had been on route to the UK from Rio Deano but had been forced to put in for repairs here after a grounding incident as the port was neutral the American ships couldn't just sail in and attack her so they decided to wait outside for the ship to emerge however the British ship stayed put after a while this began to get a little boring and noting that in terms of guns weight of shot and number of crew the bonen and the Hornet were about equal Captain Lawrence of the Hornet sent a challenge into the port offering single combat to Captain green with promises that the much larger Constitution would not interfere green replied that he appreciated the challenge and he was confident that he would win such a contest but he couldn't see Constitution staying aloof if the battle were going to go in the direction of the British vessel in fact putting himself in the American Shoes Green stated that he thought it would be Constitution's duty to interfere should Hornet be seen to be losing and he didn't believe Banbridge was a man to Sher his duty thus bonto Yen would politely remain in Harbor this rather pragmatic assessment of the situation was backed up by another know tiny detail the British ship was carrying half a million pounds worth of gold bullion and coins enough value to build nine frig like Constitution or even pay for five fullsize calonia class 120 gun First Rate ships of the line green had precisely zero intention of allowing any chance of that fortune of falling into enemy hands no matter how good odds were promised to him especially considering that this particular shipment of money was supposed to help pay for the latest installment of the rather vital Peninsula Campaign when it became clear that Bon Cen wasn't budging Banbridge decided to leave Hornet to blockade the British vessel in and headed off South towards Brazil bonit Yen perhaps fearing the Constitution had actually just gone and sat just over the horizon would stay exactly where she was until the Third Rate hus montigue showed up a few week weeks later to chase horn it off on the 29th of December 1812 backo constit subtitution two sets of sales were cited to the West these turned out to be the frate HMS Java under the command of Captain Lambert and a recently captured merchantman with 20 of Java's crew aboard Java sent her prize off North and turned to investigate the sales that she had in turn spotted to the east there now followed a game of cat and mouse neither frigate had hoisted their ense just yet and so identification was a little unsure instead they made what we referred to at the time as private signals essentially coded communication blocks that required a specific response which would then identify yourself as a friendly very similar to the letter of the day combinations used in World War II which were transmitted between ships via radio or signal lamp as a form of Challenge and response Java had signals recorded for the Royal Navy but also had the ability to challenge in both Spanish and Portuguese Naval code but Constitution failed to respond to any of these three options instead she hoisted her own set of signals and of course Java didn't know the right answer to the American code block with both sides becoming more and more suspicious Constitution turned about and made off Southeast ostensibly to get clear of land which was clearly visible behind Java to the west and which would obviously therefore limit the Tactical options Java decided to pursue Java herself was not actually all that long in British service she was nominally speaking a 40 gun Palace class frigate having started life named renome in French service launched in 1808 at the Port of non along with two other French frigates she'd run into a British Squadron of three slightly smaller frigs and a Sloop in May 1811 of Madagascar in the ensuing Battle of tamatave renome had been captured and entered service with the Royal Navy as HS Java after repairs and such like she'd only actually commissioned in August of 1812 and had sailed in early November on her first mission heading for India with additional supplies and men for the Royal Navy formations that were stationed over there Captain Henry Lambert was given command of the ship and he'd been in command of various Royal Navy warships for almost a decade and had extensive combat experience both in single ship actions and interestingly in actions where his ship was up against something considerably larger than itself as a French vessel jaara was somewhat more lightly built than a typical Royal Navy frigate which made her slightly less able to stand up to Extended combat but it did make her fast and agile indeed she was closing in on Constitution at quite the rate of knots into this fight she was bringing 46 guns 28 18 Pounders on the main gun deck and 1632 pounder carad in the open Upper Deck plus a pair of long N9 Pounders for Chase guns at this stage in her career Constitution seems to have reduced her armorment slightly compared to her earlier Voyage where she fought guier but is still credited with 30 24 pounder guns on her main gun deck plus two 24 pounder Chase guns and then an uncertain number of 32 pounder carronades on her sparck although most sources seem to credit her as generally being a 54 or 56 gunner in this engagement which would equate to either 22 or 24 kades sources also seem to disagree a little bit on the timings involved in the following battle with some using figures set an hour ahead or behind the others but the balance of primary and close in time secondary sources seem to generally use the same time set and so we're going to carry on using that time set which is what we've done in previous videos of the series as well thus by about 1:30 in the afternoon Java had closed down the distance such that she was now fairly confident her Quarry was in fact an enemy vessel and she began switching over from full sale to battle sale and hoisted her colors consisting of two battle ens and a Union Jack with one of the ens tied on so as not to fall if the rigging was cut Constitution replied by likewise furling into battle sale and hoisting her own colors in this case a commodore's pennant two us Flags which usefully are also the US Navy's battle enen and the naval Jack which was mounted up front being faster and more agile Java now began to maneuver to try and get into a raking position and for a while the pursuit became a twisting slalom as Constitution shifted course to keep her Stern from Java's guns at which point the smaller and swifter ship would change Tac and try a different approach which would again have to be countered once again sources ICT on the exact nature of the opening volleys when they eventually arrived but on balance it seems that Constitution fired a single ranging shot followed almost immediately thereafter by a full broadside but both of them fell short whilst Java's return broadside was just a fraction High causing a number of casualties on Constitution Spa deck and some not inconsiderable damage to the American ship's rigging Banbridge realized he was was going to have to close Java down somehow as for whatever reason his own guns just weren't reaching as far as he'd like and a few more salvos like that first one to his rigging and he'd be a Sitting Duck but closing the distance risked Java getting a raking shot cuz he had to put his bow towards the enemy But ultimately there wasn't a better option on the cards and so the two ships headed into close range and began a furious canonade at some point early on in proceedings a broadside from java smashed apart Constitution's wheel leaving the ship having to be steered by a large number of men on the tiller in response to relayed commands from further up top in the ship this in turn made steering the big frigate which was already a tricky task when the enemy was much more agile all the harder With the Wind coming from the Northeast the two ships now Whirled across the sea in a series of Switchback turns realizing that she couldn't win a prolonged gunfight Java kept using her speed to try and get ahead and cut across to rake her larger opponent Constitution would then be forced to turn inside the Ark of Java's Maneuvers which would bring both ships around on a new course still in parallel Java also cut back and forth to try and keep the weather gauge and also turning to attempt to rake whenever Banbridge tried to close to Absolute Point Blank boarding range Captain John Marshall related the combat in a letter to a friend of his after the action he was a board jarver at this point as a passenger one of those heading for India he States at about 5 minutes past two we came up with and received her broadside the enemy shortened sail we still carried our sail and having closed to rather more than a pistol shot we opened fire I must observe that our rigging and sails were at this time much cut by his shots we now mutually maneuvered to obtain advantageous positions both ships keeping up a heavy fire our opponent being desirous to increase his distance which we as obstinately prevented by closing with him keeping the weather gauge this is an interesting juer position of tactics as according to most other sources it was Constitution that was trying to bear in close and was constantly being warded off by the risk of being raged by Java whereas in Marshall's letter the Constitution is trying to get away from java and Java is constantly closing Constitution down what exactly was going on there I leave up to each reader's discernment but we still do know the general course and whatever was going on between the two ships meant that they were essentially staying at roughly the same distance at least at this stage of the battle Banbridge was managing to do just enough whichever way he was trying to maneuver to keep constit tion's main battery in action despite being himself rather badly wounded by the same Salvo that had carried away the ship's wheel but he was also forced to pull some rather special tricks out of his hat in this case he eventually came up with a tactic of setting additional sail at a key moment this allowed him to get close in and let fly a broadside that smashed off much of Java's bowsprit taking the head sail with it this proved critical as it allowed Constitution to break off briefly Vanishing into the gunm smoke and then Wheeling about Java tried to mirror this action but with a head still gone so was her agility advantage and she turned more slowly then Constitution emerged from the smoke and raked her heavily reeling from the lethal fire jaara gathered herself completed her turn and ran downwind alongside the American ship trading fire once once again now at pistol shot range American Marines in the fighting tops began a steady process of trying to clear Java's upper decks even whilst the British ship's lower decks were having grape and round shock blasted through them Captain Marshall recalled we soon perceived the superiority of our enemy Fire by the Fatal effects produced we continued engaged in this Mana till a few minutes after 3 when finding all our rigging cut pieces the head of the bowsprit shot away our forast tottering our ship becoming unmanageable Captain Lambert was induced to try and snatch the victory by boarding we accordingly bore up for that purpose to lay him on board but unfortunately our foremast was falling over the side followed by the main top Mast and this foiled our attempt from this instant the battle was lost to us it now only remained for us to defend the British flag with honor to preserve it unsullied we thus continued the action till about 4:00 for the most part receiving a most ging raking fire indeed it had been a close run thing Java had mastered a large boarding party helped in part by the large number of military passengers she'd had aboard but Constitution had managed to get in a raking broadside into the ship's bow as she turned to close in for boarding as Marshall had just related to us this cost most of Java's remaining Mast height and robbed of speed and with many of the must those mustered for the boarding party either wounded or in cover the ship coasted gently in instead of coming in at high speed what was left of the bow sprit became Tangled briefly in Constitution's outer rigging leaving the ship at the mercy of further American close-range fire obviously all raking the ship from the bow before the two ships separated once again as they broke apart Constitution decided to clear some distance rather quick quickly to avoid being raked in turn then Constitution proceeded to pass up the port side of the crippled Java turn across its bow and come back down the other side all the time working the starboard guns before coming about again to re-engage with the port side battery still Java fought on but now what was left of her upper sailes and rigging had fallen and draped all over the ship's starboard guns which meant that every time the ship fired in reply this was almost immediately followed by a race to put out the fires that had been started in the wreckage that they were having to shoot through around this time Captain Lambert was also shot in the chest by one of the American marksmen Captain Marshall takes up the account once more our enemy being enabled to command any position we were reduced to an unmanageable log laying in the trough of the sea seldom getting half our guns to Bear a little past 4 our Mis and M and mainard both went and we fell off which With the Enemy shooting unavoidably ahead again brought us fairly broadside and broadside when we opened our fire with the greatest Spirit at half or 35 minutes past 4 the enemy made sail from our fire passed ahead of us and HOV to out of gunshot to repair his damage Captain Lambert was unfortunately mortally wounded at halfast 3 the command of the ship consequently devolving to left tenant Chads who I must observe nobly succeeded his Gallant captain on the enemies leaving us Chads asked my opinion about the propriety of surrendering the ship not a hope being left of us successfully resisting the overwhelming power of our opponent at this time our decks were literally covered with killed and wounded our ship on fire from firing through the wreck of the fallen masts and the main M alone standing I acknowledged our hopeless situation but observed the responsib ility he owed to our country which lay principally with him saying I did not like to advise but whatever was done I would cheerfully and conscientiously attest to The Honorable and Gallant conduct of every officer on board during the action however I carefully surveyed our state and the enemies and thinking we might disast him if he would return alongside as we were yet still strong at our guns or that possibly some accident might induce the enemy to decline any further contest or that some friendly sale might heave into view I advised him not to strike our colors we were meantime employed setting a sale on the stump of the bow sprit and forast and getting a jewelry forast up our main mast in the interim fell overboard unbelievably despite now being dismasted mildly on fire and having to rely on jury rigged sales to make any kind of forward progress Java's crew was still hoping to capitalize on the Damage they' Done to Constitution's own rigging earlier on but with all the Frantic work to get some form of canvas up and with the American ship ahead the guns were temporarily silent Banbridge seeing his enemy crippled and possibly with the lack of gunfire surrendered since every bit of Timber capable of supporting a flag had been shot apart and thus the flags had come down decided to range on ahead and set about repairing the same damage that Java's crew was still hoping to exploit on Constitution for the damage was in some cases a little bit concerning even if the hole was mostly okay losing your Mast spars sails and rigging was not good this led to the odd position of the next hour being spent with both ships lying quietly in sight of each other with both Crews busily Aloft repairing battle damage although slightly less aoft in Java's case someone on Java managed to find a new flag and hoisted it on the tallest remaining scrap of mass Timber they could find with the hour up Banbridge moved back in but there was a fine line between honorable combat and foolishness and Banbridge was no fool instead of coming up alongside as Java's Crews had hoped he positioned his ship across Java's bow in the perfect raking position with no real conceivable means of reply Java's crew were forced at last to strike their colors captain relates our enemy now bore up and stood for us we were all at quarters in the hope he would come alongside he however took a position about one Cable's length ahead of us where we could not possibly bring a gun to Bear when Chads lowered our colors it may be proper to review the state and condition of our ship when surrendered our three Ms and bow sprit were gone the great part of our guns were covered and consequently rendered useless from the falling masts laying on them some guns had been dismounted and otherwise destroyed with 23 killed and 101 wounded our ship often on fire and a considerable quantity of water in the hold from shot holes with a hole dreadfully shattered leftenant Chads conceiving himself not authorized to wly waste more lives and trusting to the generous consideration of his country for judging of his conduct lowered the colors this was a few minutes before 6 I did not leave the Java till the next evening choosing to remain with the Gallant though unfortunate Lambert so that I had an opportunity of rightly judging the state of the ship I shall not give you all the horrors of the scene but you may form an idea when at Daybreak on the morning following the action we beheld many of the mangled bodies of those who fell and were thrown overboard figures for the casualties on both sides are once again disputed across various sources although Roosevelt's account in his War of 1812 book goes some length to try and reconcile a number of the competing versions he arrives at 12 killed or mortally injured and 22 wounded aboard Constitution with 48 killed or mortally injured and 102 wounded aboard Java the Gunnery on both sides had been so intense that only a single ship's boat which was on the Constitution was in serviceable condition and this lone craft now formed a ferry with the prize crew ferrying out one way and the worst cases of the injured men heading back in the other which included Captain Lambert who shortly thereafter succumbed to his injuries Banbridge would write the Java was exceedingly well handled and bravely fought poor Captain Lambert was a distinguished and Gallant officer and a most worthy man whose death I sincerely regret indeed it had been the most closely fought action between British and American frig thus far and this showed when the priz crew finish their examination unlike Macedonian which cardan had surrendered in a condition which allowed it to be sailed back to the US and commissioned as a US Navy ship Java had resisted to the very last and so was so damaged by her prolonged engagement that it was concluded that there was a little realistic Prospect of her surviving the trip back to Boston and so all aboard were taken back to Constitution after which Java was set Ablaze exploding shortly thereafter when the fires reached the ship's magazine thus although he'd lost the fight Captain Lambert had at least managed to fight so long and so hard that he still denied his ship to the enemy Banbridge and his immediate subordinates were praised for their Good Conduct toward the prisoners by said prisoners although the rank and file of Constitution's crew were a little bit less well-received as they apparently took to piling their British counterparts of all their valuables Captain Marshall Reckoning the loss of 100 ginies or 105 as a result of this Behavior which was quite a considerable sum in an age when that sum reflected about 7even years wages for the average man on the street now loaded with prisoners and still with a fair bit of damage aoft temporary repairs being by their nature usually not as strong as what they were replacing Banbridge elected to return to Boston cutting short his Cruise the nature of the damage incurred can be ascertained from the report that was issued shortly after her arrival in Boston which was too great a claim the report listing amongst the ship's needs were new Spar deck planking new beams and the wholesale replacement of the masts sales and most of the rigging due to the extensive nature of the work and the resources gathered for it constantly being diverted to fit out ships on the Great Lakes Constitution would not sail out again until the very last day day of 1813 as a result of these three frigate duel losses the admiralty issued new orders to ships sent over to fight the Americans although these orders are sometimes a little bit overblown in popular culture as to their nature with claims that British frigs were outright forbidden from engaging American ships on their own and they should only do so in squadrons in fact the orders whilst they did exist were a little bit more levelheaded than that instead of patrolling alone frigs were now to patrol in pairs and if for some reason a frig armed with 18 pound of guns found itself alone it was not to engage an American frigate if that vessel was thought to be one of the big ones armed with 24 pounder guns this meant that the admittedly rather small number of Royal Navy 24 pounder frots could still operate perfectly fine solo if they were in the area and came across an American ship and the far more common 18 pounder frigates were still free to chase down smaller American vessels which were also armed with 18 pound guns or similar which essentially meant everything except Constitution United States and president as even constellation Congress and chesap the other three of the original six frigates were armed with 18 Pounders and indeed the next jeel will be covering next month was exactly the kind of solo Jewel still per Ed by these admiralty orders as the 18 pounder armed hm Shannon took on the similarly armed USS Chesapeake

Channel: Drachinifel

Views: 204,249

Keywords: wows, world of warships, War of 1812, USS Constitution, HMS Java, Age of Sail, Napoleonic Wars

Id: 9OgbNQDPIi8

Length: 28min 36sec (1716 seconds)

Published: Fri Feb 23 2024