 |
| Action between U.S. Frigate Constitution and HMS Java, 29 December 1812 — Oil Painting by Charles Robert Patterson |
Missing in action from Pier 1 of the former Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, for two long years, the oldest commissioned and fully functioning warship in the world, returns in late July of 2017!
One of six of designed by Joshua Humphreys, and commissioned by the Naval Act of 1794, the three-mast wooden-hulled heavy frigate came more heavily armed and constructed than standard ships of the period.
Launched in 1797, the USS Constitution almost immediately assumed her first duty protecting American merchants during conflict with France, and the Barbary pirates during the First Barbary War.
 |
| The first victory at sea by USS Constitution over HMS Guerriere by Anton Otto Fischer |
The USS Constitution is probably most famous for action during the war in 1812 against Britain, when her crew captured and defeated numerous other British warships.
During that war, in the battle against the HMS Guerriere, the ship earned the nickname “Old Ironsides,” when the crew noticed shots from the British ship simply bounced off.
The ship served many more years in battle after that, as flagship in the Mediterranean and African fleets into the 1840s, and as a training ship during the Civil War. She also carried freight to the Paris World Fair of 1878. Retiring from active service in 1881, the vessel continued light work until designation as a museum in 1907.
Efforts to restore the ship to full glory continued through to 1931. In spite of doubts by the Secretary of the Navy, recommissioned with a full crew, she began a multi-port tour of the United States from Maine to Washington, by way of the Panama Canal.
 |
| Navy Bandsman blowing colors for USS Constitution at Washington, DC - Official US Navy Photograph, US National Archives |
Old Ironsides returned to port in Boston and received numerous visitors over the years. The ship deteriorated though, requiring extensive restoration work again, but lacking funding.
President Roosevelt placed the ship on permanent commission in 1940, somewhat protecting the ship from further decay, and assigned her to serve as a brig for officers awaiting court-martial.
True consideration towards restorative funding did not come until the 1970s, in preparation for the US Bicentennial Celebrations. Indeed, an entire tract of land in Indiana was set aside to supply the white oak needed for repair work.
The ship sailed again in 1976, leading a parade of tall ships through Boston Harbor for Operation Sail, firing her guns for the first time in over 100 years.
 |
| USS Constitution renders a 21-gun salute to the nation from her on board guns - US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Airman Nick Lyman |
One of the most comprehensive reconstruction occurred again in the 1990s, and she sailed under her own power for her 200th birthday in 1997, and then again in 2012 commemorating her namesake victory over the HMS Guerriere.
In May 2015, US Navy engineers carefully moved the ship to its dry dock home again for an extensive and exacting restoration project.
The precarious task of moving her seemingly took forever, sometimes an inch at a time, during a hand-held operation using ropes and tugboats in precise timing with the tides.
Constitution Grove in Indiana again provided the needed white oak plank replacements. A team of experts resealed the entire hull, replaced copper sheeting and anything else in disrepair, all while the ship remained open to the public, though in a limited capacity.
With restoration efforts complete, the USS Constitution returns to stand tall at Pier 1 of the former Charlestown Navy Yard, marking the end of the Freedom Trail in Boston on July 23 and 24, 2017.
A crew of 60 active-duty US Navy officers and sailors continue serving in what is considered one of the most honorable special duty assignments. They aid her ongoing mission to promote the understanding of the US Navy role in war and peace, through educational outreach, historic representation, and active participation in public events as part of the Navel History & Heritage Command.
. . .
further reading
No comments:
Post a Comment