USS Congress-- Part 4: A Special Kind of Frigate

In 1785, Barbary pirates, mostly from Algiers in North Africa, began to seize American merchant ships in the Mediterranean.  In 1793 alone, eleven sere taken with their crews and cargoes held for ransom.    This caused the U.S. to pass the Naval Act of 1794. to provide funds for the construction of six frigates.  But in cost cutting, a clause was added that if a peace treaty was signed with Algiers that construction would be stopped.

Joshua Humphreys design was unusual for the time with a long keel and narrow beam and mounting heavy guns.The "ratings" or number of guns carried, was a bit of a misnomer as these frigates carried many different numbers of cannons.  The USS Congress was rated at 38 guns, but often carried as  many as 48.

The designs also gave these ships much heavier planking on their sides than was to be found on frigates at the time, meaning they could withstand broadsides better.  Humphreys design took into account that the U.S. Navy could not stand toe-to-toe with the European powers at the time, but could do well against other frigates.  They could, though, escape from the more powerful but slower ships of the line.

--Brock-Perry

The Super-Frigates of the U.S. Navy (or, the Original Six Frigates )

 Wikipedia.

In case you're wondering about these six frigates built as per the Naval Act of 1794, of which the USS Congress was one, here is a list of them, along with site built, guns, naval contractor and Navy superintendent:

CHESAPEAKE:  Gosport, Virginia (Norfolk, Va.), 44 guns, Josiah Fox, Richard Dale

CONSTITUTION:  Boston, Massachusetts,  44 guns, George Claghorn, Samuel Nicholson

PRESIDENT:  New York, New York, 44 guns,  Christian Bergh, Silas Talbot

UNITED STATES:  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,  44 guns, Joshua Humphreys,  John Barry

CONGRESS:  Portsmouth, New Hampshire,  36 guns, James Hackett,  James Sever

CONSTELLATION:  Baltimore, Maryland,  36,  David Stodder,  Thomas Truxton

--Brock-Perry

USS Congress (1799)-- Part 1: Built at Badger's Island, Portsmouth, N.H.

From Wikipedia.

The USS Congress was a nominally rated 38-gun wooden hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the U.S. Navy.  Built by James Hackett in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on Badger's Island.  She was launched 15 August 1799 and was one of the original six  frigates in the U.S. Navy authorized by the Naval Act of 1794.

The name Congress  was one of the ten names submitted to President George Washington by Secretary of War Timothy Pickering  in March 1795 for the six frigates to be constructed.

Joshua Humphreys, famed ship builder and naval contractor, designed these ships to be the young Navy's capital ships., so the Congress and her sister ships were designed  to be larger and more heavily armed than most frigates at the time (especially in the British fleet).  Essentially, they were Super-Frigates or, in the 20th century, heavy cruisers.

The USS Constitution was one of these six frigates.

A battle between them and a standard frigate would probably not go well for the regular frigate.

--Brock-Perry

"Old Ironsides" Floats Again-- Part 2: Rehabbed Stem to Stern

For the past two years, the USS Constitution has been in drydock undergoing repairs.  It was built in 1797 by Joshua Humphreys and is the oldest commissioned warship in the world.

Roughly 300 sheets of copper were placed on the lower hull.  Then it was completely rehabbed to keep it seaworthy and water tight.  These repairs were stem to stern.

Now, if they can just do something with the USS Olympia, of Spanish- American War fame in Philadelphia.  This is another ship worthy of saving.

It has been homeported in Charlestown since 1897 and was built less than three miles from the present site at the site of today's Coast Guard station.

It was the Constitution's first drydocking this century.

"Aye, Tear her Tattered Ensign Down."  I Had To memorize This Poem in Fifth Grade.  --Brock-Perry

USS Constitution-- Part 4: Launched October 21, 1797

Humphreys also wanted copper sheathing for the hull to protect it from marine wood borers.  The United States was not producing it at the time, but Paul Revere was able to procure the needed sheathing from England.

The USS Constitution was launched on October 21, 1797 from the present-day Constitution Wharf and U.S. Coast guard base in Boston.

It was 305-feet long, 220 feet tall and had a crew of 450.

The frigates were designed to render enemy ships immobile by damaging rigging and sails.  They didn't want to sink these ships as they wanted to capture, repair and then use those ships in our fleet.

You read a lot about ships on both sides during the War of 1812, being captured and then used against its former country.

--Brock-Perry

The USS Constitution-- Part 2: It and Her sister Ships Were the Fastest, Strongest, Most Heavily Armed Frigates Afloat

Soon afterwards the fleet was sold, our merchant ships started being harassed by the British and the North Africa Barbary Pirates.  In 1794, George Washington signed the Naval Act, authorizing $600,000 for the construction of six-medium-sized frigates.

Naval Constructor Joshua Humphreys was commissioned to build the Constitution, Chesapeake, President, United States, Congress and Constellation.  Knowing that our small Navy would be facing the huge British fleet, Humphreys designed his ships to be the fastest, strongest and most heavily armed frigates afloat.  They were essentially Super-Frigates.  No regular British frigate would have much of a chance against any of Humphreys ships.

Designed to either defeat or get away from any enemy ship.  They could easily take a British fleet in one-on-one battle.  If there were too many of them, the American ship could easily outdistance pursuit.

--Brock-Perry

Trees for the USS Constitution-- Part 3: Revolutionary Construction

Continued from January 15, 2016.

The strength of the USS Constitution's sides came from a revolutionary design by shipbuilder Joshua Humphreys called "frame and space."

The outer layer was of white oak planking up to seven inches thick on top of 12 inches of live oak frames, followed by an inner layer of white oak planking up to five inches thick.

There was only a gap of two inches between the pairs of white oak frame.

--Brock-Perry

Frigate USS President-- Part 1: A Super Frigate

From Wikipedia.

I mentioned in yesterday's and today's post, that the frigate USS President was captured this date (or yesterday) by four British frigates off New York City where it had just run the blockade.  Again, like at New Orleans, neither side was aware that the war had ended, pending ratification by the two countries, on Dec. 24, 1814 at the Treaty of Ghent.

I didn't know much about the USS President, so looked it up, of course to good old Wiki, always a fast source of information.

The USS President was a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate rated to carry 44 guns.  It was launched in April 1800 in New York City, one of the original six super frigates authorized by the Naval Act of 1794 (the USS Constitution was another of these).

The President was the last one completed and designed by Joshua Humphreys.  These six were to serve as the U.S. Navy's capital ships (whereas the biggest British ships were ships-of-the-line, then came their frigates.  These six frigates were larger, more-heavily armed and built than their British counterparts.  That is one reason why British frigates lost whenever engaged one-on-one with these American ones.

--Brock-Perry