US NAVAL Historical Note

greeneagle5

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LITTLE KNOWN TIDBIT OF NAVAL HISTORY


The U. S. S... Constitution (Old Ironsides), as a combat vessel, carried 48,600 gallons of fresh water for her crew of 475 officers and men. This was sufficient to last six months of sustained operations at sea. She carried no evaporators (i.e. fresh water distillers).
However, let it be noted that according to her ship's log, "On July 27, 1798, the U.S.S. Constitution sailed from Boston with a full complement of 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of fresh water, 7,400 cannon shot, 11,600 pounds of black powder and 79,400 gallons of rum ."
Her mission: "To destroy and harass English shipping."
Making Jamaica on 6 October, she took on 826 pounds of flour and 68,300 gallons of rum.
Then she headed for the Azores , arriving there 12 November.. She provisioned with 550 pounds of beef and 64,300 gallons of Portuguese wine .
On 18 November, she set sail for England . In the ensuing days she defeated five British men-of-war and captured and scuttled 12 English merchant ships,salvaging only the rum aboard each.
By 26 January, her powder and shot were exhausted. Nevertheless, although unarmed she made a night raid up the Firth of Clyde in Scotland . Her landing party captured a whisky distillery and transferred 40,000 gallons of single malt Scotch aboard by dawn. Then she headed home.
The U. S. S. Constitution arrived in Boston on 20 February 1799, with no cannon shot, no food, no powder, no rum , no wine , no whisky , and 38,600 gallons of water .
GO NAVY!:yllol:
 
If your ever interested in a very good read that gives a good idea on what life was like aboard a sailing ship / Man O'War, I highly recommend Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander, Aubrey / Maturin series.

Excellent stories, extremely well written, and you almost feel you become part of the crew as you learn about life aboard those vessels in that age. You just end up shaking your head on what life was like for them back then.

And yes, they drank alcohol everyday on board, A LOT! Grog (basically watered down rum) was a part of the crews staple diet...
 
Or perhaps you could just ask Mongo for the first hand en count. :yllol:
 
If your ever interested in a very good read that gives a good idea on what life was like aboard a sailing ship / Man O'War, I highly recommend Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander, Aubrey / Maturin series.

Excellent stories, extremely well written, and you almost feel you become part of the crew as you learn about life aboard those vessels in that age. You just end up shaking your head on what life was like for them back then.

And yes, they drank alcohol everyday on board, A LOT! Grog (basically watered down rum) was a part of the crews staple diet...

Dudley Pope's "Lord Ramage" series is superb, as is the "Granddaddy of them all" C. S. Foresters' "Hornblower Saga."

But if you REALLY want to shake your head in awe...and have the time to find them...there are 5 books written in the early 1800's titled: "The Naval History of Great Britain" and they're broken down in time periods starting in 1793. They basically cover the entire Napoleonic wars.

They are VERY accurate and include numerous captains' letters that were published in the Naval Chronicle of the time...to read what these men did (the Captain's letter was a report of what his ship and crew had done over a certain period, almost like a logbook entry, but was sent to the Lords of Admiralty)...Hollywood has NOTHING on the reality of what they actually did!

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
Naval vessels served alcohol for health reasons. Fresh water went bad and sailors would become ill.

Today sailors like to drink alcohol in ports before they lose fights with soldiers, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and airmen. :wink:
 
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