Old Ironsides

[Ashore]

You may well have seen this before but some won't have so here it is


The (Old U.S.S. Contitution Ironsides) as a combat vessel carried 48,000 gallons of fresh water for her crew of 475 officers and men. This was sufficient to last six months of sustained operations at sea.
The log reads on the July 27,1798, the U.S.S. Constitution sailed from Boston with a 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 the 6th October, the crew loaded 826 pounds of flour and 8,300 gallons of rum.
The ship then sailed for the Azores, arriving there 2th November took on further provisions of 550 pounds of beef and 64,300 gallons of Portugese wine.
On the 18th November set sail for England.
In the ensuing days the U.S.S.Constitution defeated five British Man of War and captured and scuttled 12 English merchantmen, salvaging only the rum aboard each ship.
By the 26th January, the powder and shot was exhausted, Nevertheless, and though Unamed, the ship made a night raid up the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, the landing party captured a whiskey distillery and transferred 40.000 gallons of single malt Scotch aboard by dawn then sailed for home.
The U.S.S. Constitution arrived in Boston on the 20th February 1799, with no cannon shot,no food, no powder,no rum,no wine,no whiskey and 38,600 gallons of stagnant water.


Go Navy.

[kiwigeo]

The mission statement reads wrong.....sounds like sinking p*ss was the aim of the mission rather than sinking British ships.

[rodm]

Very roughly that is nearly two gallons of rum/whisky and wine per man per day not counting the salvaged rum off the captured ships. Unless my maths is wrong I don't think these able seaman would have been able to stand unless they were Irish immigrants.

[kiwigeo]

More like disabled seamen

[Pat]

The fishing would have good! All that burley!