HMS Shannon (1806)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

HMS ''Shannon'' was a 38-gun
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...
of the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
. She was launched in 1806 and served in the
Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
and the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
. She won a noteworthy naval victory on 1 June 1813, during the latter conflict, when she captured the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
frigate in a bloody battle.


Design and construction

''Shannon'' was an
18-pounder The Ordnance QF 18-pounder,British military traditionally denoted smaller ordnance by the weight of its standard projectile, in this case approximately or simply 18-pounder gun, was the standard British Empire field gun of the First World War ...
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...
. The class was based on the lines of the captured French 38-gun frigate ''Hébé'', a design by
Jacques-Noël Sané Jacques-Noël Sané (18 February 1740 – 22 August 1831) was a French shipwright. He was the creator of standardised designs for ship of the line, ships of the line and frigates fielded by the French Navy in the 1780s, which served during the Fr ...
vaunted as an all-rounder. The naval historian Robert Gardiner argues that the key characteristic of the design, leading to its adoption with the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
, was its "unspectacular excellence". One ship, HMS ''Leda'', was built during the
French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...
in 1800. With the
Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
subsequently beginning, the design was revived as one of three mass-produced frigates, contrasting with the strategy of the previous war which had seen a much more sporadic choice of designs. The first three ships of the revival, including ''Shannon'', were contracted out to private
shipyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are shipbuilding, built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Compared to shipyards, which are sometimes m ...
s. The frigate was ordered on 24 October 1803 to be built at
Frindsbury Frindsbury is part of the Medway Towns conurbation in Kent, southern England. It lies on the opposite side of the River Medway to Rochester, and at various times in its history has been considered fully or partially part of the City of Rocheste ...
by Josiah and Thomas Brindley. ''Shannon'' was
laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one ...
there in August the following year. The ship was launched on 5 May 1806 with the following dimensions: along the gun deck, at the
keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element of a watercraft, important for stability. On some sailboats, it may have a fluid dynamics, hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose as well. The keel laying, laying of the keel is often ...
, with a beam of and a depth in the
hold Hold may refer to: Physical spaces * Hold (compartment), interior cargo space * Baggage hold, cargo space on an airplane * Stronghold, a castle or other fortified place Arts, entertainment, and media * Hold (musical term), a pause, also called ...
of . Her draught was forward and aft, and the ship measured 1,065
tons burthen Builder's Old Measurement (BOM, bm, OM, and o.m.) is the method used in England from approximately 1650 to 1849 for calculating the cargo capacity of a ship. It is a volumetric measurement of cubic capacity. It estimated the tonnage of a ship b ...
. The
fitting out Fitting out, or outfitting, is the process in shipbuilding that follows the float-out/launching of a vessel and precedes sea trials. It is the period when all the remaining construction of the ship is completed and readied for delivery to her o ...
process for ''Shannon'' was completed on 3 August at
Chatham Dockyard Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent. Established in Chatham, Kent, Chatham in the mid-16th century, the dockyard subsequently expanded into neighbouring Gillingham, Kent, Gillingham; at its most extens ...
. Her construction and fitting out cost in total £33,048. The frigate originally had a crew complement of 284, but this was later increased to 300. ''Shannon'' held twenty-eight 18-pounder
long gun A long gun is a category of firearms with long Gun barrel, barrels. In small arms, a ''long gun'' or longarm is generally designed to be held by both hands and braced against the shoulder, in contrast to a handgun, which can be fired being held w ...
s on her upper deck. The ''Leda''-class frigates were stipulated to be armed with eight 9-pounder long guns and six 32-pounder
carronade A carronade is a short, smoothbore, cast-iron cannon which was used by the Royal Navy. It was first produced by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, and was used from the last quarter of the 18th century to the mid-19th cen ...
s on the
quarterdeck The quarterdeck is a raised deck behind the main mast of a sailing ship. Traditionally it was where the captain commanded his vessel and where the ship's colours were kept. This led to its use as the main ceremonial and reception area on bo ...
, but ''Shannon'' differed from this. She was given two 9-pounder long guns and twelve 32-pounder carronades. Complementing this were two 9-pounder long guns and two 32-pounder carronades on the
forecastle The forecastle ( ; contracted as fo'c'sle or fo'c's'le) is the upper deck (ship), deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or, historically, the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters. Related to the latter meaning is t ...
. ''Shannon'' was named after the
River Shannon The River Shannon ( or archaic ') is the major river on the island of Ireland, and at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of I ...
, the fourth Royal Navy ship to bear that name. Sailing reports from ships of the ''Leda'' class record that they were generally very fast, reaching in strong winds. They were however not particularly weatherly and rolled heavily. During her service ''Shannon'', described as a "sensitive ship", had her
false keel The false keel was a timber, forming part of the hull of a wooden sailing ship. Typically thick for a 74-gun ship in the 19th century, the false keel was constructed in several pieces, which were scarfed together, and attached to the underside of ...
increased to counter these issues. The construction techniques used by the Brindleys included not using
knees In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...
, which in her later service saw ''Shannon''s upper levels loose and "work nglike a basket".


Service


Commissioning

''Shannon'' spent her first seven years under the command of Captain
Philip Broke Sir Philip Bowes Vere Broke, 1st Baronet (; 9 September 1776 – 2 January 1841) was a Royal Navy officer who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812. During his lifetime, he was often referred to as "Broke ...
, who was transferred from and took command of ''Shannon'' in June 1806.


Home waters

''Shannon'' was quickly put into service. She formed part of a squadron under Commodore Owen that was patrolling off the French port of
Boulogne Boulogne-sur-Mer (; ; ; or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Hauts-de-France, Northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Pas-de-Calais. Boul ...
. On 8 October she took part in the bombardment of the town using
Congreve rocket The Congreve rocket was a type of rocket artillery designed by British inventor Sir William Congreve, 2nd Baronet, Sir William Congreve in 1808. The design was based upon Mysorean rockets, the rockets deployed by the Kingdom of Mysore against ...
s. Her next task was sailing in 1807 with to protect the
whale Whales are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully Aquatic animal, aquatic placental mammal, placental marine mammals. As an informal and Colloquialism, colloquial grouping, they correspond to large members of the infraorder Cetacea ...
fishery Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a., fishing grounds). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish far ...
off
Greenland Greenland is an autonomous territory in the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. It is by far the largest geographically of three constituent parts of the kingdom; the other two are metropolitan Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Citizens of Greenlan ...
. Despite encountering
ice Ice is water that is frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 ° C, 32 ° F, or 273.15 K. It occurs naturally on Earth, on other planets, in Oort cloud objects, and as interstellar ice. As a naturally oc ...
on 7 May 1807, they were able to push through, reaching the southern part of
Spitsbergen Spitsbergen (; formerly known as West Spitsbergen; Norwegian language, Norwegian: ''Vest Spitsbergen'' or ''Vestspitsbergen'' , also sometimes spelled Spitzbergen) is the largest and the only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipel ...
on 17 June. There the two ships surveyed the Bay of Magdalena, at a
latitude In geography, latitude is a geographic coordinate system, geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from −90° at t ...
of 80°N. They eventually reached a latitude of 80° 6' N before the ice stopped them. They then turned westwards and reached the coast of Greenland on 23 July. The island of Shannon is named after the ship. ''Shannon'' spent the early autumn cruising from
Shetland Shetland (until 1975 spelled Zetland), also called the Shetland Islands, is an archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands, and Norway, marking the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the ...
. She then left, returning to Yarmouth by the end of September, where she cruised off the Downs. She put into
Spithead Spithead is an eastern area of the Solent and a roadstead for vessels off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds except those from the southeast, with the Isle of Wight lying to the south-west. Spithead and the ch ...
on 28 September to refit. By the end of 1807, France had invaded
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
, and ''Shannon'' joined Sir Samuel Hood's expedition against
Madeira Madeira ( ; ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (), is an autonomous Regions of Portugal, autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under north of ...
. The British took the island without firing a shot. Captain Broke then escorted the transports that had accompanied the fleet back to England, where they arrived on 7 February 1808. ''Shannon'' put into
Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
before returning to patrolling in the Channel. On 20 July ''Shannon'' was in company with and when they captured ''Comet''. Then on 21 August, ''Shannon'' was in company with ''Surinam'' and when they captured ''Espoir''. In November 1808, ''Shannon'' took the French frigate ''Thétis'' in tow. had shortly before captured ''Thétis'', which later entered service as HMS ''Brune''. ''Shannon'' spent 1809 with the
Channel Fleet The Channel Fleet and originally known as the Channel Squadron was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1854 to 1909 and 1914 to 1915. History Throughout the course of Royal Navy's history th ...
and on 27 January captured the French 14-gun
privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...
cutter ''Pommereuil''. Broke sent the prize into
Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
. On 1 June 1811, ''Shannon'' returned to Plymouth and was put into the dock where her hull was re-coppered. After this was completed, she sailed for Portsmouth to complete her refitting and resupplying in preparation for being assigned to foreign service.


The American coast

Broke and ''Shannon'' were ordered to sail for North America as tensions between Britain and the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
escalated in the run-up to what would become the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
. ''Shannon'' sailed from
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
and arrived in Halifax on 24 September 1811 after a journey of 45 days. On 5 July 1812 Broke took command of a squadron consisting of ''Shannon'', , , and later . Vice-Admiral Herbert Sawyer then ordered him to carry out a
blockade A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force. A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which are ...
of American ports. Broke's first success came on 16 July when he captured the 16-gun American
brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the l ...
off Sandy Hook. ''Nautilus'' had been on a cruise from
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
. Later in the evening, the squadron spotted and gave chase to as she sailed from
Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...
to New York. The chase lasted some 65 hours, during which both pursued and pursuers had to tow and warp. ''Belvidera'' eventually managed to come within gunshot of ''Constitution'' on the afternoon of 17 July, but a lucky breeze blew up, and ''Constitution''s clean bottom allowed her to make good her escape. ''Shannon''s next duty was to meet a convoy homebound from
Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
. An American squadron under Commodore John Rodgers had sailed to intercept it. ''Shannon'' ensured the convoy safely passed the Great Banks, before she returned to the American coast. ''Shannon'' recaptured the brig ''Planter'', which the American privateer ''Atlas'' had captured on 3 August. ''Shannon'' put into Halifax on 20 September to take on provisions. Sir John Warren arrived while she was in port, and took up the post of commander in chief of the
North America and West Indies Station The North America and West Indies Station was a formation or command of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy stationed in North American waters from 1745 to 1956, with main bases at the Imperial fortresses of Bermuda and Halifax, Nova Scotia. The ...
. He then despatched ''Shannon'' with the
schooner A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...
to rescue the crew and offload the money being carried by the frigate , which had been wrecked on
Sable Island Sable Island (, literally "island of sand") is a small, remote island off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. Sable Island is located in the North Atlantic Ocean, about southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, and about southeast of the clo ...
. While carrying out this mission, ''Shannon'' encountered and subsequently captured an enemy
privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...
schooner A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...
, ''Wily Reynard'' on 11 October, that she took back to Halifax with her. On 31 October, while ''Shannon'' was cruising with , , and , Broke captured the American privateer brig ''Thorn''. ''Thorn'' was armed with eighteen long 9-pounder guns and had a crew of 140 men. She was three weeks out of Marblehead on her first cruise. Sent to Halifax with a
prize crew A prize crew is the selected members of a ship chosen to take over the operations of a captured ship. History Prize crews were required to take their prize to appropriate prize courts, which would determine whether the ship's officers and crew h ...
, ''Thorn'' was subsequently purchased and renamed as the
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
privateer brig ''Sir John Sherbrooke''. Sir John Warren was at
Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...
during the winter of 1812, and left Broke in command of the Royal Navy squadrons operating on the coasts of
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
,
New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...
and
New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
. In December Broke took the ''Shannon'' and escorted a homebound convoy halfway across the
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
, returning to North America by sailing round the
Azores The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...
. On 31 January 1813 ''Shannon'' recaptured the ship , which the American privateer had captured six days earlier in a hard-fought action. In 1813, Captain Oliver arrived on the station aboard the 74-gun
third rate In the rating system of the Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, typically built with two gun decks (thus the related term two-decker). Rating When the rating system was f ...
, and took command from Captain Broke. Broke continued to deploy with his squadron until ''Shannon'' and ''Tenedos'' became separated from them in a gale. They decided to steer for
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, reaching the port on 2 April. Having observed the activity in the port, they returned to their squadron and reported the presence of the American frigates , and ''Constitution''. In their absence, had entered the harbour through the eastern channel. Captain Capel aboard ordered ''Shannon'' and ''Tenedos'' to watch the port from close inshore, while the rest of the squadron cruised in the offing. On 16 May ''Shannon'' and ''Tenedos'' chased a large armed ship under American colours, and forced her to run aground near Cape Ann Town. ''Shannon'' anchored close to the grounded ship and fired a few shots to disperse a number of
militiamen A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or serve ...
who were assembling. Lieutenant George Watt of ''Shannon'' then managed to bring the ship off the shore without loss. She was the French corvette-built privateer ''Invincible'', of 16 guns, originally named . On 25 March ''Shannon'' took on stores of water and provisions from ''Tenedos'', which was then detached, with orders to rejoin the ''Shannon'' on 14 June.


Fighting ''Chesapeake''


Issuing a challenge

During his long period in command of ''Shannon'', Broke had drilled his crew to an extremely high standard of naval gunnery.
The weekly routine at sea was for the watch on deck to be exercised at the great guns on Monday and Tuesday forenoons, and in the afternoons the first division of the watch was exercised at small arms. Wednesday and Thursday forenoons saw the watch on deck at the carronades, and in the afternoons the second division of the watch at small arms. Friday was reserved for the midshipmen – great guns in the morning, small arms in the afternoon. Thus each man had one morning at the 18-pounders, one morning at the carronades and two afternoons with musquets in every week. Saturdays were reserved for washing clothes and scrubbing the berth deck in the afternoon. Sunday, apart from Church service and any necessary evolutions with the sails, was free.
In addition to these gunnery drills, Broke was fond of preparing hypothetical scenarios to test his crew. For example, after all hands had been drummed to quarters, he would inform them of a theoretical attack and see how they would act to defend the ship. He would also arrange on occasion for a wooden cask to be sent over the side so competitions could be held to see which crew could hit it and how fast they could do so. A game called '
singlestick Singlestick is a martial art that uses a wooden stick as its weapon. It began as a way of training soldiers in the use of backswords (such as the sabre or the cutlass). Canne de combat, a French form of stick fighting, is similar to singlestic ...
' was also practised. "This was a game employing roughly similar thrusts and parries as were used with cutlass, but as it was played with blunt sticks, hits, although painful, were not often dangerous. It soon developed quickness of eye and wrist." Eager to engage and defeat one of the American 'super-frigates' that had already scored a number of victories over smaller Royal Navy ships in single-ship confrontations, Broke prepared a challenge. The warship ''President'' had already slipped out of the harbour under the cover of fog and had evaded the British. ''Constitution'' was undergoing extensive repairs and alterations and would not be ready for sea in the foreseeable future. However, ''Chesapeake'' appeared to be ready to put to sea. Consequently, Broke decided to send his challenge to ''Chesapeake'', which had been refitting in
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
harbour under the command of Captain
James Lawrence James Lawrence (October 1, 1781 – June 4, 1813) was an officer of the United States Navy. During the War of 1812, he commanded in a single-ship action against , commanded by Philip Broke. He is probably best known today for his last words, ...
, offering single-ship combat. While patrolling offshore, ''Shannon'' had intercepted and captured a number of American ships attempting to reach the harbour. After sending two of them off to Halifax, he found that his crew was dangerously reduced in numbers. Broke therefore resorted to burning the rest of the prizes in order to conserve his highly trained crew in anticipation of the battle with ''Chesapeake''. Broke sent the boats from the burnt prizes into Boston, carrying Broke's oral invitation to Lawrence to come out and engage him. He had already sent ''Tenedos'' away in the hope that the more favourable odds would entice the American out, but eventually began to despair that ''Chesapeake'' would ever come out of the harbour. He finally decided to send a written challenge.
As the Chesapeake appears now ready for sea, I request you will do me the favour to meet the Shannon with her, ship to ship, to try the fortune of our respective flags. The Shannon mounts twenty-four guns upon her broadside and one light boat-gun; 18 pounders upon her main deck, and 32-pounder carronades upon her quarter-deck and forecastle; and is manned with a complement of 300 men and boys, beside thirty seamen, boys, and passengers, who were taken out of recaptured vessels lately. I entreat you, sir, not to imagine that I am urged by mere personal vanity to the wish of meeting the Chesapeake, or that I depend only upon your personal ambition for your acceding to this invitation. We have both noble motives. You will feel it as a compliment if I say that the result of our meeting may be the most grateful service I can render to my country; and I doubt not that you, equally confident of success, will feel convinced that it is only by repeated triumphs in even combats that your little navy can now hope to console your country for the loss of that trade it can no longer protect. Favour me with a speedy reply. We are short of provisions and water, and cannot stay long here.
By now ''Shannon'' had been off Boston for 56 days and was running short of provisions, while the extended period at sea was wearing the ship down. She would be even more at a disadvantage facing ''Chesapeake'', fresh from harbour and a refit. Broke despatched a boat carrying the invitation, manned by a Mr Slocum, a discharged American prisoner. The boat had not reached the shore when ''Chesapeake'' was seen underway, sailing out of the harbour. She was flying three American ensigns and a large white flag at the foremast inscribed 'Free Trade and Sailor's Rights'. Though Lawrence had not received Broke's letter before leaving harbour, according to author Ian W. Toll, it would not have made any difference, Lawrence intended to sail at the first day of favourable weather. The fact that it was not in his nation's interests at this point in the war to be challenging British frigates seems not to have entered into his reasoning; ''President'' had in fact slipped out of harbour in foul weather to commerce raid, which was deemed in the US national interest. The two ships had in one another about as close a match as could exist in a state of war. ''Chesapeake''s (rated at 38 guns) armament of twenty-eight 18-pounder long guns was an exact match for ''Shannon''. Measurements proved the ships to be about the same deck length. The only measurable difference between the two ships was the size of their complements: ''Chesapeake''s 379 against ''Shannon''s 330. ''Shannon'' carried 276 officers, seamen and marines of her proper complement; eight recaptured seamen; 22 Irish labourers who had been 48 hours in the ship and of whom only four could speak English, and 24 boys, of whom about 13 were under 12 years of age. Broke had trained his gun crews to fire accurate broadsides into the hulls of enemy vessels, with the aim of killing their gun crews, rather than shooting down the masts. By contrast, half of ''Chesapeake''s officers and up to one quarter of the crew were new to the ship. Her crew had conducted no practice at small arms nor of the main battery. Despite this, Lawrence believed that he would win the battle. The previous American victories over smaller Royal Navy ships left him expectant of success, especially since ''Chesapeake'' had a substantially larger crew than ''Shannon''. Still, before setting sail, Lawrence wrote two quick notes, one to the
Secretary of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On March 25, 2025, John Phelan was confirm ...
pronouncing his intentions and another to his brother-in-law asking him to look after Lawrence's wife and children in event of his death. He then set sail. Just before the engagement, the American crew gave three cheers.


Initial engagement

The two ships met at half past five in the afternoon, east of Boston lighthouse, between
Cape Ann Cape Ann is a rocky peninsula in northeastern Massachusetts on the Atlantic Ocean. It is about northeast of Boston and marks the northern limit of Massachusetts Bay. Cape Ann includes the city of Gloucester and the towns of Essex, Man ...
and
Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer months. The ...
. ''Shannon'' was flying a rusty
blue ensign The Blue Ensign is a British ensign that may be used on vessels by certain authorised yacht clubs, Royal Research Ships and British merchant vessels whose master holds a commission in the Royal Naval Reserve or has otherwise been issued a wa ...
and her dilapidated outside appearance after a long period at sea suggested that she would be an easy opponent. Observing ''Chesapeake''s many flags, a sailor had questioned Broke: "Mayn't we have three ensigns, sir, like she has?" "No," said Broke, "we've always been an unassuming ship." ''Shannon'' refused to fire upon ''Chesapeake'' as she bore down, nor would ''Chesapeake'' rake ''Shannon'' despite having the weather gage. Lawrence's behaviour that day earned him praise from British officers for his gallantry. The two ships opened fire just before 18:00 at a range of about , with ''Shannon'' scoring the first hit, striking ''Chesapeake'' on one of her gunports with two round shot and a bag of musket balls fired by William Mindham, the gun captain of one of ''Shannon''s starboard 18-pounders. Two or three further broadsides followed that swept ''Chesapeake''s decks with grape and roundshot from ''Shannon''s 32-pounder carronades. ''Shannon''s fire destroyed ''Chesapeake''s helm and fore-topsail halyards; this caused her to 'luff up' into the wind. ''Chesapeake'', unable to manoeuvre, then made sternway (was blown backwards). Her port stern quarter contacted ''Shannon''s side, level with the fifth gun port from the bow, and was trapped by one of ''Shannon''s anchors. With ''Chesapeake'' trapped against ''Shannon'' and unable to manoeuvre, ''Chesapeake''s stern now became exposed to raking British fire. Her situation worsened when a small open cask of
musket A musket is a muzzle-loaded long gun that appeared as a smoothbore weapon in the early 16th century, at first as a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating plate armour. By the mid-16th century, this type of musket gradually dis ...
cartridges abaft the mizzen-mast blew up. When the smoke cleared, Captain Broke judged the time was right and gave the order to board. Lawrence, too, tried to give the order to board, but the British were faster.


The British board

Mr Stevens, the
boatswain A boatswain ( , ), bo's'n, bos'n, or bosun, also known as a deck boss, or a qualified member of the deck department, or the third hand on a fishing vessel, is the most senior Naval rating, rate of the deck department and is responsible for the ...
attempted to lash the two ships together to prevent ''Chesapeake'' from disengaging and escaping. This bravery cost him an arm. A party of small-arm men rushed aboard ''Chesapeake'', led by Broke and including the
purser A purser is the person on a ship principally responsible for the handling of money on board. On modern merchant ships, the purser is the officer responsible for all administration (including the ship's cargo and passenger manifests) and supply. ...
, Mr G. Aldham, and the clerk, Mr John Dunn. Aldham and Dunn were killed as they crossed the gangway, but the rest of the party made it onto ''Chesapeake''.
Captain Broke, at the head of not more than twenty men, stepped from the rail of the waist-hammock netting to the muzzle of the after-carronade of the Chesapeake, and sprang from thence upon her quarterdeck.
The main-deck was found to be empty, having been swept clear by ''Shannons broadsides. Broke and his men quickly advanced forward along the deck, while more British reinforcements leapt aboard. Meanwhile, the first lieutenant, Mr George T. L. Watt, had attempted to hoist the British colours over ''Chesapeake'' but was killed, hit in the forehead by grapeshot, as he did so. Fighting had now broken out along the top-masts of the ships as rival sharpshooters fired upon their opponents in the masts, and on the sailors on the exposed decks. The British marksmen, led by Midshipman William Smith, who had command of the fore-top, stormed ''Chesapeake''s fore-top over the yard-arm and killed all the Americans there. Captain Broke himself led a charge against a number of the Americans who had managed to rally on the
forecastle The forecastle ( ; contracted as fo'c'sle or fo'c's'le) is the upper deck (ship), deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or, historically, the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters. Related to the latter meaning is t ...
. After four minutes of fierce fighting, the Americans called for quarter, but then, finding that they outnumbered the British, they rallied and counterattacked. Three American sailors, probably from the rigging, descended and attacked Captain Broke. Although taken by surprise, he killed the first. The second hit him with a musket, which stunned him, while the third sliced open his skull with his sabre, knocking Broke to the deck. Before the American could finish Broke off, he was cut down by William Windham. ''Shannon''s crew rallied to the defence of their captain and carried the forecastle, killing the remaining Americans. Broke handed over command of ''Shannon'' to Lieutenant
Provo Wallis Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy), Admiral of the Fleet Sir Provo William Parry Wallis, (12 April 1791 – 13 February 1892) was a Royal Navy officer. As a junior officer, following the Capture of USS Chesapeake, capture of USS ''Chesapeake'' by ...
. Though wounded, Broke was able to save the life of a young American
midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...
who had slid down a rope from the fore-top. With American resistance weakening, Lieutenant Charles Leslie Falkiner, who had commanded the boarders who had rushed the main-deck, took command of the prize. While the two-yard-arms had been locked together, Mr Cosnaham, who had commanded the main-top, had crawled out on the main yard-arm where he could fire down onto ''Chesapeake'', killing three of her men.


''Chesapeake'' is taken

The British then secured the ship and took her surrender. The engagement had lasted just eleven minutes. ''Shannon'' had lost 23 killed, and had 56 wounded. ''Chesapeake'' had about 60 killed, including her four lieutenants, the master and many other of her officers, and about as many wounded. Captain Lawrence had been mortally wounded by fire from ''Shannon''s fore-top and was carried below before ''Chesapeake'' was boarded. His last order upon being wounded was "Don't give up the ship!". A large cask of unslaked
lime Lime most commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Bo ...
was found open on ''Chesapeake''s forecastle and another bag of lime was discovered in the fore-top. Some British sailors alleged the intention was to throw handfuls into the eyes of ''Shannon''s men as they attempted to board. The historian Albert Gleaves has called the allegations "absurd," noting, "Lime is always carried in ship's stores as a disinfectant, and the fact that it was left on the deck after the ship was cleared for action was probably due to the neglect of some subordinate, or petty officer." ''Shannons midshipmen during the action were Messrs. Smith, Leake, Clavering, Raymond, Littlejohn and Samwell. Samwell was the only other officer to be wounded in the action. Mr Etough was the acting master, and conned the ship into the action. Shortly after the frigate had been secured, Broke fainted from loss of blood and was rowed back to ''Shannon'' to be attended to by the ship's surgeon. After the victory, a prize crew was put aboard ''Chesapeake'' and ''Shannon'' escorted her and her crew into Halifax, arriving there on 6 June. Lieutenant Bartholomew Kent, of brought the first news of the British victory back to London. At Halifax ''Chesapeake''s crew was imprisoned. ''Chesapeake'' herself was repaired and taken into service by the Royal Navy before she was sold at Portsmouth, England in 1820 and broken up.


Aftermath

The victory provided a boost to the British position in the Americas, while Lawrence was posthumously honoured in the United States. After setting out on 5 September for a brief cruise under a Captain Teahouse, ''Shannon'' departed for England on 4 October, carrying the recovering Captain Broke. They arrived at
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
on 2 November. After the successful action Lieutenants Wallis and Falkiner were promoted to the rank of commander, and Messrs. Etough and Smith were made lieutenants. Captain Broke was made a
baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...
that September. The
Court of Common Council The Court of Common Council is the primary decision-making body of the City of London Corporation. It meets nine times per year. Most of its work is carried out by committees. City of London Corporation elections , Elections are held at least eve ...
of
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
awarded him the freedom of the city, and a sword worth 100
guinea Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...
s. He also received a piece of plate worth 750 pounds and a cup worth 100 guineas. The British buried Captain Lawrence in Halifax with full military honours; six senior Royal Navy officers served as pall bearers. Although ''Shannon''s surgeon had pronounced as fatal Captain Broke's head wound from a cutlass stroke, he survived; nevertheless, he never again commanded a ship due to his injuries. Two-thirds of the boarding party which captured the ''Chesapeake'' were either wounded or killed in action. The casualties, 228 killed or wounded in total, were high, with the ratio making it one of the bloodiest
single ship action A single-ship action is a naval engagement fought between two warships of opposing sides, excluding submarine engagements; it is called so because there is a single ship on each side. The following is a list of notable single-ship actions. Sing ...
s of the age of sail. It had the single highest body count in an action between two ships in the entirety of the war. The fact that it happened in 15 minutes is a sign of the sheer ferocity with which this battle was fought between the two combatants. In 1847 the Admiralty authorized the issue of the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Shannon wh. Chesapeake" to any surviving claimants from the action.


Subsequent service

Commander Humphrey Senhouse (acting) assumed command in June 1813. ''Shannon'' was in ordinary at Portsmouth in 1814–1815. Between July 1815 and March 1817, she was at Chatham undergoing extensive repairs that cost £26,328. She then returned to ordinary. She underwent a small repair for £4,969 between May and July 1826. She was fitted for sea between August and December 1828, which cost another £14,746. In September Captain Benjamin Clement recommissioned her, and he would command her until 1830. ''Shannon'' became a
receiving ship A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. 'Hulk' may be used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, an abandoned wreck or shell, or a ship whose propulsion system is no longer maintained or has been r ...
and temporary hulk at
Sheerness Sheerness () is a port town and civil parish beside the mouth of the River Medway on the north-west corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 13,249, it is the second largest town on the island after the nearby ...
in 1831. On 11 March 1844 she was renamed ''Saint Lawrence''.


Fate

''Shannon'' was finally broken up at Chatham, a process completed on 12 November 1859.


Legacy

* Graves of ''Shannon's'' crew are marked in the cemetery of the
Royal Naval Dockyard, Halifax Royal Naval Dockyard, Halifax was a Royal Navy base in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Established in 1759, the Halifax Yard served as the headquarters for the Royal Navy's North American Station for sixty years, starting with the Seven Years' War. ...
and at the city's St. Paul's Church, then the cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Nova Scotia.
plaque
was erected to commemorate the battle in Halifax in 1927 and may be seen at
Point Pleasant Park Point Pleasant Park is a large, mainly forested municipal park at the southern tip of the Halifax peninsula. It once hosted several artillery batteries, and still contains the Prince of Wales Tower - the oldest Martello tower in North America (1 ...
. ''Shannon's'' bell is displayed at the
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a maritime museum located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The museum is a member institution of the Nova Scotia Museum and is the oldest and largest maritime museum in Canada with a collection o ...
in Halifax in an exhibit about the battle which includes a surgeon's chest and mess kettle from ''Chesapeake''. Cannons believed to be from ''Shannon'' and ''Chesapeake'' are displayed either side of Province House, Nova Scotia's legislature. * Namesake of Shannon Park, Nova Scotia * Because he was able to claim six days as acting captain of ''Shannon'', Provo Wallis became senior to many others who had been lieutenants in the Napoleonic-era Royal Navy. It was an advantage that, combined with his longevity, eventually propelled him to the post of
Admiral of the Fleet An admiral of the fleet or shortened to fleet admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to field marshal and marshal of the air force. An admiral of the fleet is typically senior to an admiral. It is also a generic ter ...
. * A fictionalised account of the battle appears in ''
The Fortune of War ''The Fortune of War'' is the sixth historical novel in the Aubrey–Maturin series by British author Patrick O'Brian, first published in 1979. It is set during the War of 1812 and much of the story takes place in Boston, Massachusetts. HMS ' ...
'' by
Patrick O'Brian Patrick O'Brian (12 December 1914 – 2 January 2000), born Richard Patrick Russ, was an English novelist and translator, best known for his Aubrey–Maturin series. These sea novels are set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and ...
. * A special Canadian silver 10-dollar coin commemorating the
War of 1812 Bicentennial The War of 1812 Bicentennial were a series of events to commemorate the War of 1812 in Canada and the United States during the war's bicentenary, 2012–2015. Included here is a list of planned commemorations and organizations. Canada The Canad ...
depicts HMS ''Shannon''. *
Broke Inlet Broke Inlet, originally named Broke's Inlet, is an inlet in the South West region of Western Australia located west of Walpole. The inlet is a large shallow estuary at the eastern end of the d'Entrecasteaux National Park, linked to the Sout ...
, Broke, Shannon River, Shannon and
Shannon National Park Shannon National Park is a national park on the south coast of Western Australia, south of Perth and southeast of Manjimup. It was declared a national park in 1988. The park covers the entire Shannon River basin. It is part of the larger Wa ...
in the south-west of Western Australia are though to have been named after the ship and its captain.


Folksong

The battle became the subject of a British ballad: The Chesapeake and the Shannon
The Chesapeake so bold, out of Boston, I am told, Came to take a British frigate neat and handy, O! It allowed immigrants to lambast the critical events that unfolded during the Kentucky resolutions, O! ''Yankee doodle, Yankee doodle dandy, O!'' ''The people of the port came out to see the sport,'' ''With their music playing Yankee doodle dandy, O!'' The British frigate's name, that for the purpose came To tame the Yankee's courage neat and handy, O! Was the Shannon, Captain Broke, with his crew all hearts of oak, And in fighting, you must know, he was the dandy, O! ''Yankee doodle, &c.'' The fight had scarce began when the Yankees, with much fun, Said, we'll tow her into Boston neat and handy, O! And I'll kalkilate we'll dine, with our lasses, drinking wine, And we'll dance the jig of Yankee doodle dandy, O! ''Yankee doodle, &c.'' But they soon every one flinched from the gun, Which at first they thought to use so neat and handy, O! Brave Broke he waved his sword, crying, "Now, my lads, let's aboard," And we'll stop their playing Yankee doodle dandy, O! ''Yankee doodle, &c.'' He scarce had said the word, when they all jump'd on board, And they hauled down the ensign neat and handy, O! Notwithstanding all their brag, the glorious British flag At the Yankees' mizzen-peak it looked the dandy, O! ''Yankee doodle, &c.'' Then here's to all true blue, both officers and crew, Who tamed the Yankees' courage neat and handy, O! And may it ever prove in battle, as in love, The true British sailor is the dandy, O! ''Yankee doodle, &c.''
* In July 2012, the Royal Canadian Mint issued a commemorative coin about ''Shannon'': "The War of 1812 was a fundamental turning point in Canada's history. Its history—including that of the Leda-class frigate, HMS ''Shannon''—has become an important chapter in the narrative of Canada's evolution from colony to sovereign nation. The two-dollar coin featuring HMS ''Shannon'' commemorates the historic 11-minute battle with the USS ''Chesapeake'' off the coast of Boston. The capture of the ''Chesapeake'' marked a decisive naval victory for the British at a time when morale was waning."


Notes


Citations


References

* * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


''The Chesapeake and the Shannon'' ballad

HMS Shannon 1806
from the Royal Navy's website.

at Halifax
HMS Shannon's career
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shannon (1806) Frigates of the Royal Navy War of 1812 ships of the United Kingdom War of 1812 ships of Canada 1806 ships Leda-class frigates Military history of Nova Scotia Conflicts in Nova Scotia Ships in art