HMS Java (1811)
 The USS Constitution fights the HMS Java |
|
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Type | Sailing frigate |
| Keel laying | 1805 in Nantes (Basse-Indre) |
| Launch | 1808 as a reputation |
| 1. Period of service |
|
| Commissioning | 1812 (for Royal Navy) |
| Whereabouts | burned after battle against USS Constitution on December 29, 1812 |
| Technical specifications | |
| displacement |
1073 long tons |
| length | |
| width | |
| Draft | |
| crew |
300–315 officers and men |
| Armament |
Gun |
The HMS Java was a 38-gun frigate of the Pallas class , which was originally built as a prestigious French navy. After the hijacking by the British in 1811 was nunmehrige Java in the War of 1812 during a heavy battle with the US Navy -Fregatte USS Constitution defeated and ultimately engulfed by fire.
history
The ship was laid down in Nantes in 1805 and launched in 1808 as a prestigious ship . The frigate belonged to the Pallas class designed by Jacques-Noël Sané . On May 20, 1811, the Renommée was attacked and captured by a British squadron as part of a squadron under François Roquebert near Madagascar. Between April and October 1812 the ship was equipped in Portsmouth for the Royal Navy and put into service as Java . Under Captain Henry Lambert, the frigate sailed in November 1812 with the destination Bombay. On board were the designated Commander-in-Chief for Madras , Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Hislop with his staff, and a cargo of shipbuilding materials. Due to the large number of passengers, there were between 373 and 426 people on board.
On December 29, 1812, at 8 a.m. near the Brazilian coast in the area around Salvador da Bahia , the crew sighted another frigate, which could not be identified at first due to the great distance. Both ships set flag signals and ultimately the unknown ship could be recognized as the USS Constitution . Since the United Kingdom had been at war with the United States since June 18, 1812 , both ships prepared for a battle. Captain Lambert was one of the most experienced frigate captains in the Royal Navy and had obtained extensive information about the combat characteristics of the heavy US frigates. He knew about the strength of the sides of the Constitution , for which the American ship had been known since its victory over HMS Guerriere . Lambert therefore ordered high shots to hit the superstructure of the Constitution . At 2 p.m., the American commander, Commodore William Bainbridge, opened the battle with a broadside from a distance of half a nautical mile . However, this did no damage. The Java replied and with one of its first hits was able to shoot the steering wheel off the American ship. This made the constitution temporarily incapable of maneuvering. In addition, Commodore Bainbridge had been injured by both flying fragments and a British sniper in this hit . The British were able to damage the US frigate further, but failed to effectively coat the stern of the Constitution with a few salvos, although they had the opportunity to do so twice.
With the help of an emergency control, a limited maneuverability of the constitution was restored, and this attacked the Java again . From a relatively short distance, the Americans brought the heavy 24-pounder cannons with success against the British ship. The British frigate was successfully dismasted, with the Constitution itself suffering severe damage to the hull and rigging.
When the Java had lost its last mast, the crew tried to set an emergency sail because the Constitution had withdrawn for repairs. However, the first officer recognized Lt. Henry D. Chads the hopelessness of a continuation of the battle and struck the flag in place of the fatally injured Captain Lambert when the Constitution approached the British ship again. After about three hours the Americans had won the battle, but the originally planned circumnavigation of Cape Horn had become impossible due to the damage to the constitution . The Java was too badly damaged to be taken as a prize and was therefore set on fire and sunk along with the cargo. The Constitution's shot-up steering wheel was replaced by that of the British frigate.
literature
- Robert Gardiner (Ed.): The Naval War of 1812 . US Naval Institute Press, Annapolis 1998, ISBN 978-1-55750-654-2 (American English).
- Karl Heinz Marquardt: Anatomy of the Ship. The 44-Gun Frigate USS Constitution "Old Ironsides" . US Naval Institute Press, Annapolis 2005, ISBN 978-1-59114-250-8 (American English).
- Tyrone G. Martin: A most fortunate ship: A narrative History of Old Ironsides . Revised Edition. US Naval Institute Press, Annapolis 2003, ISBN 978-1-59114-513-4 (American English).
- Ian W. Toll: Six Frigates. The Epic History Of The Founding Of The US Navy . WW Norton & Co., New York 2006, ISBN 978-0-393-05847-5 (American English).
- Rif Winfield: British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793-1817 . Chatham Publishing, London 2005, ISBN 978-1-86176-246-7 (English).
Web links
- Java , 1811 in the Naval Database (English)
- Defeat of HMS Java , 1812 (English)