HMS Shannon (1806)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The HMS Shannon was a Royal Navy 38 gun frigate of the Leda class, launched in 1806 in Frindsbury, Kent. She won a noteworthy naval victory on June 1, 1813, during the War of 1812, against the American Navy's USS Chesapeake.
Shannon spent her first seven years under the command of Captain Philip Broke. During this long tenure, Broke drilled his crew to an extremely high standard of naval gunnery. At the outset of the War of 1812, the Royal Navy suffered a shocking series of five consecutive defeats in single ship actions against the heavy American 44 gun "super-frigates", most notably against the USS Constitution. In recent years the Royal Navy had rarely known defeat at single ship actions, and Captain Broke was determined to engage an American warship in single combat. To this end he opted to burn captured American merchant vessels rather than take them as valuable prizes, since that would cost him essential crewmembers. Broke found his opportunity with the 38 gun USS Chesapeake, which was refitting in Boston harbor under the command of Captain James Lawrence. Shannon blockaded the harbor, and the captains of the closely matched ships both desired a contest. Broke went so far as to send Captain Lawrence a formal challenge, although the Chesapeake set sail before receiving the letter. On June 1st 1813, Chesapeake emerged from the harbor to engage the Shannon. Broke's superb attention to his gun crew's training paid off, their fire was effective and devastating from the outset. Fifteen minutes later the Shannon's crew had boarded and captured the Chesapeake. Captain Broke was seriously wounded while boarding, and Captain Lawrence suffered a mortal wound earlier in the battle. The stunning victory in closely-matched combat raised the shaken morale of the Royal Navy, and the Americans honoured the heroism of Captain Lawrence, whose last order upon being wounded was "Don't give up the ship!"
The Shannon was placed in reserve in 1831, renamed in 1844, and broken up in 1859.
Fictionalized accounts of the battle appear in The Fortune of War by Patrick O'Brian and The Key to Honor by Ron Wattanja.
[edit] Folk song
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, 0!
The people of the port came out to see the sport,
With their music playing Yankee doodle dandy, 0!
Yankee doodle, Yankee doodle dandy, 0!
The people of the port came out to see the sport,
With their music playing Yankee doodle dandy, 0!
The British frigate's name, that for the purpose came
To tame the Yankee's courage neat and handy, 0!
Was the Shannon, Captain Broke, with his crew all hearts of oak,
And in fighting, you must know, he was the dandy, 0!
Yankee doodle, &c.
The fight had scarce began when the Yankees, with much fun,
Said, we'll tow her into Boston neat and handy, 0!
And "I'll kalkilate" we'll dine, with our lasses drinking wine,
And we'll dance the jig of Yankee doodle dandy, 0!
Yankee doodle, &c.
But they soon every one flinched from the gun,
Which at first they thought to use so neat and handy, 0!
Brave Broke he waved his sword, crying, "Now, my lads, let's aboard,"
And we'll stop their playing Yankee doodle dandy, 0!
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, 0!
Notwithstanding all their brag, the glorious British flag
At the Yankees' mizzen-peak it looked the dandy, 0!
Yankee doodle, &c.
Then here's to all true blue, both officers and crew,
Who tamed the Yankees' courage neat and handy, 0!
And may it ever prove in battle, as in love,
The true British sailor is the dandy, 0!
Yankee doodle, &c.
