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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. f resh 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 and68,300 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.

Makes me proud to be a Navy man.

GO NAVY

Well done, Matey...errr...Larry! Great writeup!!!

(hiccup!)

How times change.

THESE days, the entire crew would be drug tested and then command referred for drug and alcohol counseling. The Captain would be forced to retire.

Wow...the figures, like the crew, are staggering...

This is like 2.6 gallons of liquor/wine per day, per man. Maybe this answers the old musical question of, "What Do You Do With a Drunken Sailor?"

General Order 99, issued by Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels on 1 June, 1914, strictly prohibited "the use or introduction for drinking purposes of alcoholic liquors on board any naval vessel, or within any navy yard or station," to take effect on 1 July 1914.

Much of the US Navy was off the Mexican port of Veracruz at the time. The officers did their best to drink up their stores. At my last dining in, 75 years after the event, a toast was offered to the memory of Josephus Daniels. We all booed.

So what you saying Larry?

A bunch of Yanks with an alcohol problem jump in a boat, drink themselves silly while attacking English ships that were just minding their own buisness and doing a harmless bit of whale watching in the Atlantic ocean before having to go back and have a crack at the French and Spanish navies.

Then not content with that and a hunger for more alcohol decided to steal a load of whiskey from the Scots who were at that time distilling it for the British troops who were fighting the French in Portugal and Spain, thereby hampering operations in a major fight to free Europe from tyranny.

Not only that but they didn't even have the decency to take any "duty free" booze back to their loved ones back home.

Still we came back to applaud their efforts in 1812 with a BBQ in Washington.

Sometimes folks you have to read between the lines to see the real truth of the matter.

Great naval story there though Larry, makes you want to pull up a barrel, swing a lantern, drink grog and shout aggh shipmate.

I love it! Yet ANOTHER expertly written bit of naval "history" posted on one single thread here...albeit written from a "slightly different" perspective, of course!!!

(well done TOO, Graham!!!)

Hmmm...2.6 gallons per day is drinking just over 0.1 gallon/hour. Allowing for sail-handling, fighting and sleeping, they were likely drinking about a pint an hour. In those days, many folks didn't drink water, preferring beer or wine to avoid contracting water-borne illnesses. Whiskey and Rum were probably considered the safest of all.

This may be the root of the U.S. Navy's long-standing tradition of placing top priority on crew safety!

I wish ALL history was this interesting

I wish ALL history was this interesting

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I have a feeling it would be if I studied under y'all here.

come on now, this story is not entirely true . as you may or may not know the American Navy was organised by John Paul Jones (yes him, before his musical fame ) . as an Ex pat Scot being so close to home ,and in need of a good curry,he took the opportunity of nippin hame fur a ruby and a few wee goldies . being that in the US (and Canada) curries and whiskey SUCK.so that pish about a night raid up ra clyde is pure bollox.JPJ established a trading post in the Holy Loch where he could trade for curry and whisky .he also figured it would come in handy later when nuclear subs where invented.
i do wish if people are gonna give history lessons they would tell the whole story .

Aye Shipmate! Don't ya wish you could do it again!

Dang Stretcher! You're kill'n our buzz.