Hi all,
Nice new surroundings.
I've been reading O'Brian's Aubry-Maturin series. Just finished the 6th - "The Fortune of War". ("Master and Commander" was the first, and I think "Far Side of the World" is the eleventh or so.) It's 1812, and America has declared war. The climactic ship-to-ship action is the Chesapeake vs. the Shannon. I went to look it up on google and the first two references read a bit differently to me:
From http://www.multied.com/1812/chesapeake.html (first reference on google):
On June 1, 1813, the USS "Chesapeake" is attacked and captured by the HMS "Shannon." The "Shannon," which was a 52-gun frigate, clearly outclasses the "Chesapeake"; but Captain Lawrence, the commander of the "Chesapeake," is goaded into going to battle with the "Shannon." Lawrence is killed in the fight.
From http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/...sea/ches-sn.htm :
Shannon and Chesapeake were of virtually identical strength, though the American ship's crew was rather larger, and a duel between the two was attractive to both captains. Broke even issued a formal challenge, though it did not reach Lawrence, whose previous experience with British warships had convinced him that they were not likely to be formidable opponents.
I think I'll trust the historians of the US Navy on this one. The photos section of navy.mil seems more of a hyperlinked history book. I think it's pretty spiffy, anyway.
Also, I highly recommend O'Brian's books. So far, every single volume of them has had at least one neat little gem that the film makers had to steal for the M&C movie. And O'Brian has a wickedly subtle sense of humour at times. I'm pretty egotistical, but I have to admit there were several things I didn't get on the first reading.
-- CH
In "Desolation Island", Maturin and Aubry are discussing a young man who has just joined the crew:
"Jack, have you ever known any gentlemen on the lower deck?"
"Yes, a few."
"And how did you like it yourself, when you were a midshipman and your captain turned you before the mast for incompetence?"
"It was not for incompetence."
"I distinctly remember that he termed you a lubber."
"Yes, but a lecherous lubber: I kept a girl in the cable-tiers. It was a reflection upon my morals, not my seamanship."
"You astonish me: but tell how did you like it?"
Nice new surroundings.
I've been reading O'Brian's Aubry-Maturin series. Just finished the 6th - "The Fortune of War". ("Master and Commander" was the first, and I think "Far Side of the World" is the eleventh or so.) It's 1812, and America has declared war. The climactic ship-to-ship action is the Chesapeake vs. the Shannon. I went to look it up on google and the first two references read a bit differently to me:
From http://www.multied.com/1812/chesapeake.html (first reference on google):
On June 1, 1813, the USS "Chesapeake" is attacked and captured by the HMS "Shannon." The "Shannon," which was a 52-gun frigate, clearly outclasses the "Chesapeake"; but Captain Lawrence, the commander of the "Chesapeake," is goaded into going to battle with the "Shannon." Lawrence is killed in the fight.
From http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/...sea/ches-sn.htm :
Shannon and Chesapeake were of virtually identical strength, though the American ship's crew was rather larger, and a duel between the two was attractive to both captains. Broke even issued a formal challenge, though it did not reach Lawrence, whose previous experience with British warships had convinced him that they were not likely to be formidable opponents.
I think I'll trust the historians of the US Navy on this one. The photos section of navy.mil seems more of a hyperlinked history book. I think it's pretty spiffy, anyway.
Also, I highly recommend O'Brian's books. So far, every single volume of them has had at least one neat little gem that the film makers had to steal for the M&C movie. And O'Brian has a wickedly subtle sense of humour at times. I'm pretty egotistical, but I have to admit there were several things I didn't get on the first reading.
-- CH
In "Desolation Island", Maturin and Aubry are discussing a young man who has just joined the crew:
"Jack, have you ever known any gentlemen on the lower deck?"
"Yes, a few."
"And how did you like it yourself, when you were a midshipman and your captain turned you before the mast for incompetence?"
"It was not for incompetence."
"I distinctly remember that he termed you a lubber."
"Yes, but a lecherous lubber: I kept a girl in the cable-tiers. It was a reflection upon my morals, not my seamanship."
"You astonish me: but tell how did you like it?"