8/25/2023 0 Comments British navy war of 1812The force of a ship was usually calculated as "weight of metal." This was the aggregate of the weight of all the cannonballs capable of being fired in one broadside (i.e., when half of the cannon, all the guns on the same side, were fired). Broke mounted a number of very small carronades in order that ships' boys and younger midshipmen could have cannon light enough for them to practise on. USS Chesapeake (1135 tons burthen) was variously rated a 36 or 38 gun ship but mounted 49 guns in total. Thus HMS Shannon (1065 tons burthen) was classed as a 38 gun ship but mounted 48 guns in total. However, gunnery was Broke's area of expertise, and the crew of Shannon were exceptionally well drilled for the era.Īt the time the official rating of a ship did not accurately reflect the number of cannon mounted. Although Chesapeake was a slightly larger craft and had a substantially larger crew, the armament of the two ships was evenly matched. Matters changed when Shannon met Chesapeake off Boston, Massachusetts in a single ship action. The Americans had a main battery of 24-pounder long guns compared with the smaller 18-pounders mounted on the British ships the weight refers to the size of the cannonballs. In each case the American ships were larger than the British vessels, had larger crews and had a heavier broadside. The British and American ships were of the same rate, yet they were not of the same size or power. The Americans won every one of those six encounters, which came as a surprise to the Royal Navy. There were half a dozen naval battles between Royal Navy and United States Navy frigates in 1812 and the early months 1813. The United States Congress declared war on 18 June 1812. Broke was ordered to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1811 as the diplomatic position between America and Britain deteriorated. Broke took command of the Shannon, a 38-gun frigate, on 31 August 1806. His most notable accomplishment was his victory while commanding HMS Shannon, over the USS Chesapeake on 1 June 1813, during the War of 1812. They had 11 children, including Philip Broke, 2nd Baronet, George Broke-Middleton, and Charles Acton Broke. On 25 November 1802, Broke married Sarah Louisa Middleton, daughter of Sir William Fowle Middleton 1st Baronet of Crowfield, Suffolk. He was promoted to commander in 1799 and captain on 14 February 1801. He served as third lieutenant on the frigate HMS Southampton during the battle of Cape St. It was rather unusual for him to receive formal naval education – most of his contemporaries had only "on the job" training. He was educated at Ipswich School, where a house was later named in his honour.īroke joined the Royal Naval Academy at Portsmouth Dockyard in 1788, and began active service as a midshipman in 1792. His most famous military achievement was defeating and capturing the American frigate, USS Chesapeake.īroke was born at Broke Hall, Nacton, near Ipswich, the eldest son of Philip Bowes Broke, grandson of Philip Broke and descendant of Sir Richard Broke, who served as Chief Baron of the Exchequer. During his lifetime, he was often referred to as "Broke of the Shannon", a reference to his notable command of HMS Shannon in the War of 1812. Sir Philip Bowes Vere Broke, 1st Baronet KCB ( / ˈ b r ʊ k/ 9 September 1776 – 2 January 1841) was a distinguished officer in the British Royal Navy.
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