Here I am, nearly a year later. I feel like I'm a year late and a thousand $ short. I wish that I had found this sooner. It is TRUE that the USS Constitution IS the OLDEST operational COMMISSIONED warship afloat. I believe that she has remained commissioned since launch, a claim that Victory can not make. She is used for training much in the same way as USS Eagle - mostly to teach midshipmen the finer art of sailing (a practice that has much more to do with teaching snap decision making and instant order following rather than any modern need to use sailing techniques). In 1998, on July 22nd, the Constitution sailed again under her own power for the first time in about a hundred and ten years. I was there when she came in from that sail at about 1930 hrs. The reason why the date is significant is that it was the 200th anniversary of her maiden voyage - She was sent on her first mission on that day in 1798.
The USS Constitution is one of six frigates built under what is considered to be the first real US naval bill, signed by President Washington on 3/27/1794. The bill had been in serious discussion since 1790. It was put into play to address a growing problem not only with Moslem pirates, but with European Naval ships stopping and impressing sailors off of American merchant vessels using false accusations of desertion as their reason. The other five frigates were Constellation, Congress, President, United States and Chesapeake.
Constitution, President and United States are/were 44 gunners, built specifically to be an overmatch in single ship encounters with large frigates of other nations. These ships were also designed to be able to engage weak enemy lineships under certain conditions. Congress, Constellation and Chesapeake were 38 gunners - still an overmatch for most enemy frigates but a tad smaller than the 44s.
The Constitution was launched (after several failed attempts that began on 9/20/1797) on 10/21/1797 in Boston, Mass. It took nine months [after launch] to outfit [giving it masts, sails, crew, provisions, ordinance, etc.] the new ship for sailing. The process was reasonably timed, given the difficulties which faced the new nation.
When Constitution sailed in 1798, her orders were "to seize take and bring into any Port of the United States...any armed vessel sailing under Authority from France". The conflict between France and the US cropped up over illegal impressment and right of trade stuff. It became known as the "Quasi-war with France". The French were mortifyed when their former ally went after French ships and the "war" lasted until a treaty was signed in Sept., 1800.
USS Constitution, however, carried out her orders well during the conflict, despite a shakey start under Captain Samuel Nicholson. He succeeded in capturing a vessel by 12th September (98) but it later turned out to be English, so Nicholson was not in too good an odor by the time he returned to Boston on the 10th of November. In late December, after repairs to the bowsprit, Constitution sailed again. Read 'A Most Fortunate Ship' to find out what happened after - you won't regret it. Constitution played a pivotal role in the West Indies and served as a convoy escort with plenty of encounters with the enemy to keep her busy. (Dates and stats. from "A Most Fortunate Ship" by Tyrone G. Martin)
HMS Victory is in permanent drydock and has been since 1922. You are correct, Paladin, she IS encased in concrete. Not enough is known about sailing ships o' the line in this day and age for her to ever sail again. She was finished (by the hull) in 1765 and (I think) commissioned in 1767 or 8. She was 40 by the time of Trafalgar, but still slightly older than her much more famous Captain from that battle, Lord Nelson. His fame became hers, and her survival to this day is a direct result of her having been Nelson's Flagship at Trafalgar. (The 200th anniversary of Trafalgar has just passed by - it was fought on Oct. 21st, 1805, coincidently the Constitution's "8th birthday"). Were it not so, she would probably be a mere footnote in history, as nearly every one of the lineships that served with her are today. None but Victory survived WW 1. Her service after Trafalger declined into some horrible treatment during the 19th and early 20th century and it is a wonder that she survived at all. Today, she symbolically serves the English Navy much in the same way as Constitution serves the U.S.
The building of 44 gun frigates is an innovation that was invented by the shipwrights of the United States, principally one Joshua Humphries, though some say that Josiah Fox was principal. Whoever it was[I'm of a mind that teamwork amongst many played the primary role], the ships were made of live oak with less than two inches between the primary ribs at a time when foreign navies allowed as much as two or more feet between same. This made the first American Frigates tremendously strong.
The nickname "Old Ironsides" was coined by US sailors during and after Constitution's engagement with the British frigate Guerriere during the War of 1812, after it was noticed that enemy cannonballs had literally bounced off her hull. USS President was just as strong, as it took THREE English Frigates to subdue her to capture in 1814, and she had a damaged rudder from a storm she had gone through a few days before!
After this and other actions in the War of 1812, the navies of Europe followed suit and had 44 gunners of their own. It is interesting to note that despite the gun rate, Constitution ACTUALLY set sail with 60 cannon on her decks, not 44. She was fast and a good sailer, equaled only by the USS President when it came to getting where she needed to be. She is, and hopefully will continue to be, 'A Most Fortunate Ship'.
Your graphics are very good. I like them very much. It is too bad that Civ 4 will eclipse Civ 3 before everyone gets a good long chance to figure out how to add and play the latter to it's full potential. I figure it will probably be some time before I know editor graphics programs well enough to add any of my own 'wish list' units. Oh. well. at least I can enjoy the ones that you and others have made. I'm sure we can all look forward to seeing some great CIV 4 units from you in the future as well. I suppose that might be just as fun.
E Strongblade
