USS Constitution?

**Barkhorn1x** · 02-13-2009, 18:00

Originally Posted by Greyblades

Although it may not be my place to question your info scipiousgoblin, wikipedia (which is probably not the most reliable of sources but still...) says it was the USS Bonhomme Richard that took the serapsis not the Constitution .

Correct, he's thinking of the HMS Guerriere.

On US Navy vs. Royal Navy in the War of 1812:
The quality of US crews was, on average, much higher than that of the Royal Navy during the war - due to a combination of higher pay and better living conditions as compared to the US merchant marine. But the primary reason was size. The US fleet numbered in the dozens, the Royal Navy had hundreds. The US Navy had the luxury of picking their crews from an overabundance of applicants. The Royal navy had major issues crewing their ships (perhaps you lot shouldn't have flogged quite so much

) and took whoever they could (literally) get their hands on.

**Greyblades** · 02-13-2009, 18:12

Originally Posted by Barkhorn1x

Correct, he's thinking of the HMS Guerriere.

On US Navy vs. Royal Navy in the War of 1812:
The quality of US crews was, on average, much higher than that of the Royal Navy during the war - due to a combination of higher pay and better living conditions as compared to the US merchant marine. But the primary reason was size. The US fleet numbered in the dozens, the Royal Navy had hundreds. The US Navy had the luxury of picking their crews from an overabundance of applicants. The Royal navy had major issues crewing their ships (perhaps you lot shouldn't have flogged quite so much

) and took whoever they could (literally) get their hands on.

If I remember reading rightly

we were thrashing the Americans in the naval front until the French got involved. And even then it was a mixtures of successes and failures.
Also, when did we get a reputaion for flogging our sailors?

**Barkhorn1x** · 02-13-2009, 18:44

Originally Posted by Greyblades

If I remember reading rightly

we were thrashing the Americans in the naval front until the French got involved. And even then it was a mixtures of successes and failures.
Also, when did we get a reputaion for flogging our sailors?

You must mean the our Revolution - I was referring to the War of 1812.

Wasn't it Winston Churchill who said "Don't talk to me about Naval Tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash"?