USS CONSTITUTION `Old Ironsides`

Book Report

The USS Constitution : Old Ironsides : A Most fortunate ship by Tyrone G Martin

A Most Fortunate Ship , published in 1980 , is often called the definitive account of the history of the USS Constitution . These memoirs of Old Ironsides , compiled by one of her chief commanding officers T . G . Martin , paint a vivid picture of life in the US Navy during the 19th century , and of the naval enterprises and exploits during the war of 1812 . Martin was himself the 49th commander of the shipo between 1974 and 1978 p

Martin describes the history of the USS Constitution , which was constructed and launched in 1797 at the Edmond Hartt Shipyard in Boston He details the construction of the ship , which received the nickname Old Ironsides . Cannonballs could not penetrate the oak sides earning the ship its name . With a displacement of 2000 tons , the ship carried a crew of more than 450 , and his account of the ship 's enterprises introduces many of the details of what their daily lives must have been . For example , Martin describes the organization of the crew (p , how the crew was fed (p ) and disciplined (p , plus other elements of their daily routines . Life was treacherous enough in the 19th century , thanks to the limits of medical and scientific knowledge and generally poor nutrition of the working classes . Aboard a ship which could be out at see for several months at a time , diet sanitation , and general health were all major concerns and required considerable attention , particularly for the purposes of maintaining discipline and aboard a naval vessel such as the Constitution which was an important weapon during the War of 1812

Perhaps one of the most fascinating details of Martin 's accounts however , is evidence of the hardships experienced by the ship itself which , after all , saw major combat several times . To earn the name Old Ironsides , the ship certainly was subjected to several attacks from enemy cannons . Considering the entire vessel was constructed from wood , it is somewhat astounding - perhaps at least to the modern reader - that no serious damage was done on impact

During the 19th century , wooden planks called strakes were used to create ships . The strakes were fastened to other timbers called frames Caulking was the technique used to fill gaps between the stalks that created the possibility of letting water into the ship . Martin discusses the history of the USS Constitution by describing its construction along these lines . In fact , he explains that it was necessary for the sides and the deck of the Constitution to be caulked before the ship went to sea . Ships in the 19th century were never entirely waterproof and the process of caulking had to be repeated regularly to prevent new leaks Caulking of the Constitution was started on July 7th , his never produces a manageable . Before Constitution could go to sea it was necessary to caulk not only her sides but her decks as well

These and other details Martin...