Today marks the anniversary of the lop-sided victory of the 38-gun frigate HMS Shannon over the 38-gun frigate USS Chesapeake June 1, 1813, off Boston Harbor. Chesapeake commander James Lawrence was mortally wounded and while being taken below, urged his men, "Don't give up the ship!"
Unfortunately, within 13 minutes, they were forced to surrender. However, three months later, Captain Oliver Hazard Perry used Lawrence's words on his flag at the American victory at the Battle of Lake Erie. The words are still used in the US Navy today. I have a small military flag set and one of them is blue with those words in white.
The Chesapeake was one of the original US frigates, including the Constitution and Constellation. The Shannon's crew were highly trained and experienced compared to the Americans, a major factor in the battle. I've seen it last as short as 13 minutes and as long as 30.
The action must have been extremely hot and close, as I saw that the Shannon was hit 258 times and Chesapeake 362.
The USS Chesapeake then served in the Royal Navy until it was broken up.
Don't Give Up the Ship! --RoadDog
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