Top Ten Navy Sailors of All Time-- Part 1

From April 1, 2018, Navy Times by John Fannin, American Grit.

Photographs and information are with each man.

1.  John Paul Jones  "The Father of the U.S. Navy"  American Revolution  Tie

1.  John Barry   Also known as "The Father of the U.S. Navy."   Tie

3.  Chester W. Nimitz  World War II

4.  Oliver Hazard Perry   War of 1812   Battle of Lake Erie

5.  Michael M. Murphy   Medal of Honor recipient and Navy SEAL   Killed in Afghanistan

Little Known Facts About the First Barbary War-- Part 4: James Lawrence "Don't Give Up the Ship"

JAMES LAWRENCE also rose to great fame during the War of 1812.  As commander of the USS Hornet, he captured the HMS Peacock and was promoted to captain.  On June 1, 1813, as commander of the 48-gun frigate USS Chesapeake, he fought the HMS Shannon and was mortally wounded.  As he lay dying, he told his men:  "Tell them to fire faster and not give up the ship, fight her till she sinks!"

In honor of Lawrence, a group of women stitched the words "Don't Give Up the Ship" into a flag and presented it to Oliver Hazard Perry, who flew it on his USS Lawrence named in Lawrence's honor in the pivotal Battle of Lake Erie.

Since then, the Navy has named many ships in Lawrence's honor and his words, "Don't Give Up the Ship" have become the motto of the U.S. Navy.

--Cooter

USS Detroit-- Part 2: War of 1812 and Civil War

The first two U.S. Navy ships named USS Detroit.

**  The first USS Detroit was a 12-gun ship built by the British during the War of 1812 in Malden, Canada.  It was carrying 19 guns when it was captured at the Battle of Lake Erie where it was the flagship of the Royal Navy.  It then became the USS Detroit and served the Americans until it was scrapped in 1815.

**  The second USS Detroit was that name for only a few months in 1869.  It was the USS Canandaigua before and after then.  This ship served during the Civil War.  The U.S. Navy had a massive renaming of ships around 1869.

Cootroit

War of 1812: Perry's Lost Ship

From Feb. 11th AP "200-year-old shipwreck off Rhode Island is researched."

Well, actually this was before the War of 1812, but this shipwreck led to Oliver Hazard Perry's somewhat disgrace and caused him to be in command on Lake Erie which led to his return to glory.

It is located a mile off shore by a treacherous reef, but, a US Navy vessel is seeking to confirm that the wreck is that of the USS Revenge, Perry's former command that was lost on a stormy day in 1811.

The ship has largely forgotten to history now, but it weighed heavy on Perry's career when it sank off Rhode Island's Block Island Jan. 9, 1811.

Perry was 25 and in command of the Revenge en route from Newport, Rhode Island, to New London, Connecticut, when he hit a reef in the fog. He ordered cannons to be thrown overboard to lighten the ship, but it wouldn't budge and became a total wreck.

No one died, but Perry was court martialed, exonerated, but his career was in the toilet until his posting to command in the Great Lakes during the war and, of course, the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie and "We have met the enemy...."

Two private citizen divers found the wreck. On their third dive, they found a cannon. They kept it secret for five years, during which time they have found more cannons around the wreck, located in 10-15 feet of water.

The US Navy wants more proof.

The Story Before the War. --DaCoot

"We Have Met the Enemy"... Now We're Looking For It

A group is set to explore the battle of Lake Erie site for whatever items remain from it.

No ships sank in the battle, but there were lots of cannon shells, and, at one point, it was believed the US flagship Lawrence was sinking so a lot of stuff was thrown overboard.

They will be using sonar in their efforts.

Now, Where'd We Leave that Anchor. --Old Coot