|
256-bit encryption
$500,000 protection
|
USS RALEIGH (1776)
USS
Raleigh was one of thirteen ships that the Continental
Congress authorized for the Continental Navy in 1775.
The 32-gun frigate's keel was laid on March 21, 1776 at
the shipyard in Kittery, Maine. She was launched on May
21, 1776. With a tonnage of 697 and a gun deck length of
131'5", she had a complement of 180.
European
powers formerly estimated the strength of their navies
mainly on the number of their ship-of-the-line ships.
Those were large warship with at least two gun decks. However, in 1776, when America went to
war with England, they soon found out how effective
American frigates were, and also how quickly Americans
built them. The USS Raleigh was a shiny example: sixty days.
USS
Raleigh
was put to sea under Captain Thomas Thompson, who
also supervised her construction, on August 12, 1777. Shortly thereafter,
USS Raleigh joined USS Alfred and sailed for France.
Three days out they captured a schooner carrying
counterfeit Massachusetts money. On September 2
they captured the British brig, Nancy, and from her they
obtained the signals of the convoy which the brig had
been escorting from the rear. Giving chase, the
Americans closed in with the convoy on September 4, 1777. USS
Raleigh engaged the 32-gun HMS Druid. In the ensuing
battle she badly damaged Druid, but the approach of the
other British escorts forced her to retire.
On 25
September, USS
Raleigh sailed for
Portsmouth, Va., with a brig and a sloop under convoy.
Six hours later two strange sails were sighted. After
identification of the ships as British the merchant
vessels were ordered back to port. Raleigh drew off the
enemy. Through that day and the next the enemy Unicorn
(26 guns) and Experiment (50 guns), pursued Raleigh. A
7-hour battle followed, much of the time in close
action. About midnight, as Raleigh opened fire, she
headed toward the land. USS Raleigh soon grounded on
Wooden Ball Island. The British hauled off but continued
the fight for a while, then anchored. Raleigh's captain
ordered the crew ashore to continue the fight and to
burn Raleigh.
A large
party made it to shore. One boat was ordered back to USS
Raleigh to take off the remainder of the crew, and
destroy her. Midshipman Jeacocks, however, forestalled
the plans and, as the British again fired on the ship,
struck the Continental colors. The battle was over. All
three ships had been damaged, Unicorn particularly so.
Of the Americans ashore, a few were captured on the
island, but the remainder made it back to Boston.
The
British and took the USS Raleigh into the Royal Navy. As
HMS Raleigh, she continued to fight during the War for
Independence and took part in the capture of Charleston,
S.C., in May 1780. She was decommissioned at Portsmouth,
England, on 10 June 1781. English naval authorities, so
impressed by American frigates, had her put into dry
dock at Portsmouth in 1779, and made a copy of her
model.
This primarily
wood model of the USS Raleigh model
is 29" long
$3,790. Shipping and insurance
in the contiguous USA included, other places: $400. This
model will be completed soon. Send us an email for updates.
Learn more
about the USS Raleigh 1776 here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Raleigh_(1776)
|
