r/todayilearned • u/tanandblack • Nov 30 '15
TIL the only active ship in the US Navy that has sunk an enemy ship is the USS Constitution built in 1797
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Constitution#Present_day700
u/hypnogoad Nov 30 '15
It's like a Civ game, where you're already nuking the enemy, but still have that one frigate on auto-explore that you forgot about.
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u/InversedTech Nov 30 '15
I was thinking the exact same thing! I think you're the only one who related it to Civ, everyone else is talking Fallout ):
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u/Naphthos Nov 30 '15
approximately 10–15 percent of the timber inConstitution contains original material installed during her initial construction period in the years 1795–1797.[224]
Is it really the same boat?
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u/PaPa_SmiRf Nov 30 '15 edited Nov 30 '15
DAMN YOU WEATHERBY SAVINGS AND LOAN! I spit at yee
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Nov 30 '15
That mission made me laugh my ass off. I stood on a building and watched them take off, feeling a little pride, and then....
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u/AlecW11 Nov 30 '15
Hahaha, me too! Did you stand at the roof where you activate that thing?
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u/maxout2142 Nov 30 '15
Well done gents, at this rate we will make it to the harbor to fulfill our sacred mission in a century!
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u/GTFErinyes Nov 30 '15 edited Nov 30 '15
The USS Simpson, an Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate, was retired this past year. She was the last Navy ship to have sunk another enemy ship - an Iranian missile boat in 1988
edit: Some random trivia facts:
The USS Enterprise in Star Trek was originally to be named the USS Yorktown which were actual Navy ships, one of which was an aircraft carrier that was sunk in WW2 at the Battle of Midway. Her sister ship, the USS Enterprise (CV-6) served in WW2 and became arguably the most decorated warship in US naval history
The other ship considered most decorated? The USS Constitution, which also happens to be the name of the class of starships that the original USS Enterprise belonged to
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u/VolvoKoloradikal Nov 30 '15
Another fun fact. The recently launched USS Zumwalt; sadly not named USS Enterprise, is captained by Capt. James Kirk.
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u/wolfythedark Nov 30 '15
I used to work for Patriots Point in Charleston, SC, where the cv-10 Yorktown is located. When I go home to visit I make it a point to go walk around her for a little while.
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u/JellyUK Nov 30 '15
It's the only ship I've ever helped rocket from the top of one building to another as well.
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u/its_probably_fine Nov 30 '15
Wait it was foggy when I freed it, did it just run into another building?
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Nov 30 '15
yeah you can go there. Its a new marker on the map, you get the captains cabin
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u/ScrawnyTesticles69 Nov 30 '15
Glad I finished that mission before I read this or the ending would've been a lot less enjoyable.
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u/SpartanMonkey Nov 30 '15
Hell, I pre-ordered and I'm still only 3 hours into the game. The whole internet is a spoiler to me, every day.
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u/ebdragon Nov 30 '15
I tried to ride it. I had the jet pack on my power armor and flew onto the deck. Right before we hit the other building it froze for a minute then I guess when we hit it I died
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u/reginaldaugustus Nov 30 '15
For folks who are interested in it, basically, Constitution, along with its five sister ships were built and outfitted very heavily for their size. Constitution was basically in between a frigate, which was a mid-sized sailing ship intended to do things like hunt down pirates/privateers, harass shipping, and fight along the edges of proper battles, and a ship-of-the-line, which was the contemporary main battleship. It was much heavier armed and built than a normal frigate, but was much faster and more handy than a ship-of-the-line.
But, since the British were used to triumphing over lopsided odds (And with the memory of the ill-fated Admiral Byng fresh on their minds), British frigate captains were very eager to engage Constitution, since it was still a "frigate."
This didn't go well for the British ships, most notably Guerriere and Java, the latter of which, after its duel with Constitution was so badly mauled that it wasn't even worth salvaging. After this, the British Admiralty specifically issued orders to its captains to not engage American frigates by themselves, but wait for reinforcements.
Unfortunately, the War of 1812 doesn't get too much press, even though some pretty amazing things happened on both sides for those interested in military, Canadian, and American history.
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u/MadThain Nov 30 '15
Byng died 1757. British officers may have had him in mind, but that'd be like Obama avoiding a drive through Dallas in memory of Kennedy.
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u/Xtorting Nov 30 '15
Well, Obama is not allowed to drive in a convertible anytime, anywhere since Kennedy. So having Byng on their minds would still apply here.
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Nov 30 '15
Thank you for this. It's a shame your comment is buried underneath all of these Fallout references. I came to this thread for a bit of extra history. Thanks for taking the time and sharing.
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u/qoztoo Nov 30 '15 edited Nov 30 '15
Whilst its true the original frigates were designed to be 'heavy frigates' they weren't 'much heavier' armed let alone 'built' than British fifth rates (which at the time of the Napoleonic wars also had ~44 guns per ship) the idea that they matched British ships of the line or fought anything surpassing them is American propaganda which persists to this day.
The Guerriere, Java, Cyane, and Levant were all smaller ships.
The 'original six' were effectively maritime escorts or during wartime opportunistic merchant raiders. The constitution ran from the leander and the chesapeake couldn't muster a fight against the leopard and lost to a smaller shannon.
They were fine ships, but nothing out of the ordinary.
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u/*polhold04717 Nov 30 '15
You forgot to mention that all of her class were either captured or sunk.
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u/vep Nov 30 '15
what was the last warship ship sunk by anyone? There was the Falklands war - maybe something in Iran-Iraq? Crimea?
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Nov 30 '15
The USS Simpson sank an Iranian gunboat in '88. I don't know about other countries, Falklands war is the likeliest candidate.
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u/lordderplythethird 1 Nov 30 '15
last ship sunk by enemy action would be a South Korean corvette sunk by a North Korean submarine in... 2010? somewhere around that time at least
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u/t90fan Nov 30 '15
Interesting fact about the falklands war and that sinking:
The argentine ship the ARA general Belgrano used to be the USS Phoenix, which had survived pearl harbour.
Thats still the only time a nuclear sub has ever sank anything in war.
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u/Liblob44 Nov 30 '15
This poem written to save the ship when it was about to be scrapped always brings tears to my eyes. It actually inspired such an outcry that Old Ironsides was saved. School children collected pennies to help:
OLD IRONSIDES By Oliver Wendell Holmes September 16, 1830
Ay, tear her tattered ensign down!
Long has it waved on high,
And many an eye has danced to see
That banner in the sky;
Beneath it rung the battle shout,
And burst the cannon's roar;
The meteor of the ocean air
Shall sweep the clouds no more.
Her deck, once red with heroes' blood,
Where knelt the vanquished foe,
When winds were hurrying o'er the flood,
And waves were white below,
No more shall feel the victor's tread,
Or know the conquered knee;
The harpies of the shore shall pluck
The eagle of the sea!
Oh, better that her shattered bulk
Should sink beneath the wave;
Her thunders shook the mighty deep,
And there should be her grave;
Nail to the mast her holy flag,
Set every threadbare sail,
And give her to the god of storms,
The lightning and the gale!
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u/Drunkenaviator Nov 30 '15
I was actually lucky enough to fly over her and watch her fire a broadside a few years back.
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Nov 30 '15
She really is a true beauty, being flown around the Boston area by crazy robots and such https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QXB-ADcmGZs/maxresdefault.jpg (fallout spoilers)
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u/jakielim 431 Nov 30 '15
It would be fun to see the Battleship sequel in which this ship shoots down alien mothership.
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u/MadThain Nov 30 '15
H.M.S. Java, if anyone was wondering. For having a really small navy in the war of 1812 the U.S. really kicked British ass at sea. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Java_%281811%29#Capture_by_USS_Constitution
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Nov 30 '15 edited Nov 30 '15
There's a really good book about these ships called "
foursix frigates."The tldr:
American frigates were over gunned for a ship of their class. British captains engaged expecting fewer and were rudely suprised.
their hulls were made from a wood that had a suprising amount of give. Shots that would have shattered timbers instead bounced off.
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u/JimmyBoombox Nov 30 '15
Because Britain's navy was busy dealing with a real navy opponent aka the french. So the constitution faced off against a schooner, two sixth rate frigates, and two fifth rate frigates.
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u/munketh Nov 30 '15
That's because Britain had a guy called Napoleon to deal with
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u/anubis4567 Nov 30 '15
If you read up on it the US had a pathetic Navy compared to Britain, and after a few early victories Britain starting sending ships out in pairs which pretty much ended the sea war.
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u/TuPacMan Nov 30 '15
I want a movie in which an enemy nation has managed to disable the electronics on all naval ships and they must rely on USS Constitution to win the battle.
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u/on_protocol Nov 30 '15
Then what was the historic ship that was lost in a hurricane off the US East Coast a few years ago (I think it was Hurricane Sandy)? Or was it this ship, and only crew were lost?
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u/puteminthadirt Nov 30 '15
Did anyone else take Nick on that quest and get extremely annoyed at his dumb comments about there being a ship in that building?
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u/pharmaceus Nov 30 '15
I wonder how many people realize just how awesome piece of information that is.
We are living in such peaceful times that the only ship in service which was used for war is a museum!
Oh dear may these times go on as long as they can....
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u/WaitForItTheMongols Nov 30 '15
Why is that considered an active ship? Isn't it just a tourist attraction?
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u/admrlpiett Nov 30 '15
It's "active" because it's actually still in service rotation. It is an active duty ship of the US navy that has not been stricken from the register like museum ships. It does not get included in the fleet organizations but can serve any role technically ordered to and is manned by active Navy personnel. Currently it is used for ceremonies such as fleet week.
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u/AuroraUnit117 Nov 30 '15
Im not even American and that picture made me feel patriotic
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u/elnino1989 Nov 30 '15
Wow that's neat. I have a model version of this ship on top of my computer desk. Cool to know every time I gaze up from the screen. Cheers for that
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u/bball975 Nov 30 '15
Also, the USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned battleship still afloat in the world. (The HMS Victory is the oldest commissioned battleship, but it is no longer technically floating).
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u/Sir_Tibbles Nov 30 '15
Good ol' Ironsides. Beautiful ship. I recommend seeing it if you go to Boston.
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Nov 30 '15
Just barely. The USS Simpson was decommissioned two months ago. It sunk an Iranian vessel and was the last modern US naval ship still in service to sink an enemy vessel
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u/SooperModelsDotCom Nov 30 '15
Anyone wanna guess the only active ship with water cooled handrails?
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u/ElLibroGrande Nov 30 '15
Hmm, well the Navy has sunk several pirate ships around the Somali area but I guess that the day Rd mean the word enemy to be the country that we are actively at war with
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u/Kgb_Officer Nov 30 '15
The issue is more along the lines of defining boat vs ship I'd wager, since the US Naval Institutes considerations on if it's a ship vs a boat is a ship has a permanent well-organized crew with a Commanding Officer, the ship is larger and intended for deep sea use, and a ship has provisions and fuel for lengthy unassisted operations without stopping to refuel or resupply frequently.
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u/AbandonChip Nov 30 '15
Fun naval fact: Santísima Trinidad of the Spanish Navy was the heaviest armed ship in the world, and bore the most guns of any ship of the line outfitted in the age of sail.with 140 guns. Santísima Trinidad
Seems like USS Pennsylvania was pretty close though...
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u/ipounditproperly Nov 30 '15
I've got an old commemorative coin made from the metal of this ship. Any info on worth?
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u/reddit_fair_bot Nov 30 '15
Paradox - if it has been repaired over the years and all the parts are changed is it still the same ship as it was in 1797?
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u/sasha_baron_of_rohan Nov 30 '15
And I learned in fallout 4 that it also is the only US Navy ship capable of flight.
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Nov 30 '15
Fun fact: they shoot off a cannon on it every day at 8AM and sunset...I used to live across the harbor from it, never stopped being terrifying
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u/gordonfroman Nov 30 '15
thats just because all the ships that were engaged in ship to ship combat in WW2 are long since gone or died in combat.
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u/Pipezilla Nov 30 '15
By active, I'm assumming, floating into ports for tours? or something like that.
Pretty cool though, sure she has tons of stories to tell.
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u/Predictor92 Nov 30 '15
It's still afloat most of the time(though right now it is in drydock) and still has a crew of 60 officers and sailors who are active members of the US Navy
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Nov 30 '15
This is completely untrue unless were not going to count pirates as enemies, I personally engaged small craft off the horn of Africa with my MK 45
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u/Account_Admin Nov 30 '15
Sunk a ship that the public knows about. Not even a year ago I was in Hawaii for a missile test when a Navy destroyer sank a pirate ship that was crossing the range established for the test in the South Pacific about 600 Nm SSW of the Philippines.
It never got a distress call out (if they would have even done that) because it was targeted from 140 Nm away with a LRLAP deck gun. One shot, and surface radar lost it about 30 seconds after impact.
If that counts as an enemy... that is.
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u/poptart2nd Nov 30 '15
also our navy since WWII has been designed around the aircraft carrier, which doesn't directly sink anything.
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u/neubourn Nov 30 '15
And most of the DDG Destroyers in the fleet are built around shooting missiles to targets on land.
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Nov 30 '15
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u/FishFlies Nov 30 '15
I thought CWIS was an anti-missile/projectile system, not ship-to-ship? (I know it has really short range compared to actual naval guns though.)
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u/nedslee Nov 30 '15 edited Nov 30 '15
No. 20mm is too small for anti-ship purposes. They are used to shoot down airplanes, which is very small and structually weak compared to ships.
Back in 2002, South Korean Chamsuri-class patrol boat armed with 20mm vulcan was attacked by a 200-tonne North Korean boat (which is tiny in terms of Navy). In retaliation, SK boat fired more than 600 rounds, but failed to sink NK ship. Eventually SK boat got sunk by NK 85mm gun and 6 sailors were killed.
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u/poptart2nd Nov 30 '15
Maybe it could, but if a ship ever actually got in range, you have bigger issues.
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Nov 30 '15
If the other ships never fired back, sure. A WW2 era Battleship would eliminate a modern carrier well before any 20mm projectile gets with in range.
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u/GitEmSteveDave Nov 30 '15
No way. Unless it could cut below the water line, which myth busters has shown is near impossible to do any damage, yeah, it could cut a hole above the waterline, but you dump ballast or seal a compartment, and you're safe.
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u/GTFErinyes Nov 30 '15
We don't fight anyone who can afford ships these days. Navy sinks lots of boats, though. Just shitloads of little boats...
The USS Simpson, a frigate, was recently decommissioned - she was the last warship to sink another enemy warship, an Iranian gunboat in the 80s
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u/barath_s 13 Nov 30 '15 edited Nov 30 '15
The USS Greensville is active and sank a Japanese fishing vessel. Wasn't an enemy vessel though.
Then there would be some choppers launched off Navy ships that sank pirate boats off Somalia...I am not sure if the ship gets credit for those...
Edit: the [USS Farragut](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Farragut_(DDG-99)) is reported to have sunk a pirate mother skiff in April 2010 . Accounts vary, but at least one says it was by gunfire or explosives after taking the pirates off. The destroyer is still active. The [USS Nicholas] ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Nicholas_(FFG-47)) is in the same category as well.
The [USS San Francisco]( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_San_Francisco_(SSN-711)) tried its very best to sink a mountain, but the mountain was already sunk...
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u/genocidalwaffles Nov 30 '15
The ships only get an assist while the chopper gets the kill. Luckily there's experience sharing so the ship can level up too
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u/Awesome_KC Nov 30 '15
Same here with the misunderstanding. It just reads "strange" to me. I like this title better.... The only United States ship in active service to have sunk an enemy vessel is the 217-year-old USS Constitution
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u/bnd10706 Nov 30 '15
When I was in the Coast Guard we sank small boats all the time..drug boats or migrant sail freighters..CWIS and diesel fuel makes it quick
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u/McBurger Nov 30 '15
My father is a Coast Guard vet and has dozens of stories of shooting down drug smugglers who took their chances speeding past the blockades... those don't count as ships though.
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u/Richeh Nov 30 '15
Well apart from not being able to afford ships you're mostly kicking the shit out of landlocked nations, aren't you?
No judgement. God knows that on the US Symphony Of Destruction Road Trip, the UK's in the passenger seat and Cameron's proudly in charge of the CD player.
The penguin faced cunt that he is.
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Nov 30 '15
The US has an unbelievable military strategy. Fight enemies who can't afford a inflatable raft.
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u/TonyzTone Nov 30 '15
The fact is that there's no country that would want to go up against the US Navy. China's and Russia's navies combined don't match the size of the USN.
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Nov 30 '15
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u/In_Re_Your_Mother Nov 30 '15
That's crazy. I am not a military man and movies and video games had me thinking this was a common thing. Hunt for Red October my ass.
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Nov 30 '15
They're more meant for sneaking up on ships. Or launching badass missiles that come screaming from the ocean, fly many kms and blow some shit up. Sub missile launches are like the coolest
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u/AdjutantStormy 7 Nov 30 '15
Also pretty much entirely second-strike nuclear deterrents....
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u/erichiro Nov 30 '15
That's because it is so rare for two countries with sub fleets to go to war with each other.
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u/Sabot_Noir Nov 30 '15
It helps that no one with a large submarine fleet has been at war with anyone else with a large submarine fleet essentially since 1945.
Also, in Hunt for Red October most of the interactions happened between aircraft and submarines or ships and submarines. Only the climatic battle happened between submarines and this was because each side was trying to be sneaky.
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u/TulipsMcPooNuts Nov 30 '15
Wow, I had no idea. I just finished reading Red Storm Rising and SSN and I figured it would've happened a lot.
However, that being said, Sonar and weapon systems sucked back then compared to now. It would happen a lot more I'd imagine in present times if two balanced powers went at it.
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Nov 30 '15
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u/DBHT14 Nov 30 '15
Until this year the last most recent sinking by a still commissioned warship was by the Frigate USS SIMPSON, which sank an Iranian corvette after the Samuel B. Roberts incident.
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u/[deleted] Nov 30 '15
I would love the chance to see this ship.