USS Essex - Bane of Whalers

The subscription-built frigate Essex of the USN has it's time in the spotlight.
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[@Drachinifel]

Pinned post for Q&A :)

[@the_relaxing_alley3590]

Hey drach, what are your thoughts on the upcoming Ultimate Admiral: Dreadnoughts video game? It might be something worthwhile to check out. Here's the link to the game's website: www.dreadnoughts.ultimateadmiral.com/

[@domonkosmestercsiki5292]

Do you know about Ultimate Admiral: Dreadnaught?would you check it out and give your opinion on the shipbuilding part of the game?

[@Strongbeef_Hoofstomp]

Why do modern warships (starting with cold war and forwards) no longer use armor? Is it completly pointless or just not very cost effective?

[@nicoderfeuerloscher1684]

Since you made a guide to a floaty log, what about battle logs?

[@huskythedinosaur1592]

What is the most insane story of damage happening to a vessel and surviving it that you know about?

[@Big_E_Soul_Fragment]

Damn, these new Aircraft Carrier designs look retro as hell.

[@USSAnimeNCC-]

One question where are we going to land the plane

[@Big_E_Soul_Fragment]

@@USSAnimeNCC- Those sails are obviously cleverly disguised jets. They land VTOL-style.

[@USSAnimeNCC-]

@@Big_E_Soul_Fragment I see and we get launch out the sides Battlestar Galactica style

[@sarjim4381]

@@USSAnimeNCC- Ah, so it's a Q Ship style carrier then...

[@bigblue6917]

@@sarjim4381 The had some well trained pigeons.

[@Kevin_Kennelly]

Drachism of the Day: 14:24 "Instead, the two sides decided to start trolling each other in a manner that wouldn't be entirely out of place in a 21st-century internet forum. Only they were using somewhat more polite language, better spelling and, of course, the use of flags."

[@TacgnolSimulacrum]

Is there a master list of these somewhere?

[@jimtalbott9535]

Yes! Better hand writing also, I'd assume.

[@jamespfp]

RE: "the use of flags" #Hashtag

[@AdamMGTF]

Got to be one of the best yet!

[@Kevin_Kennelly]

@@TacgnolSimulacrum I've been appending the weekly DotD into one file. But only for the last two months. That's about a third of them. The first one can be found in the comments of Drydock Episode 039

[@Ebolson1019]

Can we just take a moment to appreciate Essex Jr

[@titincat172]

No

[@aceous99]

kawaii

[@GentlemanBystander]

When I heard it, it put a big smile on my face.

[@vikkimcdonough6153]

18:15 - The fact that he was quite effectively tying down several British warships simply by sitting in port and doing nothing apparently not having crossed Porter's mind.

[@scottmcintosh4397]

There was also a whaling ship named Essex. It had the ignominy of being the only ship in history to actually be rammed & sunk by the whale it was hunting. This was the template for the S.S. Pequod in Moby Dick ⛵🐳

[@sarjim4381]

The best kind of naval war is one where the opponents anchor in harbor and then glare at each other. :)

[@1950Chimaera]

When the French Navy took a brave stand against the Italian attack in WW 2...

[@Christopher-N]

A contest of gentlemenly taunts, with accompanying diss songs of the era.

[@wuffothewonderdog]

Were the French involved in WW2?

[@admiraltiberius1989]

War of 1812, dont you mean American Revolution Part two, Two Ocean Boogaloo ?? Fantastic video as always Drach.

[@johnshepherd8687]

More like a prequil to WWI.

[@KitsuneRogue]

@@johnshepherd8687 I've always held the Franco-Prussia and Brother's Wars as the prequels to WWI.

[@johnshepherd8687]

@@KitsuneRogue I was being obtuse. US involvement in the First World War was ultimately a "Free Trade and Sailors' Rights" sort of thing. The historic Isolationist position has always been that US can freely trade with who ever it wants despite your "little disagreement." American isolationists don't seem understand that our free trade is their trading with the enemy and always leads to conflict. Contemporary isolationists think they have broken the code and seek to wall off America from the rest of the world. In their historical ignorance they don't know the Jefferson Adminstration pursued this policy and almost destroyed the young country.

[@davidtuttle7556]

@@johnshepherd8687 That's because Trump can talk the talk but can't walk the walk. Hes a pussy at heart. Just like Jefferson was.

[@absalomdraconis]

@@johnshepherd8687 : All sides involved understand things quite well. What the warring participants _intentionally disregard_ is that interfering with the trade of uninvolved third parties _is itself already an act of war._ I repeat: the warring parties know _and ignore_ that such interference is itself an act of war. Except, of course, that sometimes they _don't_ ignore it, instead letting it continue. At any rate, if trade with e.g. France is to be stopped for Britain's sake, then _obviously_ the only fair and reasonable thing is to stop the trade with Britain as well, since the point is to not be a participant in the war. What's that? Britain needs the cotton for their sails? Well, I guess that they'll need to end the war sooner then, since even just allowing them to buy it _in_ US ports would be allowing trade. Those "this group is wrong because X" arguments are never right, specifically because they over-simplify the reality in favor of whatever side the argument deems correct. When you try genuinely to find the "correct answer", it almost universally devolves to either "everyone hates the solution, so noone will agree to it", or "we have the most guns, so we'll force you to do it our way". There _are_ no "good", nor "correct", nor other types of "superlative" answers, just answers that you can or cannot achieve.

[@jlvfr]

RN: U GO USN: NO, U GO Chileans: /grab popcorn, sit to watch

[@Reilly-Maresca]

João Rita literally culminating in a “1v1 me, bro!”

[@Rammstein0963.]

Some say...they are still engaged in that immortal debate to this day...

[@RCAvhstape]

It was like a South Park Bro-down.

[@jlvfr]

@@RCAvhstape :D

[@carlousmagus5387]

Basically

[@turbowolf302]

Essex and Essex Jr.: Don't sail to me or my son ever again. Or you get the hurt balls.

[@Grimmwoldds]

Atlantic: I'm lost. Essex: I always wanted a son.

[@thegrandnope7143]

HMS Pheobe: Hippity Hoppity Yer Both Me Properties

[@shanelodge391]

Hurt balls .......lol

[@stevehomeier8368]

The unhappy prospect of being laid up for a month on disability is made more tolerable by knowing that I can catch up on your entertaining and informative videos

[@Alex-cw3rz]

USS Essex journey is the inspiration for Master and Commander Far Side of the World. The ship becoming the USS Norfolk in the book and Acheron in the movie, which were bascially the same as the USS Constitution rather than a blueprint of the USS Essex.

[@hernerweisenberg7052]

i didnt read the book, but i think in the movie they described the Acheron as a "44gun 18pdr frigate" wich would be much closer to the essex then the connie, right? :)

[@Alex-cw3rz]

@@hernerweisenberg7052 I can't remember in the Book the weight of shot, but it was a 44 gun ship built to the lines of the original 6 frigates (the 44 gun ones), unlike USS Essex. And in the movie the ship is directly modelled off the USS Constitution, I think they made it 18 pounders to make it sound more realistic a fight for the Surprise to win.

[@hernerweisenberg7052]

yeah i guess calling the Constitution a 44 gun ship is like calling the Bismarck a 10000 ton treaty compliant battleship ;D

[@Alex-cw3rz]

@@hernerweisenberg7052 well yeah, but that was the same with almost all naval ship back then

[@RCAvhstape]

@@hernerweisenberg7052 BTW, when you say "Connie" that's usually a nickname for the Constellation, not the Constitution. The more recent aircraft carrier Constellation was referred to as "Connie" by many sailors and Marines in the 80s and 90s.

[@ShillienFeuer]

And here I'm, 205 years later hearing such trolling situation in Valparaíso. Very interesting video with my city included.

[@CaptRye]

this sounds like the plot of "Master and Commander"

[@sarjim4381]

It was indeed.

[@jacktattis143]

@@sarjim4381 What the ending?

[@509Gman]

Pretty sure the Essex was the inspiration for the Acheron. Obviously they had to make it French or the American studios would never have been involved.

[@ricky6608]

thgreatandini No, the Acheron is based on the Constitution, it even looks almost exactly like it in the movie. The Surprise and the Essex would be evenly matched ships

[@brianmessemer2973]

​@@ricky6608 Both points are correct. The Acheron's identity as a superior enemy frigate makes it analogous to the Constitution, yet its mission and purpose in the Pacific (to endanger the British whaling fleet) made it analogous to the Essex. Peter Wier and the writers of the film cherry picked plot threads (and indeed much of the dialogue) from many of the Aubrey-Maturin books, made alterations to suit their purposes, and wove them into the screenplay which serves as a smorgasbord or medley of the novels. To be fair to the film makers, it's impossible to properly distill one full novel into a mere 2 hour film, let alone 20.

[@DeadBaron]

Gotta thank the Barbary Pirates for allowing the foundations of our Navy to be laid down. The Revolution dug the foundation, but the raiders laid the stonework. It's amazing how long we've really been fighting people from that region...

[@josephdedrick9337]

if the people dont speak english we fight them, and if they do, we fight them 2 or 3 times.

[@HJBounell]

@@josephdedrick9337 that explains why chuck martelwas fighting an islamic army. in france. 300 years before the crusades. By all means, continue

[@josephdedrick9337]

@@HJBounell that was a joke dude

[@thekinginyellow1744]

@@HJBounell "Chuck Martel" You realize that now you are now on a French watchlist for that.

[@TheNinjaDC]

Damn, now I wish the USN would christen another USS Essex Jr. Just imagine a FFG(X) USS Essex Jr paired with a new Ford Class USS Essex.

[@MidnightMoon2267]

TheNinjaDC currently there is a USS Essex (LHD-2) a Wasp-class Landing Helicopter Dock in service so I don’t think there will be a Ford Class Essex anytime soon.

[@Betrix5060]

@@MidnightMoon2267 Ford class Essex Sr. to the Wasp class Essex Jr. Problem solved.

[@ronclark9724]

@@Betrix5060 America has far too many more names to use than have a second Essex...

[@Betrix5060]

@@ronclark9724 Nah man. We need an Essex Jr. IT HAS TO HAPPEN!

[@ronclark9724]

@@Betrix5060 I can't think of a reason why... There will only be one USS Essex in commission...

[@erict7840]

I was stationed on the latest version of the Essex

[@matchesburn]

14:26 "My lord, I do believe the colonials are signaling very disparaging remarks upon your family line, particularly your mother's side."

[@hectorheathcote9495]

My Great Uncle, George Dunning served aboard a later version of USS Essex(1876) during the Spanish American War in 1898. I have a photo of him standing on the deck of the ship with "USS Essex" on his navy cap. Great video, Drach. Could you do one on the later 1876 version? Would love to see and hear about her adventures during the war. Thanks!

[@Nyx_2142]

I'm curious, do you just find the flag in your profile pic interesting for some odd reason or are you actually a dipshit 3%er terrorist? Because you would be a terrorist. It's a far-right neo-nazi militia that was classified as a terrorist organization after they participated in the Jan 6th insurrection.

[@christopherconard2831]

Now I have the urge to troll with semaphore. 🎌

[@LostShipMate]

I thought you were referring to the Carrier for a couple of seconds. I was very confused, and now sad that it wasn't a giant carrier hunting down whalers.

[@kyle18934]

Lol an aircraft carrier and escort fleet hunting down petty crime and territorial fishing infringements... could you imagine getting stopped by an aircraft carrier and fighter planes for sailing to close to usa waters lol

[@tieck4408]

I thought he meant the only ship ever intentionally sunk by a whale.

[@LostShipMate]

@@tieck4408 Call me Ismail . . .

[@ashipnerdoffical4260]

You know, that sounds like a fantastic dimensions novel or a brainless action thriller.

[@umbrellashotgunman]

“I knew those Japanese were still up to no good!” - The ghost of Essex, probably.

[@1TruNub]

DAMN THE TORPEDOS, FULL STEAM AHEAD

[@demizer1968]

When he mentioned that all I could think of was "Damn, he was an old fart when he sailed into Mobile."

[@simoneriksson8329]

I would be intrested in a video were you talk about the conflict between the US and the barbarystates in more detail :)

[@mikebrown3772]

Yes, I was about to make a similar comment when I saw this post. Or a video about the Philadelphia.

[@viridisxiv766]

i love stories from the age of sail, nations seemed to steal as many ships as they built!

[@disbeafakename167]

Yes, as they say, the French build the best ships, just ask their British crews.

[@mattf4u-496]

Well of course a 30K ton aircraft carrier would be the bane- Oh wait wrong Essex.

[@hisdadjames4876]

Now that’s what I call a ‘classy’ comment😐

[@LetsTalkAboutPrepping]

"Congress lost its head and went off course....also, a storm dismantled the frigate and it had to return to port" 😂😂pure gold

[@axelandersson6314]

From now on I would like to be addressed as Axel "The bane of Whalers" Andersson.

[@bificommander]

Join Greenpeace, go to Japan, board a couple of whalers, then we'll talk. :p

[@disbeafakename167]

I would like to be "Disbea 'bane of green peace' Fakename" and sail my frigate about the Pacific.

[@john88benson]

Aesthetically this is one of my favorite yankee frigates. Thanks for the review.

[@sarjim4381]

I agree, Essex (1) was a very pleasant looking ship. Hanging banners all over it taunting the RN didn't hurt any.

[@spookyshadowhawk6776]

Nothing like a severe trolling to weaken the resolve of your enemy!

[@redshirt5126]

Sociological warfare is best warfare!

[@matthewrobinson4323]

1) Excellent video, as always, despite your continued hysterectomies of the ships by referring to them as"it". Grrrrrr. 2) Patrick O'brian had this in one of the books in his Aubrey-Maturin series, Desolation Island. 3) I was unaware that Facebook existed in 1814.

[@AdamMGTF]

1) not sure that's wrong. After all, not all cultures call a ship "she". Given KZbin is a multi-national platform. Perhaps calling an inanimate object "it", is actually correct. ;)

[@matthewrobinson4323]

@@AdamMGTF Nope. The videos are made by an Englishman. This video is about American and British ships. They are "she'.

[@absalomdraconis]

@@matthewrobinson4323 : And made in English to boot. Isn't relevant if some culture genders ships as "fish" or "whale" or "tree"... or "it", this is in the English language, with ships that would be using the English norms, so unless the ship's captain or someone of similar ilk tries to have it refered to differently, the ship is a "she".

[@AdamMGTF]

I'll just have to agree to disagree. I couldn't care less what Drach' chooses to call them, it's his video

[@matthewrobinson4323]

@@AdamMGTF No, not really. Disagreeing and agreeing are purely optional. You CAN also agree to agree just as easily. 🤣

[@Alex-cw3rz]

A great video would be on the Chesapeake vs HMS Shannon, the inovations introduced by the captain of the Shannon is such a fascinating read and really showed to be incredibly effective in the battle.

[@99IronDuke]

Yes that would make a very good video,

[@1894db]

Part of this ship's career sounds like it was inspiration for Master and Commander.

[@dr.pjuskebusk2501]

1894db it was

[@jacktattis143]

1894 : For heavens sake the R/N had plenty of Frigates to choose from 10 Whalers is hardly a classic fight for a Frigate

[@1894db]

@@jacktattis143 I meant the Essex's exploits sounds like the enemy ship's in M & C.

[@jacktattis143]

@@1894db Could be and seeing as it is a USN thing I fail to see why they did not base it on the Constitution She was the USN most successful ship. The best the Essex did was the 18 gun HMS Alert

[@1894db]

@@jacktattis143 The Essex's exploits suited the story the author wanted to tell.

[@AlisonFort]

Great guide - demonstrating that reality is even more entertaining than the movies!

[@Georgieastra]

A terrific series of videos. If you're open to suggestions perhaps you could do a piece on the customs and practice of prize money in the age of sail. Particularly in this case I would really like to know how much the crew of the Essex was expecting to get from ship full of silver they captured. Of course the British crew who recaptured the vessel should also got a heap of money but since the ship had originally seemed to be owned by the bankers/ government I strongly suspect that they were shafted out of their reward.

[@skipper4126]

Troll Flags.. so that's how civil trolling is done. Neat.

[@blaircolquhoun7780]

The USS Essex was the inspiration, along with the Constitution's escape from the Guerrierre in July 1812, was the inspiration for Patirck O'Brian's The Far Side of the World.

[@skyden24195]

"The coastal defenses were mostly decorative." -yeah, tell that to Fort McHenry.

[@beachboy0505]

Captain of the Graf Spee should watched your video.

[@charlessaint7926]

"We used trolling with the clever use of flags!"~Eddie Izzard (Probably)

[@zacharyzier314]

I’m a simple man, I see a Drach upload, I watch and thoroughly enjoy, sleep be damned.

[@nastybastardatlive]

My dad was aboard the CVS 09 USS Essex during the blockade of Cuba in 1962.

[@MililaniJag]

Capt. Porter should have refused to sail with only Short-Range Carronade!!Great vid! Cheers

[@Thirdbase9]

Decatur has a long "A" as the middle syllable.

[@jamespfp]

De-KAY-tur you mean?

[@Rammstein0963.]

Indeed it is. And Illinois is usually pronounced by Americans as "ill-in-oy/oyz"

[@madmandu]

@@Rammstein0963. The correct pronunciation is Ill-ih-noy, NEVER ill-ih-noise.

[@Rammstein0963.]

@@madmandu I know that, sadly I've heard people call it both and even the occasional "Illin-wah"...fml

[@ShadrachVS1]

@@madmandu not to me, I add a lisping ess on the end of an otherwise proper pronunciation just to mess with people from that state... I also have a habit of pronouncing Kansas as the tribal name.

[@petroleumalley]

Whalers? OK, next in your recommended will be "Wellerman" 😎

[@shannonman2]

Thank you for this, been asking for ages.

[@rvail136]

Briliant as always, thanks for doing this.

[@hazchemel]

thanks for the show. The sailing ships' careers are interesting, from the perspective of today. Venture a question? Possibly outside show's area......but anyway. What was involved in the braking up of a wooden sailing navy ship? It must have been commercially viable.

[@Drachinifel]

Partially it was to retrieve copper, brass and iron fittings, and also the better condition timbers for reuse.

[@sanitarycockroach9038]

The OG shotgun build.

[@zspud21]

Another brilliant video. I love the history and how it's all framed

[@johndigiovanni622]

I thought I was going hear your take on the Moby Dick story, but instead I learned something I didn't know . Thank you for the time and effort you put into your video.

[@g1stylempdesign929]

Fantastic video! Thank you for all the amazing facts and narrative

[@matthmaroo1984]

I love your videos! They are all super entertaining!

[@wjsnow2195]

Great video, sadly a much forgotten time period in our naval history so thank you for taking the time to research and produce this.

[@adamburgess4618]

Essex and Syren are two of my favorite sailing ships of their time. Yet both pretty much wind up in similar situations.

[@MatthewJBrown]

I'm really enjoying these age of sail videos!

[@jamespfp]

9:20 -- By way of an aside -- this is one of the topics which most interest me, historically, for the period between the 17th century to the 20th, ie. Prize Rules and Admiralty Law.

[@jamespfp]

^^ Consequently -- Pirate Articles, Letters of Marque, et cetera.

[@woolybuck6852]

Beautiful wood! Love the lightning strike scared slabs. As a woodworker I'd love to have some of that in my workshop. Cheers....

[@bullettube9863]

Great video! I was always amused reading stories about 18th century naval warfare. Polite, savage, humorous, or deadly, but always interesting. Different times. The one thing that always has prime place in these stories is the weather, particularly the wind and what quarter it was blowing over. It's really amazing, but wind powered sailing ships really were at the mercy of the wind. And battles were won or lost, and thus wars, because of the weather.

[@nitehawk86]

Not to be confused with the USS Essess, from Hot Shots.

[@andrewreinbach7145]

Excellent and accurate relating of the story.

[@ottomeyer6928]

a very beautiful ship

[@rbnhd1976]

Hey just found for channel a few days ago, great work! I think an interesting video showing Victory or another first rate, ship stores and lading, in other words, how many barrels of rum, beef, cannon balls, gunpowder, etc. I saw a bill for a ship once, can't find it again, it had like a crazy amount of stuff on it, thanks!

[@lukeclayton-holland1564]

I love this guy

[@vger4156]

They were using the King's English to troll one another! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@GrouchierBear]

The stuff I read about the Essex long ago was that the ship had originally been armed with twelve pounder long guns, with the change to carronades being the work of Porter's predecessor as captain (which also rendered the ship overweight and sluggish). According to that, Porter requested they change back to long guns before the war, but was refused on the grounds that the change was too expensive (he was offered a few eighteen pounder long guns to supplement the battery, but refused). So there's an "I told you so" level of validity to his complaint, but I'm suspicious if the long guns would have substantially changed the outcome. Even if the lighter weight would have made the ship faster to escape under normal circumstances, she'd still end up partly dismasted and outgunned. He'd still be picking a fight he was ill suited to win.

[@gracesprocket7340]

A 12lb gun weighs ~30cwt iron on deck (plus carriage), with powder and shot of typical quantity ~ stored below the waterline - taking the overall ordnance weight to around 44cwt. Majority on deck. The 32lb carronade weighs ~17cwt iron on deck (plus slide), with powder and shot of typical quantity ~ again stored below the waterline taking the overall ordnance weight to around 48cwt. Majority in shot lockers in hold. This is slightly heavier, but not by enough to 'swamp' the hull. Excess supplies to sustain multi-month patrol, plus 'loot' from her prizes might well do so however.

[@GrouchierBear]

@@gracesprocket7340 neat info, though I think part of the problem was that the Essex not only had slightly heavier guns than she was originally built with, but also carried more of them than she was supposed to. Still though, I doubt it would have changed the outcome of the fight.

[@manuelaigner5126]

Great video I love the Age of sail content keep doing more pls

[@kendramalm8811]

G' morning, Drach!

[@stephenryan1988]

Good book on this subject, Mad for Glory by Richard Booth. He is from Marblehead which borders Salem, MA in Essex County

[@s.31.l50]

There are some really interesting parallels between USS Essex and KMS Admiral Graf Spee.

[@rcwagon]

Another delightful guide. Though the "more" than "less" on 5 minutes was heavily reinforced, the guide was so good, I hardly noticed. I must add that the music and video opening of these guides is awesome. The combination really hits home! It deserved comment before from the first one I watched, but alas, did not come to fruition. By the way, what is the opening music? I have not been able to identify it.

[@craigkoehler4363]

To the shores of Tripoli!

[@AudieHolland]

British Midshipman: Seaman first class Harper, prepare trolling flag! Seaman Harper: Trolling flag ready Sir! Midshipman: Commence painting of message, as I dictate: Seaman Harper: Very well, Sir! British crew and Captain: That should teach them LOL LOL

[@tagofox4603]

Great video as always. We must bring back the lost art of flag trolling.

[@spartanofrome5945]

Anyone else kinda interested in seeing Drachinifel play Rule the Waves 2 and see what kind of ships he makes?

[@dayofmone]

Strange, an Aircraft Carrier with sails. How did they do that?

[@christopherconard2831]

@ur mom Excellent planning. Keep the planes in kit form until needed. Space saving at it's best.

[@EdMcF1]

It's the third new British carrier. Eco-friendly wind power, and stealthy, even with eyeballs it's impossible to believe it's going to attack.

[@mpetersen6]

All that rigging actually functions as the arrestor gear

[@happyhighway106]

#272 Thank You for the History!

[@MaxwellAerialPhotography]

**Scholarly Teddy Roosevelt noises intensify**

[@aebirkbeck2693]

When I saw the title I instantly thought "why is Drachinifel doing a talk on Moby Dick" then realised some had HMS and others USS in front of their names :>)

[@densealloy]

Any chance for a video on the USCGC Eagle?

[@hellhound47bravo3]

Well, apparently you DIDN'T forget about the "Essex". Another fine video.

[@eliseeker8301]

The pre-Essex US NAVY: A Force of Pollywogs.

[@JonatasAdoM]

The equivalent of a parking lot showdown in the sea.

[@geraintthatcher3076]

Any chance of doing the Pelican v Argus duel in the future ?

[@trxnme2082]

Sounds like an early version of the river plate, British numerical superiority and trolling triumphing over "commerce raiders".

[@jacktattis143]

TRXnMe: Yes exactly my thoughts

[@gumimalac]

HAH! " soon after leaving port congress lost its head and went wildly off coarse..... also the frigate was dismasted and had to return to port." Thanks for making fun of politics while expressing no real bias or opinion on the matter. the internet need more people like you.

[@Shadow-sq2yj]

Timestamp?

[@NathanDudani]

@@Shadow-sq2yj 2:53ish

[@Uhlan_]

USS wasn't officially used until 1907. Essex would have been, and was in contemporary references, a United States FRIGATE, or USF Essex. Ships were referred to by their rate, which drove Teddy Roosevelt nuts when he was Secretary of the Navy, having to read "first class armored cruiser this" and "second class sloop of war that" so when he was president he issued executive order 549 to put a stop to it. Since THEN all US Navy vessels IN COMMISSION are prefixed with USS.

[@warrenlehmkuhleii8472]

How many videos on the Essex class do we need? Oh wait.

[@josiahricafrente585]

Warren Lehmkuhle yes

[@jameslancaster6365]

The number of videos shall be as numerous as 20 & 40mm mounts!

[@jefferyindorf699]

well, one for each Essex, so about four more I guess.

[@ditzydoo4378]

USS Essex, no doubt the ghost of Captain Ahab had a hand in chasing Whalers... Arh! thar she blows!

[@gracesprocket7340]

The other example of range and carronade's poor showing has more validity. The loss of the RN squadron in lake Eire, was at least in part due to the ability of the USN gunboats to fire on the RN flotilla as it attempted to fight and then to retreat... however here, the exchange was between 32lb long guns of 56cwt and 9'6" and the RN's 24lb and 18lb carronades, and with light airs preventing the escape of the defeated fleet from the engagement range.

[@craighagenbruch3800]

who doesn't like a good bit of trolling

[@GrahamCStrouse]

Craig HAGENBRUCH Norwegians aren’t overly fond of trolls...

[@MakeMeThinkAgain]

This was splendid, but I have one complaint. If you are going to refer to a "Porter" in the early days of the USN you have to specify which one. Still hoping for more about the campaign against the Barbary pirates. Think of all the hits you will get if pirates are in the description. And it's great history.

[@farmertyler8087]

It’s named after the county I’m from lol. I clicked on the video like “huh, I wonder if that ships named after essex county Massachusetts”

[@masterskrain2630]

"Congress lost it's head, and went wildly off course." And NOTHING has changed since!!

[@user-dg9pu4pe9d]

I misread the title and it was the Exeter which was a most unfortunate whaler.

[@peterm4475]

Hillyar was knighted and became an admiral. He died in 1843. Both his sons also became admirals in the Victorian navy.

[@bothewolf3466]

Do the Whaler Essex, inspiration for Moby Dick.

[@chaosacsend9653]

We need another Essex jr.

[@vedantateacher9080]

What exactly is a subscription to fund the construction of a ship?

[@gracesprocket7340]

Carronades are not appreciably shorter range. A 24lb gun of moderate 8'6" length /48cwt (less than that of the Constitution, but typical of the other 24lb frigates), fired to 2213 yds at maximum carriage elevation. The Carronade of 32lb (17.1 cwt) fired to 1930 yds when fired at maximum elevation. Further the line of metal range of both guns and carronades was set by design (of the Muzzle swell and Breech ring diameter) to be approximately 700 yds for all calibres. (Different ordnance has different taper which accomplished this for their standard powder charges and shot weights, even as resistance and muzzle velocity varied with the individual calibres, length and windage variations. In actuality, far from 'not reaching' carronades, prior to the commonplace use of sights with adjustable apertures, had a distinct tendency to shoot high between their line of point blank (levelled ordnance, to the range at which the shot falls below it's platform height, by strict definition - but often tortured into 'by the time it fell to the water' in practice, which distorts the behaviour of guns (mounted in the battery) and carronades (mounted on the quarterdeck and fo'csle in most cases), and that of what the French referred to as "Pointe en Blanc", and the British as 'Line of Metal', where the sight line along the upper face of the ordnance crossed the descending branch of the shot path at longer range (the above mentioned ~700yds). All ordnance suffers from this tendency, but the higher velocity guns have a lower apex at 'line of metal' pointing, and a longer range over which levelled guns 'reach'. The myth of 'inadequate range' to fight is false, Essex found herself disabled by overconfidence, unsupported by a hostile Valpariso governor, after weeks of poor and ungentlemanly behaviour of the US squadron's commander, and outside of the neutral port. She then had her springs on her anchor shot away and fell off the wind leaving her exposed to fire from her quarter and unable to bring her broadside to bear. Both Phoebe and Cherub took fire from 32lb carronades during the engagement, and Cherub replied with her own 32lb and 18lb carronades. Her defeat was a result of mismanagement, misadventure and poor seamanship (which led to her crippling by carrying too great a press of sail), not the result of her ordnance. Also, allowing both RN vessels to engage the Essex, allowed both Essex and Essex Jr to be taken. Had they operated together in squadron, the RN vessels would have had less freedom of action, which may or may not have accomplished much... I find the performance of Essex and her captain to be inadequate in all except fortitude under fire. I certainly don't find his excuses to be very convincing.

[@huskythedinosaur1592]

HMAS Perth? You can choose if it will be the Destroyer or Cruiser.