.jpg) The capture of HMSJava by USSConstitution, drawn byNicholas Pocock | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name | Renommée |
| Ordered | 26 March 1805 |
| Builder | Mathurin & Antoine Crucy, Basse-IndreNantes |
| Laid down | October 1805 |
| Launched | 20 August 1808 |
| Captured | 20 May 1811 |
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMSJava |
| Acquired | 20 May 1811 |
| In service | May 1811 |
| Captured | 29 December 1812 |
| Fate | Burnt on 1 January 1813 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Pallas-classfifth-ratefrigate |
| Tons burthen | 107341⁄94 (bm) |
| Length | 152 ft5+1⁄2 in (46.5 m) (gundeck);126 ft5+1⁄2 in (38.5 m) (keel) |
| Beam | 39 ft11+3⁄8 in (12.2 m) |
| Depth of hold | 12 ft 9 in (3.9 m) |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement | 397 |
| Armament |
|
HMSJava was a BritishRoyal Navy 38-gunfifth-ratefrigate. She was originally laid down in 1805 asRenommée, described as a 40-gunPallas-classFrench Navy frigate, but the vessel actually carried 46 guns. The British captured her in 1811 in a noteworthy action during theBattle of Tamatave, but she is most famous for her defeat on 29 December 1812 in a three-hoursingle-ship action againstUSS Constitution.Java had acomplement of about 277, but during her engagement withConstitution she allegedly had 426 aboard, in comparison with her opponent's 475.[1]
In May 1811, she was part of a three-sail squadron underFrançois Roquebert, comprisingRenommée,Clorinde andNéréide, and ferrying troops toMauritius. On 20 May, the French encountered a British squadron comprisingAstraea,Phoebe,Galatea, andRacehorse. In the ensuingBattle of Tamatave,Renommée struck after her mainsail was set on fire. The British capturedNéréide five days later atTamatave, Madagascar.Clorinde, commanded byJacques de Saint-Cricq, escaped. The British broughtRenommée into service asJava andNéréide asMadagascar.[2]
In JulyJava was under Captain William Gordon, but not commissioned until August under CaptainHenry Lambert,[3] a senior commander who had seen combat on a number of occasions in His Majesty's service.[4]
Java sailed from Portsmouth on 12 November for Bombay to deliver the appointed governor, Lieutenant-General SirThomas Hislop, and his staff with their baggage, and naval stores (including copper plates for the under-constructionCornwallis, at Bombay, and plans for the new ship,Trincomalee). She was carrying additional personnel for other ships at the time and included another Royal Navy commander in transit.[5]
Captain Lambert ofJava was a well-qualified officer, having seen much combat during his service.Java had more than a full crew, having been rounded out while inPortsmouth, but many were landsmen still raw to service at sea, and even more damning to her cause, they had only practised gunnery once without shot loaded in the guns. Still,Java was well supplied and manned, and would prove to be well handled and well fought.USS Constitution had an experienced crew manning aheavy frigate carrying 54 cannon: thirty 24-pounder guns and twenty-four 32-poundercarronades, plus two 24-pounderbow chasers.[6]
On 13 December 1812, sailing from Boston by way ofCape Verde, USSConstitution, under the command of CaptainWilliam Bainbridge, accompanied byUSS Hornet, commanded byJames Lawrence, arrived off the coast of Brazil atSt. Salvador. On 26 DecemberHornet was sent into the port to communicate with the American consul stationed there. On 29 December at 9:00 a.m., still out at high sea in search of prizes, crewmen aloftConstitution sighted strange sails on the distant horizon.[7] Bainbridge initially was unsure of the disposition of the ships, but hours later as they drew closer he was able to discern that the approaching vessels were large and now assumed them to be British. To ascertain the disposition of the unidentified shipsConstitution hoisted private signals (flags) at 11:30 a.m., while the assumed British vessel also hoisted its signals, but neither ship made the correct counter-signal.[8]
Constitution, tacking the wind, made her way from the neutral Portuguese territorial waters withJava giving chase.[9][10] At 12:30 p.m. that dayJava hoisted her colors and ensign withConstitution hoisting her colors in reply. With the dispositions of each ship confirmed,Java, with theweather gauge to her advantage, came about to position herself torakeConstitution. Being French-built, she was comparatively light for a frigate and was consequently faster and more maneuverable thanConstitution.[11][a] In replyConstitution fired a shot acrossJava's bow withJava returning fire with a full broadside.[8]
Java started the battle badly out-matched both in terms of the experience of her crew and the weight of her broadside.Constitution, with her experienced commander and crew, countered by not shortening sail as was standard (this reduced strain on the masts, thus making it less likely to lose a mast under fire).[4] By 2:00 p.m., both ships were heading southeast. The opening phase of the action comprised both ships turning to and fro, attempting to get the better position for which to fire upon and rake the other, but with little success. Bainbridge nowworeConstitution to a matching course and opened fire with a broadside at half a mile. This broadside accomplished nothing and forced Bainbridge to risk raking to closeJava.[13] Another broadside fromJava carried awayConstitution's helm, disabling her rudder and leaving Bainbridge severely wounded; however he still maintained command, refusing to sit out the battle. Both ships resumed firing broadsides but by nowJava had a mast and sail falling over her starboard side that prevented most of her guns on that side from firing, which also prevented her from laying alongsideConstitution. The guns that attempted to fire only managed to set the fallen sail and rigging ablaze.[14][15]
Constitution's accuracy of fire and the greater weight of her broadside put the much smallerJava at a large disadvantage. Within one hour, after several close encounters involving the rigging of each ship getting entangled with the other's,Java's masts collapsed. During this encounter a sharpshooter aloft inConstitution mortally wounded Lambert.[16][17] LieutenantHenry Ducie Chads now took over command, assisted by the captain in transit to his ship. Bainbridge used this opportunity to distanceConstitution so as to make immediately-needed repairs, taking approximately an hour. Clearing the masts and fallen rigging aboardJava had hardly begun whenConstitution returned from repairing her damage and immediately took a raking position from whichJava could not defend herself. This left Lieutenant Chads no choice but to surrenderJava.Constitution hoisted out a boat and sent First Lieutenant Parker to take possession of the prize.[9][16][18]
In the battle,Java suffered 22 men killed, including Lambert, and 102 wounded.[3]Constitution lost nine men initially and 57 wounded, including Bainbridge. Some four or five later succumbed to their wounds.[19][b]
In the course of battleJava was rendered a dismasted hulk that was not worth taking as a prize. Instead Bainbridge removed her helm and installed it onConstitution, replacing the one that had been shot away. On New Year's Day 1813, two days after the engagement, Bainbridge gave the order to setJava ablaze; she subsequently blew up.[21][22][23]
Upon learning of the death of Captain Lambert, Commodore Bainbridge expressed deep sorrow for a commander he credited to be brave and noble. On 23 April 1813, Lieutenant Chads and the other surviving officers and men ofJava faced the customarycourt martial aboardHMS Gladiator for the loss of their ship. They were honourably acquitted.[citation needed]
The engagement betweenJava andConstitution was fictionalized in the novelThe Fortune of War byPatrick O'Brian and in the novelYankee Mission by Julian Stockwin.[24]
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Works related toHMS Java (1811) at Wikisource| Shipwrecks |
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