"Crowbars and Swivel Guns: a Sailor's Description of..." Topic

… the Battle of Lake Erie

"September 10 marks the anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie. It was the first time an American naval squadron met a British squadron in a pitched battle, and also the turning point in the struggle for control of the northwestern theater of the War of 1812. Although it was not the last naval engagement on the Great Lakes, or indeed Lake Erie, it was the last pitched battle between warships on the lakes above Niagara.

The Brig Lawrence, Commodore Olive Hazard Perry's flagship, took the brunt of the firepower of the British ships for most of the battle, as the brigs Caledonia and Niagara failed to close the range and support her. Eventually, after even the walking wounded and surgeon's assistants had been asked to come on deck and serve the last gun were themselves unable to fight the ship, Perry and and handful of remaining able bodied men manned a boat that he rowed back to the Niagara (a lot has been made of Perry moving from ship to ship in a boat, but in fact it wasn't unusual for ship's boats to move between vessels in a fleet when in combat. Perry sent his second in command, Jesse Elliott, off in the same boat to bring up the other small vessels in the squadron.) …"

Main page

link

Armand

A very interesting read, Tango. Thanks!

A naval battle in the Age of Sail was "h*** in a very small place" according to this description.

What a marvelous and detailed account!

Happy you enjoyed it boys…

Armand

It reminds me of what I tell players in my Age of Sail games that haven't played, or are more modern naval gamers.

"You need to understand that you won't be running in and out at 35 knots, launching torpedoes and running away. Once you're stuck in at walking speed, there is no getting stuck out. You're going to have to kill the other side faster than they kill you."

Thanks

Armand