Capture of USS Chesapeake - The Gunnery Duel

The Gunnery Duel

As the American ship came up Broke spoke to his crew, ending with a description of his philosophy of gunnery, "Throw no shot away. Aim every one. Keep cool. Work steadily. Fire into her quarters - maindeck to maindeck, quarterdeck to quarterdeck. Don't try to dismast her. Kill the men and the ship is yours." The two ships met at half past five in the afternoon, 20 nautical miles (37 km) east of Boston lighthouse, between Cape Ann and Cape Cod. Shannon was flying a weather-worn blue ensign and her dilapidated outside appearance after a long period at sea suggested that she would be an easy opponent. Observing the Chesapeake’s many flags, a sailor had questioned Broke: "Mayn't we have three ensigns, sir, like she has?" "No," said Broke, "we've always been an unassuming ship." HMS Shannon refused to fire upon USS Chesapeake as she bore down, nor would USS Chesapeake rake HMS Shannon despite having the weather gage. Lawrence's behavior that day earned him praise from the British officers for gallantry.

The two ships opened fire just before 18:00 at a range of about 35 metres, with Shannon scoring the first hit, striking the Chesapeake on one of her forward gunports with two round shot and a bag of musket balls fired by William Mindham, the gun captain of the aftmost of Shannon’s starboard 18-pounders. Chesapeake was moving faster than the Shannon and as she ranged down the side of the British ship the destruction inflicted by the methodical gunnery of the British crew moved aft, though the American's forward gun crews were hardest hit. However, the American crew were well drilled, and despite their losses, were firing effectively. In particular a 32 pounder carronade ball struck the piled shot for the Shannon's 12 pounder gun that was stowed in the main chains, the shot was propelled through the timbers to scatter like hail across the gundeck.

Captain Lawrence realised that his ship's speed would take it past the Shannon and ordered a 'pilot's luff'. This was a small and brief turn to windward which would make the sails shivver and reduce the ship's speed. Just after the Chesapeake began this limited turn away from the Shannon she had her means of manoeuvring entirely disabled. The Chesapeake’s helmsmen were killed by a 9-pounder gun that Broke had ordered installed on the quarter deck for that very purpose, the same gun shortly afterwards shot away the wheel itself. At almost the same time Chesapeake lost her foretopsail halyard, her foretopsail yard dropped and she 'luffed up'. Losing her forward momentum, she yawed further into the wind until she was 'in irons', her sails were pressed back against her masts and she then made sternway (went backwards). Her port stern quarter (rear left corner) made contact with the Shannon's starboard side, level with the fifth gunport from the bow, and the Chesapeake was caught by the projecting fluke of one of Shannon’s anchors, which had been stowed on the gangway. The Chesapeake's spanker boom then swung over the deck of the British ship, Mr Stevens, Broke's boatswain, lashed the boom inboard to keep the two ships together, and lost an arm as he did so.

Trapped against the Shannon at an angle in which few of her guns could fire on the British ship, and unable to manoeuvre away, the Chesapeake’s stern now became exposed and was swept by raking fire. Earlier in the action the Shannon's gunnery had devastated the Chesapeake's forward gun crews, this destruction was now inflicted on the guncrews in the aft part of the ship. The American ship's situation worsened when a small open cask of musket cartridges abaft the mizzen-mast blew up. When the smoke cleared, Captain Broke judged the time was right and gave the order to board. Captain Lawrence also gave the order to board but the frightened bugler aboard the Chesapeake failed to sound the call, and only those near Lawrence heard his command. Lawrence was mortally wounded directly after issuing the order. The few Americans who heard him fell back from their cannon to arm themselves for hand-to-hand combat, but the British interpreted this as disorderly retreat, and gained courage.