USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) had a complement of 475 men
and officers and carried 49,000 gallons of fresh water, enough for
6 months of sustained combat operations at sea.
On July 27,1798, she sailed from Boston for operations against
British shipping with a full crew, 49,000 gallons of water, 7,400 cannon shot, 11,600 pounds of black powder and 79,400 gallons
of rum.
Stopping at Jamaica on 6 October, she took on 1,826 pounds of flour
and 68,300 gallons of rum.
Heading for the Azores, on 12 November she provisioned with 550
barrels of salted beef and 64,300 gallons of Portuguese wine.
On 18 November she headed north for England, engaging five
British men-of-war and 12 merchantmen salvaging only the rum
aboard each. By 26 January, with shot and powder exhausted, she
landed a night raiding party on the Firth of Clyde in Scotland,
captured a whisky distillery, transferring over 40,000 gallons of aged
single malt Scotch whisky aboard by dawn. She then turned west
for home.
On 20 February, 1799 the USS Constitution arrived in Boston with
a full crew, no cannon shot, no powder, no beef, no rum, wine nor
whisky,
but with 38,600 gallons of fresh water.
Merry Christmas
JohnP
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