Originally posted by AdmRose
The American frigates did so well against larger British ships for the simple fact that the British never considered a smaller a ship a threat.
American Frigates were larger than their British counterparts.
Ships-of-the-line were actually quite vulnerable by themselves, but when amassed into a firing line (the style of the time) they had no need to maneuver for the simple fact that there were so many of them protecting one another.
Ships of the Line were useless against commerce raiders or enemy Frigates alone because they could not sail as close to the wind as a Frigate.. however, if a Ship of The line was upwind, and it was a downwind chase, then there was little hope of outrunning one.. downwind they were quite fast and could run down a frigate or anthing else running free before the wind. However, usually Ships of the Line operated as command ships of a squadron or flotilla; usually with several sloops, a brig and a frigate or two sailing in company to deal with anything 'nimble'.
The Americans had no ships-of-the-line at the time and had no chance against the British in a 'traditional' naval engagement. American clipper ships (small, fast, heavily armed) could sail circles around most anything the British had (which usually meant a large, slow, sluggish, and heavily armed ship), leaving the Americans in prime firing position and the British grasping for straws.
The 'Clipper Ship' didn't come into being untill the 1830's.. and then they were cargo haulers; not warships. Perhaps you are refering to a class of small 'sloops' (in the venacular of the day; actually hermrprodite brigs) developed on the Chesepeke about the time of the revolution.. while often armed lightly as commerce raiders and privateers, they were reletivly sharp lined, had a deep draft and the rig had a characteristic rake. Quick and nimble unarmed, not much of an adversary against a British Sloop of War and cetainaly no match for any Frigate. In most cases, when a 'Baltimore Clipper' was faced with an equal adversary or better, she yanked her skirts up and flew, often tossing her guns and water over the side to regain her speed adavantage.
As for the Shannon v. Chesapeake...well, this is what happens when pride goes to your head.
By all accounts the majority of british losses to american adversaries were kinda lopsided.. usually the british ships and crews on the american blockade were poorly worked up and officered 3rd rates, over age worn out and poorly armed and crewed. The British were fighting the French.. their 'A' team stayed on the other side of the Atlantic and in the Med to combat Napoleon.
Thanks to some rather well publicised victories by the american upstarts, the Admirality dispatched some 'a' team captains and ships to the American coast.. and Shannon vs Chesepeke is the result. Bear in mind that Shannon had a foul bottom, her crew on 1/2 rations, short grog... yet her mostly pressed crew desired to stay till the americans came out.. an interesting case of all aboard wanting to teach the arrogant american puppies a lesson.
Had the british been inclined to do so earlier, the results for the fledgling american navy would likely have been a whole lot different.
