Kevin 5,369 Posted January 19 Report Share Posted January 19 USS Syren (later Siren) was a brig of the United States Navy built at Philadelphia in 1803. She served during the First Barbary War and the War of 1812 until the Royal Navy captured her in 1814. The British never commissioned her but apparently used her for a year or so as a lazaretto, or a prison vessel. She then disappears from records. Description[edit] Syren was designed by Benjamin Hutton, Jr. of Philadelphia and built for the Navy in 1803 at Philadelphia by shipwright Nathaniel Hutton and launched on 6 August 1803. She was commissioned in September and Lieutenant Charles Stewart was appointed in command.[2][3] She was sharper, but smaller than USS Argus (1803), yet carried the same armament. Both vessels were built the same year for the First Barbary War. Service history in US Navy[edit] First Barbary War[edit] Syren departed Philadelphia on 27 August 1803 and reached Gibraltar on 1 October. A fortnight later she sailed via Livorno to Algiers carrying presents and money to the Dey of Algiers. She then sailed to Syracuse, Sicily, where she arrived early in January 1804.[2] The first action Syren was involved in was an attack aimed at destroying USS Philadelphia, a frigate that had run aground the previous autumn and that Tripolitan gunboats had then captured. To prevent Philadelphia from opposing his planned operations against Tripoli, the commander of the American squadron in the Mediterranean, Commodore Edward Preble, decided to destroy her. To achieve this, Syren and ketch Intrepid sailed from Syracuse on 3 February 1804 and proceeded to Tripoli, which they reached on 7 February. However, before the American ships could launch their attack, they were driven off by a violent gale and did not get back off Tripoli until 16 February. Before the attack Syren tied up alongside Intrepid to transfer some of her crew for the assault on Philadelphia. Aboard Intrepid, under the command of Stephen Decatur, sailors from both Intrepid and Syren succeeded in burning Philadelphia. Also present during the assault was Thomas Macdonough of Syren.[2][4] Bombardment of Tripoli, 1804 Syren returned to Syracuse on the morning of 19 February. On 9 March, she and Nautilus sailed for Tripoli. Soon after their arrival, on 21 March 1804, she captured the armed brig Transfer belonging to the Pasha. Stewart took Transfer into US service and renamed her USS Scourge.[5] She then served in the American squadron.[2] The very next day Syren captured a polacca named Madona Catapolcana and sent her to Malta.[5] Operations in the Mediterranean during the spring and summer of 1804 and participated in the attacks on Tripoli in August and September 1804. The ship continued to support the squadron's operation against Tripoli which forced the Pasha to accede to American demands. After a peace treaty with Tripoli was signed on 10 June 1805, the brig remained in the Mediterranean commanded by Master Commandant John Smith for almost a year helping to establish and maintain satisfactory relations with other Barbary states.[2] The ship returned to America in May 1806 and reached the Washington Navy Yard in August. She was laid up in ordinary there until recommissioned in 1807 and subsequently carried dispatches to France in 1809.[2] In 1809, her sailing master at the Norfolk Navy Yard was Captain John "Mad Jack" Percival.[6] The following year, her name was changed to Siren.[7] War of 1812[edit] Little record has been found of the brig's service during the War of 1812, however small news items appeared in the Salem Gazette and the Boston Gazette. In May 1813 it was reported that within the space of two days a merchant vessel, Pilgrim, was boarded, first by HMS Herald which was searching for Syren, and then by Syren, which was searching for Herald. Syren was now commanded by Lieutenant Joseph Bainbridge.[8] The following month Syren left Belize and proceeded to Cuba where after three weeks searching for a Royal Navy sloop, probably Herald, she sailed for the coast of Florida putting in at New Orleans before departing on 9 May 1813. No prizes were taken during this voyage and the ship needed repairs.[9] By January 1814 Syren was in Massachusetts and was now commanded by Lieutenant Parker,[10] In February she sailed along with a privateer, Grand Turk.[11] Not long after sailing Parker died and command transferred to Lieutenant N.J. Nicholson.[12] Syren captured at least three merchant ships off the coast of Africa. On 28 May she captured and burnt Barton, Hassler, master, which had been sailing from Africa to Liverpool. Then on 1 June Syren captured Adventure, which too was from Africa to Liverpool. She took-off their cargoes of ivory and sank them. Lastly, at some point Syren captured Catherine.[13] On 12 July 1814 Syren while cruising off the West African coast encountered the British ship HMS Medway a 74-gun third rate ship of the line under the command of Captain Augustus Brine. Heavily outgunned, Syren attempted to run. After an 11-hour chase Medway captured her despite Syren having lightened her load by throwing overboard her guns, anchors and boats.[14] During her last voyage she had captured or sunk several British merchantmen.[12][15] Among the prisoners was Samuel Leech, who later wrote an account of his experiences. According to Samuel Leech, after being captured the crew of Syren were taken to the Cape of Good Hope, and after landing at Simonstown, marched to a jail in Cape Town. Here they were held until transferred to England when the war was over. On arriving at Simonstown, other American prisoners were seen to be leaving the jail and being shipped off to Dartmoor. The Syren crew met these again in England while waiting for transfer to the United States. Some had been present at 'The Massacre'. USS Syren (fourth from the right) during the bombardment of Tripoli in 1804. History United States Name USS Syren Builder Nathaniel Hutton Cost $32,522 Laid down 1803 Launched 6 August 1803 Commissioned 1 September 1803 Renamed Siren, 1809 Fate Captured at sea, 12 July 1814 United Kingdom Name Siren Acquired 12 July 1814 by capture Commissioned Not commissioned Fate Not listed after 1815 General characteristics [1] Type Brig Displacement 240 long tons (244 t) Tons burthen 298 ('the other place') Length 94 ft 3+1⁄2 in (28.7 m) (overall); c,75 ft 0 in (22.9 m) Beam 27 ft 0 in (8.23 m) Depth of hold 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) Propulsion Sail Complement 120 officers and enlisted Armament 16 × 24-pounder carronades 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin 5,369 Posted January 20 Author Report Share Posted January 20 Good evening everyone although this build will be shelved on arrival of the Indefatigable, i wanted to use it as a test piece to improve my hull planking quite pleased with the progress made without any issues but i did find the basswood bulkhead former very fragile, it is very easy to form the rabbet, keel fixed, false keel taped on, and bulkheads temp in position, they now need to be shaped 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mad Steve 19,874 Posted January 20 Report Share Posted January 20 Nice one Kevin and a nice looking ship. Another one to look forward to Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Col. 7,048 Posted January 20 Report Share Posted January 20 13 minutes ago, Kevin said: ..it is very easy to form the rabbet, keel fixed, false keel taped on, and bulkheads temp in position, they now need to be shaped I have absolutely no idea what any of this means but it sounds impressive and looks it as well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin 5,369 Posted January 20 Author Report Share Posted January 20 Just now, Col. said: I have absolutely no idea what any of this means but it sounds impressive and looks it as well. ok rather than me try to explain Cutting a Rabbet Line - The Suburban Ship Modeler 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Invictaag 2,621 Posted January 24 Report Share Posted January 24 I'm looking forward to seeing one of Chuck's ships being built. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin 5,369 Posted January 24 Author Report Share Posted January 24 13 minutes ago, Invictaag said: I'm looking forward to seeing one of Chuck's ships being built. its a shame that the quality of the wood is pants, which is always the case when a manufacture takes over a kit. that is the reason the 1/64 Victory is delayed again, a lovely well designed kit with poor quality wood to save costs, to such an extent the test builder refuses to work on it 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Invictaag 2,621 Posted Wednesday at 06:36 AM Report Share Posted Wednesday at 06:36 AM 22 hours ago, Kevin said: its a shame that the quality of the wood is pants I think that's the case with a lot of manufacturers. I always thought that Amati produced good quality kits, but maybe using high quality wood would make this kit almost as expensive as the real HMS Victory cost to build. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin 5,369 Posted Saturday at 08:39 PM Author Report Share Posted Saturday at 08:39 PM good evening everyone i thought i was going to loose my boi this week went to the vets for one reason on the Wednesday, which was solved and not related to another visit two days later, he had a very high temp 40+ and blood tests came back to confirm he had pancreatic itus with a reading of over 4000 but is now well on the mend to full recovery, with new low fat diet food, only a few things i live for and he is joint number 1 on my list the hull has been faired, and the plank test show good coverage along all the bulkheads, i have not done muck to the internal side of the timber heads as they fall of if i look at then, they are so brittle the inner lower deck is in, i dont think that will be seen the gunport sills are going in at present, its interesting using the templates, so far they have lined up just using the single plank pinned to the laser markings, the instructions are very well written and easily understood we slept when we could the laser lines represent the gun port and wale locations 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gorby 16,292 Posted yesterday at 08:08 AM Report Share Posted yesterday at 08:08 AM I hope Boi continues to get better. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mad Steve 19,874 Posted yesterday at 10:11 AM Report Share Posted yesterday at 10:11 AM Very nice Kevin Hope your mate continues to get better 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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