The two frigate actions including one Royal Navy ship and one US Navy ship are real events in the War of 1812: HMS "Java" against , and against (Capture of USS "Chesapeake"). The fictional Aubrey and Maturin have roles in both in the novel, as accidental passengers on "Java" and then as prisoners of war in Boston who make a timely escape. The battle actions are transformed for storytelling effect by O'Brian. The capture of USS "Chesapeake" is discussed in an 1866 source mentioned in the "Author's Note" for "The Fortune of War". The victories of the respective nations greatly raised the morale of their sailors during the conflict. For the United States, it proved that their ships could hold their own against the British, and for the United Kingdom, it proved that American ships could be just as easily defeated as the French, Dutch and Spanish.