USS Constitution vs HMS Guerriere The USS " Constitution " vs HMS " Guerriere " , was a single ship action between the two ships during the War of 1812 , approximately 400 miles southeast of Halifax , Nova Scotia . It took place shortly after war had broken out , and would prove to be an important victory for American morale . Background . When the United States declared war on Britain on 18 June 1812 , the Royal Navy had eighty - five vessels in American waters . By contrast , the United States Navy , which was not yet twenty years old , was a frigate navy that had only twenty - two commissioned vessels . The chief fighting strength of the U . S . Navy was a squadron of three frigates and two sloops of war under Commodore John Rodgers , based in New York . A week after Congress declared war , United States Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton had sent orders to Rodgers to cruise off New York , and to Captain Isaac Hull , commanding the at Annapolis on Chesapeake Bay , to join Rodgers . However , Rodgers set out to sea immediately when he heard of the declaration of war , before he could receive Hamilton ' s instructions . He feared that if he delayed he might be blockaded by a superior British fleet , but by sailing immediately he might catch isolated British ships before they could concentrate . He did indeed encounter the frigate , but the " Belvidera " escaped , aided by a bursting cannon aboard which injured Rodgers and caused much damage and confusion . Rodgers then crossed the Atlantic hoping to catch a valuable British convoy from the West Indies . The weather was foul throughout the voyage and Rodgers missed the convoy , capturing only seven small merchant vessels . On hearing of the " Belvidera " encounter , Vice Admiral Herbert Sawyer , the commander of the Royal Navy ' s North American Station based at Halifax , Nova Scotia , despatched a squadron under Captain Philip Bowes Vere Broke to catch Rodgers ' squadron . Broke ' s squadron consisted of the 64 - gun ship of the line and the frigates " Shannon " , " Aeolus " , " Belvidera " and " Guerriere " . By forcing the British to concentrate their force in one place , Rodgers had made it possible for large numbers of American merchant ships to reach other ports without being intercepted . Pursuit of the " Constitution " . On the outbreak of war , the " Constitution " was at Annapolis , collecting a fresh crew , and was unable to sail for three weeks . When her captain , Isaac Hull , was able to put to sea , he headed for New York in accordance with Secretary Hamilton ' s orders . Near New York , in the late afternoon of 17 July 1812 , Hull saw four ships sailing west , and another one heading straight towards the " Constitution " . He thought the ships could be Rodgers ' squadron , but was cautious . He ordered signal lights to be shown , and when the approaching ship did not identify herself , ordered the " Constitution " to keep her distance and wait for daylight to assess the situation . The approaching ship was the " Guerriere " , rejoining Broke ' s squadron after having become separated . Aboard her , Captain James Richard Dacres soon determined that the " Constitution " was a hostile ship , but at dawn on 18 July , he sighted the other four British ships . His signals to them were not answered . Fearing that he was about to be trapped by Rodgers ' entire squadron , Dacres also put as much distance between the " Guerriere " and the other ships as he could , thus missing a chance to trap " Constitution " . In light and fitful winds which occasionally died away altogether , the " Constitution " led the British squadron in a stern chase . The " Constitution " lowered her boats to tow the ship , while Broke ordered the boats from the entire British squadron to tow the " Shannon " . In an attempt to pull away , Hull ordered ten tons of drinking water to be pumped overboard . Despite this , the British squadron continued to gain on the " Constitution " . The " Constitution " First Lieutenant , Charles Morris , then suggested kedging to haul the ship along . This allowed " Constitution " to draw away from the " Shannon " . Fire from four heavy guns which Hull had shifted to point right aft prevented the British trying the same tactic . Late in the afternoon , the wind sprang up again , and the " Constitution " increased her lead . The British ships gained slightly during the night , but the next day , " Constitution " drew away again , although the chase lasted another day and a night until the British ships were out of sight . Following his escape , Hull sailed for Boston to replenish his drinking water supply , before setting out on 2 August to raid British merchant ships off Halifax and the mouth of the St . Lawrence River , before sailing south again towards Bermuda . The " Constitution " soon chased down the American privateer " Decatur " , and her captain told Hull that he had escaped a British frigate the day before . Broke had meanwhile sailed after the valuable West India convoy , assuming correctly that Rodgers was also searching for it . Three weeks after losing sight of the " Constitution " and having seen the convoy safely into British waters , Broke prepared to return to New York . The " Guerriere " was detached and ordered to proceed to Halifax for a much - needed refit . Battle . At 2 : 00 p . m . on 19 August , the " Constitution " sighted a large ship to leeward , and bore down to investigate . The weather was cloudy , and the wind was brisk . The strange ship proved to be the " Guerriere " , whose crew recognised " Constitution " at about the same moment . Both ships prepared for action , and shortened sail to " fighting sail " , i . e . topsails and jibs only . As the " Constitution " closed , Dacres first hove to to fire a broadside , which fell short , and then ran before the wind for three quarters of an hour with the " Constitution " on her quarter . Dacres yawed several times to fire broadsides at the " Constitution " , but the " Guerriere " broadsides were generally inaccurate , while the few shots fired from " Constitution " foremost guns had little effect . After one cannonball bounced " harmlessly " off the side of the " Constitution " , a crew member is said to have yelled " Huzzah ! Her sides are made of iron ! " Once the range had closed to within a few hundred yards , Captain Hull ordered extra sail ( the foresail and main topgallant sail ) to be set , to close the distance quickly . Dacres did not match this manoeuvre , and the two ships began exchanging broadsides at " half pistol - shot " , with the " Constitution " to starboard and " Guerriere " to port . After fifteen minutes of this exchange , during which " Guerriere " suffered far more damage than the " Constitution " due to the latter ' s larger guns and thicker hull , " Guerriere " mizzenmast fell overboard to starboard , acting like a rudder and dragging her around . This allowed " Constitution " to cross ahead of " Guerriere " , firing a raking broadside which brought down the main yard . Hull then wore ship to cross " Guerriere " bow again , firing another raking broadside , but the manoeuvre was cut too close and the " Guerriere " bowsprit became entangled in the rigging of the " Constitution " mizzenmast . On both ships , boarding parties were summoned , while musket fire broke out from each ship . Lieutenant Charles Morris and Captain Dacres were both wounded by musket shots . Only the narrow bowsprit provided a way between the ships , and in the heavy sea , neither side could venture across it . Some of the gunners aboard " Guerriere " fired at point - blank range into Hull ' s stern cabin , setting the American ship on fire briefly . The two locked ships slowly rotated clockwise until they broke free . The " Guerriere " foremast and mainmast both then fell " by the board " i . e . snapped off at deck level , leaving her helpless and rolling heavily . Dacres attempted to set sail on the bowsprit to bring his ship before the wind , but it too had been damaged and broke . The " Constitution " meanwhile ran downwind for several minutes , repairing damage to the rigging , before once again wearing and beating upwind to return to battle . As " Constitution " prepared to renew the action , the " Guerriere " fired a shot in the opposite direction to the " Constitution " . Sensing that this was an attempt to signal surrender , Hull ordered a boat to take a Lieutenant over to the British ship . When the Lieutenant walked onto the " Guerriere " and asked if " Guerriere " was prepared to surrender , Captain Dacres responded " Well , Sir , I don ' t know . Our mizzen mast is gone , our fore and main masts are gone - I think on the whole you might say we have struck our flag . " Aftermath . Captain Dacres was escorted aboard the " Constitution " . Hull refused to accept Dacres ' sword of surrender , saying he could not accept the sword from a man who had fought so gallantly . He also ordered that Dacres ' mother ' s Bible be returned to him . The " Guerriere " was clearly sinking , and the wounded were transferred to the " Constitution " . Hull found that ten impressed Americans had been serving aboard " Guerriere " but Dacres had permitted them to stay below decks instead of fighting their countrymen . Hull wanted the " Guerriere " towed in as a prize ship . The " Constitution " lay by the " Guerriere " during the night but at daybreak it was obvious that the " Guerriere " could not be salvaged . The prisoners and the American salvage parties were brought aboard " Constitution " and at three o ' clock in the afternoon , the " Guerriere " was set on fire , and soon blew up . Although " Constitution " was capable of continuing her cruise ( she was substantially undamaged and still had two thirds of her ammunition ) , Hull wanted the American public to have news of the victory . He reached Boston ten days later , and his news ( with the obvious proof of more than two hundred prisoners of war ) caused rejoicing . The " Guerriere " had been one of the most active ships of the Royal Navy in stopping and searching American merchant vessels , and the news of her defeat was particularly satisfying to the American seafaring community . Ironically , Hull was never to hold another fighting command . Just three days before he defeated " Guerriere " , his uncle , General William Hull , had surrendered Fort Shelby to a greatly inferior British force . Another misfortune for Isaac Hull was the death of his brother , who left a widow and children whom Hull was now duty - bound to support . Seeking a commission that would better accommodate his new domestic responsibilities , Hull asked Navy secretary Hamilton if he could exchange commands with Captain William Bainbridge , under whom he had served during the Barbary Wars and who was then commander of the Boston Navy Yard . Hamilton agreed , and on 15 September 1812 , Hull took over the Navy Yard and Bainbridge the " Constitution " . Once released by exchange of prisoners and returned to Halifax , Dacres was tried by court martial , as was customary in the case of a Royal Navy ship lost from any cause . He put forward as his defence the facts that the " Guerriere " was originally French - built , captured by the Royal Navy in 1806 , and therefore not as sturdy as British - built ships , and more importantly , that the " Guerriere " was badly decayed and in fact on her way to refit in Halifax at the time , and the fall of the mizzen mast which crippled the " Guerriere " early in the fight had been due as much to rot as battle damage . There was no suggestion that Dacres and his men had not done their utmost , or that Dacres had been unwise to engage the " Constitution " . ( Early in the War of 1812 , it was accepted in the Royal Navy that a British 38 - gun frigate could successfully engage a 44 - gun frigate of any other nation . ) Dacres was therefore acquitted .