sea story or truth?

[mah]

Was cleaning out a filing cabinet and came across the following text.
Feels like a see story to me but enjoyable all the same.

MAH

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The USS Princeton, a carrier of the Forrestal class, was carrying its
regular crew plus a heavy complement of reservists. The consumption of
water aboard ship was greater than the evaporators could keep pace
with. The executive officer. trying every means to curb consumption,
issued a conservation order which concluded with this reminder -----

The USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) as a combat vessel carried 48,600
gallons of fresh water for her crew of 475 men and officers. This was
sufficient to last for six months of sustained operations. The total
evaporators installed -- none.

On the following day the ship's newspaper dutifully published the order
and addded this historical footnote -----

On the 23rd of August 1879 the USS Constitution, carrying its regular
cargo set sail from Boston with 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of
fresh water, 7,400 cannon shot, 11,600 pounds of black powder, and
79,400 gallons of rum. Her mission was to destroy and harass English
shipping. Making Jamaica on the 6th of October, she took on 826 pounds
of flour and 79,400 gallons of rum. Then she headed for the Azores.
Arriving there on the 12th of November, she prrovisioned with with 550
pounds of beef and 64,300 gallons of Portugeuese wine.

On the 18th of November, she set sail for England. In the ensuing days,
she defeated five British men-of-war, captured and scuttled 12 English
merchantmen, salvaging only the rum. On the 7th of January, her powder
and shot were exhausted. Unarmed, she made a night raid up the Firth of
Tay. Her landing party captured a whiskey distillery and transferred
40,000 gallons aboard. Then she headed home.

The USS Constitution arrived at Boston on the 20th of February 1780,
with no cannon, no shot, no food, no powder, no rum, no whiskey, and
48,600 gallons of stagnant water.

[Thomdenton]

This story was going around about 3 years ago. It's BS. Constitution wasn't
launched until 1797, and didn't operate in British home waters during the War
of 1812.

Princeton was an Essex class carrier converted to LPH.
Tom Denton

USMC Helicopter Squadrons
www.geocities.com/hma1369

[Andrew Toppan]

On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 13:40:14 -0600, mah > wrote:

>The USS Princeton, a carrier of the Forrestal class, was carrying its

PRINCETON was not a FORRESTAL class carrier. CONSTITUTION never captured the
numbers of vessels listed. The story is a myth.

--
Andrew Toppan --- --- "I speak only for myself"
"Haze Gray & Underway" - Naval History, DANFS, World Navies Today,
Photo Features, Military FAQs, and more - http://www.hazegray.org/

[David Anderson]

Definately a sea story, as the factual problems start in the first
sentence (USS Princeton was an Independence Class light carrier sunk
in WWII) Next the Constitution was constructed in 1797 and decommed
from active duty by 1830.

But yeah, it is a fun story

mah > wrote in message >...
> Was cleaning out a filing cabinet and came across the following text.
> Feels like a see story to me but enjoyable all the same.
>
> MAH
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> The USS Princeton, a carrier of the Forrestal class, was carrying its
> regular crew plus a heavy complement of reservists. The consumption of
> water aboard ship was greater than the evaporators could keep pace
> with. The executive officer. trying every means to curb consumption,
> issued a conservation order which concluded with this reminder -----
>
> The USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) as a combat vessel carried 48,600
> gallons of fresh water for her crew of 475 men and officers. This was
> sufficient to last for six months of sustained operations. The total
> evaporators installed -- none.
>
> On the following day the ship's newspaper dutifully published the order
> and addded this historical footnote -----
>
> On the 23rd of August 1879 the USS Constitution, carrying its regular
> cargo set sail from Boston with 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of
> fresh water, 7,400 cannon shot, 11,600 pounds of black powder, and
> 79,400 gallons of rum. Her mission was to destroy and harass English
> shipping. Making Jamaica on the 6th of October, she took on 826 pounds
> of flour and 79,400 gallons of rum. Then she headed for the Azores.
> Arriving there on the 12th of November, she prrovisioned with with 550
> pounds of beef and 64,300 gallons of Portugeuese wine.
>
> On the 18th of November, she set sail for England. In the ensuing days,
> she defeated five British men-of-war, captured and scuttled 12 English
> merchantmen, salvaging only the rum. On the 7th of January, her powder
> and shot were exhausted. Unarmed, she made a night raid up the Firth of
> Tay. Her landing party captured a whiskey distillery and transferred
> 40,000 gallons aboard. Then she headed home.
>
> The USS Constitution arrived at Boston on the 20th of February 1780,
> with no cannon, no shot, no food, no powder, no rum, no whiskey, and
> 48,600 gallons of stagnant water.

[WaltBJ]

I have a paperback somewhere with the loading manifes for the USS
Constitution when it set sail to go out and raise hell with the Brits.
it had a healthy amount of rum aboard but nowhere near 49,500 gallons.
That's almost 200 tons!
FWIW there was a later CV(ASW)Princeton; I visited her when she was in
Buckner Bay in about 1955. The Captain had just jettisoned at sea an
F4U5N that had dinged a prop on landing. (Sob!) The wardroom was very
impressive to us Air Force guys living at Naha AB. Linen, china,
silver, stewards. Then I saw where the junior officers lived. (I was a
2Lt at the time). Reminded me of a small school gym dressing room,
with triple tiered bunks and gym lockers. Maybe thrity guys sgared
that one not s large very dark room. My guide, another brown bar, said
"Let me show you our private quarters. He was evidently quite proud of
them, so I followed along. He and his rommie shared an odd shaped
room, sort of half an inverted truncated cone. I looked up, thought of
where it might be, and asked "is there a flak gun up there?" He
replied 'Yeah'. "And there's a catapult running past over there?"
"Yeah." When I got back to my private room (about 12 by 12 with a
shared bath and kitchenette) I didn't feel so bad after all. Opened up
a cold beer, turned on the stereo, and laid back on my real bed.
Walt BJ

[Whunicut]

>The USS Princeton, a carrier of the Forrestal class, was carrying its
>regular crew plus a heavy complement of reservists. The consumption of
>water aboard ship was greater than the evaporators could keep pace
>with. The executive officer. trying every means to curb consumption,
>issued a conservation order which concluded with this reminder -----
>

Total BS. The USS Princeton CV37, was an Essex class carrier. I am a plank
owner.
Decommissioned June 20, 1949

Warren,
Truthful ol fart.
"say altitude"
"500 ft abg, SIR"