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LITTLE KNOWN TIDBIT OF
NAVAL
HISTORY...
.
The
U.. S. S. Constitution (Old Ironsides), as a combat vessel,
carried 48,600
gallons of fresh water for
her crew of 475 officers and men. This was sufficient to last
six months of sustained operations at sea. She carried no
evaporators (i.e. fresh water distillers).

However,
let it be noted that according to her ship's log, "On July 27,
1798, the U.S.S. Constitution sailed from Boston with a full
complement of 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: "To destroy and harass English
shipping."

Making
Jamaica
on 6 October, she took on 826 pounds of flour
and 68,300
gallons of rum.

Then
she headed for the Azores , arriving there 12 November. She
provisioned with 550 pounds of beef
and 64,300
gallons of Portuguese wine.

On
18 November, she set sail for England . In the ensuing days she
defeated five British men-of-war and captured and scuttled 12
English merchant ships, salvaging
only the rum aboard
each.

By 26 January, her powder and shot were
exhausted. Nevertheless, although unarmed she made a night raid
up the Firth of Clyde in Scotland . Her landing party captured a
whisky distillery and transferred 40,000
gallons of single malt Scotch aboard
by dawn. Then she headed home.

The U. S. S.
Constitution arrived in Boston on 20 February 1799, with no
cannon shot, no food, no powder, no
rum, no
wine, no
whisky,
and 38,600
gallons of water.

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NAVY