Essex, USS

by Stewart Winn

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About the Ship

Essex was a frigate design by William Hackett and built by Enos Brigg (Salem, Massachusetts) for the United States Navy. She performed convoy duty during the Quasi-War with France, convoy and blockade duty during the First Barbary War, and saw combat action in the War of 1812.

During the war of 1812 she took 10 prizes in the Atlantic and 12 more in the Pacific, the latter all whalers. However, while attempting to escape the port of Valparaíso she lost her main top-mast and was forced into action against the British frigate HMS Phoebe and the sloop-of-war HMS Cherub. She was engaged at a range from which she could not effectively reply and after ​2-1⁄2 hours her captain was forced to surrender.

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