The only ship left in the U.S. Navy fleet that has sunk an enemy vessel is made of freakin’ wood. Yeah, that’s right. The frigate USS Simpson (FFG-56) — which sank an Iranian missile patrol boat in the 1980s — was decommissioned in September 2015. That means the 219-year-old USS Constitution is the last ship to have a kill on its scorecard.
First launched in 1797, the Constitution served until its retirement from active service in 1881, but the Navy continues to maintain the ship as a floating museum. It is perhaps best known for its exploits in the War of 1812, when the Constitution took out the HMS Guerriere, which earned her the nickname “Old Ironsides.”
From Dan Lamothe at The Washington Post:
Naval encounters involving the United States still occur, of course. Navy ships have been buzzed by aircraft on numerous occasions, and China has expressed concern this year about U.S. naval operations in the South China Sea. U.S. officials have downplayed any sign of conflict there, saying naval officers from the two countries regularly speak to each other while underway. The U.S. Navy also has continued to conduct aerial surveillance in the region despite warnings from the Chinese.
The Constitution is also the oldest ship still afloat. The British Ship of the Line HMS Victory was first commissioned during the American Revolution but gained fame as Adm. Horatio Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar (during a war the British could actually win). It technically predates the Constitution, but the Victory is held in drydock while Old Ironsides is still very much floating and sailing.
Meanwhile, the Simpson, the final Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate in service in the United States Navy, isn’t really sailing. It was towed from Florida to Philadelphia, where it was put up for sale to a foreign military, USNI reported.
Unless of course, anyone wants to set up a Kickstarter campaign to buy their very own warship.
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