The first three warships ordered for the infant U.S. Navy in 1794—one of them the Boston-built _Constitution_—were frigates unlike any others. Naval strategists knew the nation could afford to build only a few vessels, so they had to be formidable warships. They were inspired by French “razees,” ships-of-the-line (_see page 14_) that had one gun deck removed, transforming them into large, heavily armed frigates. The sharp lines of _Constitution’s_ hull gave it a frigate’s speed, but in size and stoutness it was comparable to a small ship-of-the-line. (Its heavy oak frames, spaced close together and sheathed with thick planking, proved virtually impenetrable in battle—hence the name “Old Ironsides.”) The theory was that _Constitution_ would be powerful enough to fight any frigate, quick enough to flee anything bigger. The British, though, scorned the new frigates, asserting that they lacked the tactical strengths of either frigates or ships-of-the-line: too slow to engage the former, too weak to stand up to the latter. But _Constitution_ more than lived up to U.S. expectations in the War of 1812, when it bested two British frigates in separate battles, escaped two more, and captured a frigate and a sloop-of-war in a third engagement. _Constitution_ fought no more battles, but served honorably for another 40 years. Throughout its career _Constitution_ has been closely associated with the Charlestown Navy Yard, undergoing several overhauls there. The first was in 1833, when the frigate inaugurated the yard’s dry dock. In 1992-95 it was serviced in the same dock. Since 1897 the yard has been home port for _Constitution_, the Navy’s oldest commissioned warship. [Illustration: The 24-Pounder Long Gun A gun crew of 6 to 14 men wrestled with this 5,600-pound gun. To adjust elevation, a crew member placed a handspike on one of the steps (A) and levered the breech (B) up or down; the gun captain slid the quoin (C) in or out.] [Illustration: U.S.S. Constitution] Specifications: Length overall: 204 ft. Beam (width): 43.5 ft. Displacement: 2,200 tons Draft: 22.5 ft. Hull: 15 to 20 in. thick Speed: 13-14 knots Crew: 450-470 Armament in 1812: 30, 24-pounders; 22, 32-pounder carronades; two 24-pounder & one 18-pounder bow chasers on the forecastle