ioo Naval War of 1812 



throughout make this allowance for ocean cruisers. 

 The deficit was sometimes owing to windage, but 

 more often the shot was of full size but defective in 

 density. 



The effect of this can be gathered from the fol 

 lowing quotation from the work of a British artil 

 lerist : "The greater the density of shot of like cali 

 bres, projected with equal velocity and elevation, 

 the greater the range, accuracy, and penetration." 34 

 This defectiveness in density might be a serious in 

 jury in a contest at a long distance, but would make 

 but little difference at close quarters (although it 

 may have been partly owing to their short weight 

 that so many of the Chesapeake' 's shot failed to pen- 

 trade the Shannon's hull). Thus in the actions with 

 the Macedonian and Java the American frigates 

 showed excellent practice when the contest was car 

 ried on within fair distance, while their first broad 

 sides at long range went very wild; but in the case 

 of the Guerriere, the Constitution reserved her fire 

 for close quarters, and was probably not at all af 

 fected by the short weight of her shot. 



As to the officers and crew of a 44-gun frigate, 

 the following was the regular complement estab 

 lished by law : 35 



34 "Heavy Ordnance," Captain T. F. Simmons, R. A., Lon 

 don, 1837. James supposes that the "Yankee captains" have 

 in each case hunted round till they could get particularly 

 small American shot to weigh ; and also denies that short 

 weight is a disadvantage. The last proposition carried out 

 logically would lead to some rather astonishing results. 



35 See State Papers, vol. xiv, 159 (Washington, 1834) 



