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USS Alfred (1774)

History of USS Alfred (1774)

November 4, 1775, as Europe exhausted its own hardwood forests and sought out merchant ships in Colonial America due to the natural abundance of wood deposits. The Alfred was 140 feet long, 32 feet wide, and towed 15 feet of water. Born as a three-masted 450-ton merchant ship, the Alfred was built in Philadelphia in 1774, probably by John Wharton.

That same year, she was named "The Black Prince" in honor of Edward III, the eldest son of King Edward III. Initiated by the UK.

The situation between England and her American colonies has been deteriorating for some time. The colonists increased in number and armed their British overseers. It is thought that American trade in the Atlantic could soon become a major target of the mighty Royal Navy. So Benjamin Franklin, the U.S. ambassador to the French Continental Congress, authorized a fleet squadron to be used to capture British ships and crews in exchange for U.S. Navy personnel serving in Britain at Mill Prisons in Plymouth and Fulton. in Portsmouth Prison.

The captured ships were HMS Black Prince, HMS Black Princess and HMS Fearnot. The voyage was a success, as the colonists collected a total of 35 British ships as trophies and captured some 161 British Navy prisoners.

The Black Prince returned to Philadelphia on April 25, 1775, missing the famous Battle of Lexington and Concord.

Two days later, Alfred claimed to have three miners laden with coal near Fort Lewis, Nova Scotia. Two days later, she captured the British 10-gun sloop HMS John. Alfred arrived in Boston on December 15 for an overhaul.

The successful sailing Captain John Paul Jones was relieved of other duties by Captain Elisha Hinman. Hinman was officially appointed captain of the Alfred in May 1777. In August, the ship sailed into French waters in search of supplies. Four more enemy ships were captured on the way.

Loaded with much-needed supplies, she set sail for the United States in December. Another sloop was claimed on the way home. On March 9, 1778, HMS Alfred was discovered by two British warships - HMS Ariadne, a 20-gun Class VI cruiser, and HMS Ceres, an 18-gun sloop.

When the American ships realized they were outnumbered, they flew. However, the USS Alfred was unable to keep up with her team and fell behind, allowing the schooners to escape. The two battleships approached the Alfred and demanded surrender, Alfred responded by flanking, and a fight ensued.

The battle proved to be more than the Alfred could handle alone, and she and her crew were eventually forced to surrender. She was handed over to the British and taken to Barbados, where she was eventually sold to the Royal Navy and renamed 'H. M. Armed Ship Alfred (20 Guns)'.

She was then sold and dissolved in 1782, ending her A relatively short period of maritime domination over the Americans.

Many consider the USS Alfred to be the first "true" warship of the Continental U.S. Navy. Captain John Paul Jones first hoisted the Grand Union flag (also known as the Continental Flag) in 1775, the first "true" American flag to fly from the poles.

The flag combines the colors of the British monarchy with the thirteen stripes of the American colonies (as a sign of colonial unity). George Washington approved the design and chose it to fly to celebrate the founding of the Continental Army on New Year's Day 1776.