The capture of USS Chesapeake, also known as the Battle of Boston Harbor, was fought on 1 June 1813, between the Royal Navy frigate HMS Shannon and the United States Navy frigate USS Chesapeake, as part of the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom. HMS Shannon, commanded by Captain Philip Broke, captured USS Chesapeake, commanded by Captain James Lawrence, in one of the Royal Navy's clearest single-ship victories of the war. The action lasted only about ten to fifteen minutes, but ended with Chesapeake disabled, boarded, captured, and taken into British service.
The defeat was especially damaging to American prestige because it was not the result of an obvious superiority in British force. The two frigates were closely matched in size and armament, and Chesapeake carried the larger crew. Chesapeake also sailed from Boston fresh from harbour, while Shannon had been cruising off the coast for weeks and was short of provisions. The result therefore became a pointed demonstration of Broke's gunnery system, discipline, and preparation.
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