USS Constitution fires on Charlestown, but not intentionally
Shortly after 6 p.m., a cannon onboard Old Ironsides misfired and seemed to have lobbed a projectile at a building on the grounds of the Charlestown Navy Yard.
Boston Police were requested to help find the projectile, in an unusual call that a BPD dispatcher had to relay to an officer twice, because the world's oldest commissioned warship is not in the habit of firing towards land and BPD isn't usually called on to help find errant projectiles.
In the end, no injuries were reported, no British frigates or Redcoats needed to be repelled, and the US Navy took control of the investigation into how one of the cannons - which technically consist of modern mortars inside replica cannons - misfired.
And then BPD had to respond to a more usual call - that somebody might be trying to break into an abandoned building nearby on Constitution Road.
Via Stanley Staco.
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Comments
Mortars?
I assume that would be like the mortars used in fireworks displays, not the kind the Army uses to lob explosives at an enemy. I'm wondering what the projectile was.
Howitzers
Others may be different, but the Esplanade fireworks on 4th of July uses 105mm howitzers.
I wonder what the gripe…
… between the boat and the building is all about? Will there be retaliation? Grudges die hard in Charlestown.
I am so confused by this
I am so confused by this cause 2nd Ave is far away from the ship and the cannon that they use for colors at sunset is on the starboard side generally since it faces the water and is away from the people in the apartments who complain about the noise
Yeah, that's why I didn't put the specific address
Because the address that police got (21 Second Ave.) is basically the main gate for the National Park Service part of the Navy Yard.
"Modern mortars inside replica cannons?"
Well, that's disappointing. I always imagined they were the ship's original 18- and 24-pounders.
Does HMS Victory also have fake cannons?
The originals are long gone
My recollection from taking the tour of the ship is that all the original guns were removed long ago. When the ship was turned into a museum some similar guns were scrounged from other ships and shore displays. The forward most on each side have been bored out to allow them to fire modern, breach-loaded saluting charges. Damn loud if you are on board at morning or evening colors.
I don't condone
But I understand.
A bad day for Patriots
The Patriots misfired yesterday morning in London and later that evening in Charlestown
Pretty serious mishap, it'll
Pretty serious mishap, it'll be interesting to see if big Navy relieves the Captain.
Allegedly
Allegedly
Was it picked up
by ShotSpotters?
If it cannot ID a simple incoming mortar what good is it?
War Games
This was probably just a training exercise to get ready for its deployment to the West Bank.
of course they have real guns
The navy boasts that the Constitution isn't just their oldest ship, it's the oldest commissioned warship still afloat, and that implies that it's carrying weapons, even though it would make no sense to send a wooden sailing ship into a modern battle.