Java-class frigate (1813)

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{{Infobox ship class overview

| Name = Java class

| Builders =

| Operators = * United States Navy

| Class before = Original six frigates of the United States Navy

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| Cost =

| Built range = 1813-1815

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| Total ships building =

| Total ships planned = 6

| Total ships completed = 2

| Total ships cancelled = 3

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| Total ships lost = 1

| Total ships retired = 2

| Total ships preserved =

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{{Infobox ship characteristics

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| Ship class = Sailing frigate

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| Ship displacement = 1,508 short tons (1,368 metric tons)

| Ship length = *175 feet (53 m) long between perpendiculars

145 feet (44 m) long at the waterline

| Ship beam = 44.5 feet (13.6 m)

| Ship height =

| Ship draft = 13.5 feet (4.1 m)

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| Ship propulsion = Sails

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| Ship complement = 400

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| Ship armament = * 45 guns of various shot

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{{Distinguish|text=the post-Civil War era Java-class frigate (1863)}}

The Java or Guerriere-class frigate was a series of heavy sailing frigates built for the United States Navy during the War of 1812. Designed to shore up the fledgling Navy, the ships had a miserable service life. Of the six initially planned, only three were laid down, and only two entered service. The two ships of the class had a limited role within the Navy, stemming from poor craftsmenship and wood quality due to their war-time construction.

Design and development

Under the Jefferson Administration in the early 1800s, the US Navy was invisoned as a militia-based force that operated small, ad-hoc gunboats. Congress opposed expanding the Navy, which left the nation unable to defend itself at sea. It reversed course following the outbreak of the War of 1812, and ordered 6 frigates in 1813, which made them the first purpose-built vessels for the Navy since 1800. The new frigates were greatly modeled after the earlier original six frigates, with characteristics similar to those of the 44-gun variant. The ships were armed with a total of 45 guns, displaced {{Convert|1,508|short ton|metric ton}}, were {{Convert|175|feet|m}} long between perpendiculars, {{Convert|145|feet|m}} long at the waterline, had a beam of {{Convert|44.5|feet|m}}, a depth of {{Convert|13.5|feet|m}}, and were manned by a crew of 400.{{Cite book |last=Silverstone |first=Paul H. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/ocm63178925 |title=The sailing navy, 1775-1854 |date=2006 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-97872-9 |series=The U.S. Navy warship series |location=New York |pages=35 |chapter=The United States Navy, 1794–1854 |oclc=ocm63178925}}{{Cite book |last=Canney |first=Donald L. |url=https://archive.org/details/sailingwarshipso0000cann/mode/2up |title=Sailing warships of the US Navy |date=2001 |publisher=London : Chatham |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-1-86176-110-1 |pages=61-63 |language=}}

History

Although six ships were ordered, only three were laid down, all in 1813. Of the three, Columbia and Continental were re-named after prizes captured from the Royal Navy while they were still in the shipyard. After the American defeat at Battle of Bladensburg, the newly renamed and nearly completed Essex was burned to prevent her from falling into British hands.

Due to their war time construction, the two remaining ships were poorly made and quickly deteriorated due to the use of green wood. After she was launched, Java was described by Oliver Hazard Perry as, "not appear[ing] to have been faithfully built, [and] the work in many respects bad..." Post-war, the two ships were sent to the Mediterranean, where Guerriere engaged the Barbary Pirates. Java was of little use to the Navy due to her poor craftsmanship, and she was laid up for years as attempts to rebuild her failed to materialize. After her service, Guerriere became a school ship and Java was reduced to a receiving ship before both were found to be too costly to maintain and were broken up in the early 1840s.

In 1820, the class's design was revisited, which produced the seven frigates of the Potomac-class, which served as the backbone for the Navy for several decades.{{Cite book |last=Silverstone |first=Paul H. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/ocm63178925 |title=The sailing navy, 1775-1854 |date=2006 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-97872-9 |series=The U.S. Navy warship series |location=New York |pages=36 |chapter=The United States Navy, 1794–1854 |oclc=ocm63178925}}