The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Barbary War - Feb. 28th, 2003

http://earlyamerica.com/review/2002_winter_spring/terrorism.htm ^ | Thomas Jewett

[SAMWolf]

Thanks KDD. I wonder if they even mention the Barbary WArs in school anymore.

[aomagrat]

Today's classic warship, USS Conserver (ARS-39)

Diver class salvage ship
Displacement. 1441 t.
Lenght. 213'6"
Beam. 39'
Draft. 14'8"
Speed. 15 k.
Complement. 120
Armament. 2 x 40mm

ISS Conserver (ARS-39) was launched 27 January 1945 by Basalt Rock Corp., Napa, Calif.; sponsored by Mrs. H. Price; and commissioned 9 June 1945 at South Vallejo, Calif., Lieutenant C. H. Rocklidge, USNR, in command.

Conserver arrived at Sasebo, Japan, 21 September 1945, and until 3 March 1946, she carried out salvage operations at Sasebo, Okinawa, Yokosuka, Aomori, and Hakodate in support of the occupation, and after preparations at Pearl Harbor, arrived at Bikini 29 March. She served in the Marshall Islands, aiding in Operation "Crossroads," the atomic weapons tests of 1946, until 2 September 1947, when she arrived at Manila for duty in the Philippines. From 9 April 1948 to 26 September, she served in Hawaiian waters, and then in Alaskan waters, returning to Pearl Harbor 13 January 1949.

From Pearl Harbor, Conserver returned to operate off Alaska between 14 April 1949 and 7 June, and from 10 December to 25 March 1950. With the outbreak of the Korean war, she arrived at Yokosuka 15 July, and between 15 July and 1 August carried out salvage and diving assignments in Korean waters. After a brief overhaul at Yokosuka, she salvaged a fuel pipeline at Iwo Jima, and from 10 September until 24 December returned to Korean waters. After a final towing voyage from Japan to Korea in January 1951, Conserver returned to local operations at Pearl Harbor from 16 February to 28 May. After salvage duty at Kwajalein and Majuro, she returned to Pearl Harbor to prepare for her second tour of duty in the Korean War. She arrived at Sasebo 27 September, and operated primarily in Korean waters until 7 May 1952, when she cleared for San Diego.

After operating on the west coast until 4 August 1952, Conserver sailed for brief duty at Pearl Harbor, Kwajalein, Guam, Subic Bay, Bangkok, Singapore, and Sangley Point, returning to Pearl Harbor 22 October. On 6 April 1953, she returned to Sasebo for duty in Korean waters until 9 November, when she cleared for Pearl Harbor.

From the close of the Korean war through 1960, Conserver alternated operations in the Hawaiian Islands with occasional towing and salvage duty in Pacific islands and tours of duty in the Far East in 1954, 1955, 1955-56, 1957, 1958-59, 1959, and 1960. Between 20 September 1958 and 20 October, she gave salvage and towing service off Taiwan as American ships stood by during the Quemoy Crisis.

Over the decades of the 1960s, 70s and most of the 80s, Conserver continued her work of salvage, towing and other important fleet support. She deployed to the Western Pacific nearly every year. In 1965, Conserver helped salvage the stranded destroyer USS Frank Knox (DDR-742). She operated in Vietnamese waters regularly from 1966 into 1972 and was engaged in search and recovery operations after the Soviet Union shot down a Korean airliner in 1983.

Laid up in September 1986, Conserver returned to active service a year later. Her subsequent operations were generally in the Hawaiian area, with occasional deployments to the U.S. West Coast and the South and Central Pacific. After almost a half-century of hard work, USS Conserver was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in April 1994.

Conserver received nine battle stars for Korean war service.

[mrsmith]

The Barbary wars were so similar to the Afghan campaign.
Perhaps it has a lesson for the Iraq war too, at least on how to handle duplicity, at our expense, by certain countries:

" The American Counsel in Tripoli, William Eaton, correctly gauged French complicity with the Dey of Tripoli. After publicly flogging the French Ambassador, Eaton departed for the desert where he joined Lt. O'Bannon's Marines detached from the U.S. fleet. "
My Country, My Country

More on Eaton and O'Bannon's campaign here From The Marine Corps Gazette - To the shores of Tripoli by H. Lee Munson

[Triple]

Decatur and his small crew disguised as North Africans sailed the Barbary ketch into Tripoli harbor on the night of February 15, 1804. The tiny craft bumped into the Philadelphia, and Decatur's boarding party flung grappling hooks to lash the rails together. Then yelling and screaming, they leaped onto the deck of the frigate. As a pirate reported later, the Americans "sent Decatur on a dark night, with a band of Christian dogs fierce and cruel as the tiger, who killed our brothers and burnt our ships before our eyes." - article

I am proud to say, my direct ancestor, Thomas MacDonough, was a member of that crew. He later distinguished himself at the battle of Lake Champlain in the war of 1812, and a a captain of the USS Constitution.

[SAMWolf]

Her hull looks pretty beat up.

[Triple]

He also has MacDonough Hall named in his honor at Annapolis.

[SAMWolf]

" The American Counsel in Tripoli, William Eaton, correctly gauged French complicity with the Dey of Tripoli.

Some things never change do they?

Can we still flog the French Ambassador?

[SAMWolf]

I am proud to say, my direct ancestor, Thomas MacDonough, was a member of that crew. He later distinguished himself at the battle of Lake Champlain in the war of 1812, and a a captain of the USS Constitution.

Thanks for sharing that with us Triple. I share your pride in your family history. Fascinating stuff.

[colorado tanker]

Very timely post! The US took unilateral preemptive action against the Barbary Pirates? Shocking. I hope we had UN approval. Did France say that was OK? I can hear the chants now, "no blood for shipping"!

[SAMWolf]

Thanks colorado tanker.

I think the Barbary War definately sets a precidence for taking action against a "terroist organization" without a formal declaration of war from Congress.

[SpookBrat]

The kids and I read a book called Carry on Mr. Bowditch and it discussed this problem. It's been a few months, but I think I remember the French ships sailing too slowly and Mr. Bowditch (from the American ship) went back to sail with them, against his better judgment. It wasn't safe to sail alone because these Pirates would get them. It was very bad for the economy.

If you ever have some free time (hahaha) and are looking for a quick read, you all should read Carry on Mr. Bowditch. It's written for young adults, but it was wonderful! One of my favorite books ever. It's a great story about endurance, Christian faith, tenacity, self-education, never giving up on your dreams, the American dream, and a great chapter in American history. What all the immigrants and founding fathers went through to give us a free country is unbelievable. I guess what I grew to understand from reading this book was how life didn't get easier after the British were gone. They were very hungry and it was hard to get our own economy going. We were BROKE!!!!!!

Amazing read! I love my country. And Mr. Nathaniel Bowditch is a great American hero. His navigational book is the standard text in merchant marine and naval academies.

Sorry for the detour. LOL Reading this history made me remember him.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks Spooky. NOthing is off track at the Foxhole if its about our History.

[colorado tanker]

I think the Barbary War definately sets a precidence for taking action against a "terroist organization" without a formal declaration of war from Congress.

Sure does, Sam. And the War was started by the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence. So much for the argument that an undeclared war is contrary to the "framers' intent." I heard the other day there have been something like 100 of these kinds of wars.

[SAMWolf]

We need to do whatever it takes to ensure our security and sovereignty and the heck with anyone else.

[colorado tanker]

I couldn't agree more.

[rmlew]

Max Boot has a great account of this as the openning chapter of The Savage Wars of Peace:Small Wars and the Rise of American Power
You can read this chapter at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0465007201/qid=1046474295/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-8436303-7428701?v=glance&s=books

[rmlew]

Pick up The Savage Wars of Peace,/U> by Max Boot.

[facedown]

Yusuf was so furious at his captain's defeat at the hand of the American "fat ducks" that he had him bastinadoed (beaten on the soles of his feet) and paraded backward on a donkey, his neck festooned with sheep's entrails...

Wow, now there's an image!

[Aura Of The Blade]

We need to do whatever it takes to ensure our security and sovereignty and the heck with anyone else

I hope that when the thrust is made into Iraq that the UN packs up and it takes its global baggage with it.

[SAMWolf]

The Savage Wars of Peace:Small Wars and the Rise of American Power

I set up a direct link to the Amazon site. Thanks for the info on the book.