[ROLF of the HILL COUNTRY]

“Cannon balls were even known to bounce right off the Constitution’s iron plated hull.”

Wrong. The hull was built of white oak. The wood was so strong that enemy shot was indeed observed to bounce off as if she were made of iron; hence the nickname “Ironsides”.

[ConorMacNessa]

To the amazement of Dacres and his crew, the 18-pound iron cannonballs launched by Guerriere bounced harmlessly off the American frigate’s 24-inch triple-layered hull, which was made of white oak and live oak sheathed in copper forged by Paul Revere. One British sailor supposedly yelled out, “Huzza! Her sides are made of iron!” Thus, Constitution was christened “Old Ironsides.”

From the History Channel:

http://www.history.com/news/how-uss-constitution-became-old-ironsides-200-years-ago



Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[tanknetter]

Wrong. The hull was built of white oak. The wood was so strong that enemy shot was indeed observed to bounce off as if she were made of iron; hence the nickname “Ironsides”.

Southern Live Oak, actually. Mostly from Georgia iirc. Much sturdier than White Oak, which was used for her planking, ceilings and other areas.

And it wasn't just the Live Oak: that contributed more to her longevity than survivability in battle. What really mattered when it came to shrugging off cannonballs when going up against other warships was her framing. The five "Humphries" frigates (not counting "sixth"; the poor, lamentable Chesapeake, which was built to a much different design by one of Humphrey's former students turned rival) had very narrow spacing between their frames. The result was what amounted to an armored wall of wood that was at least 2 1/2 feet thick.

[Telepathic Intruder]

Live and learn.