(no subject)
For those of you who aren't history nerds like Jacky and I, you may not know what today is (and the answer isn't KatsuCon :^P).
On this date in 1804, Stephen Decatur committed one of the most impressive acts of sour grapes in US history, if not world history.
Prelude: The American frigate USS Philadelphia had run aground off the coast of Tripoli on an uncharted reef on 31 October 1803. The crew were unable to refloat her while under intense fire from shore batteries and gunboats, and she was forced to surrender. The officers and crew were made slaves, and Philadelphia was moved to Tripoli harbour.
16 February 1804: USS Intrepid, a captured Barbary vessel, sailed into Tripoli harbour at night under the command of Stephen Decatur. Lt. Decatur and a party boarded Philadelphia and set fire to her, denying the Barbary States use of an American vessel. Horatio Nelson called it "the most bold and daring act of the age."
It's like me going over to Aquaman's house and torching all the bikes he's stolen from me.
Yeah, I know no one probably finds that impressive like I do, but I think it's pretty damn cool that an infant Navy like ours was at the time was able to sail halfway around the world and carry out essentially a SpecOps mission like this. It's not like they had C-130 they could airdrop onto the target with.
::shrugs::
On this date in 1804, Stephen Decatur committed one of the most impressive acts of sour grapes in US history, if not world history.
Prelude: The American frigate USS Philadelphia had run aground off the coast of Tripoli on an uncharted reef on 31 October 1803. The crew were unable to refloat her while under intense fire from shore batteries and gunboats, and she was forced to surrender. The officers and crew were made slaves, and Philadelphia was moved to Tripoli harbour.
16 February 1804: USS Intrepid, a captured Barbary vessel, sailed into Tripoli harbour at night under the command of Stephen Decatur. Lt. Decatur and a party boarded Philadelphia and set fire to her, denying the Barbary States use of an American vessel. Horatio Nelson called it "the most bold and daring act of the age."
It's like me going over to Aquaman's house and torching all the bikes he's stolen from me.
Yeah, I know no one probably finds that impressive like I do, but I think it's pretty damn cool that an infant Navy like ours was at the time was able to sail halfway around the world and carry out essentially a SpecOps mission like this. It's not like they had C-130 they could airdrop onto the target with.
::shrugs::