Divers have discovered the wreck of the USS Revenge

A group of divers claim to have discovered the remains of the USS Revenge. The ship, which was commanded by US naval legend Oliver Perry, sank in 1811 near Rhode Island. Perry is best known for defeating the British in 1813, at the Battle of Lake Erie. Divers including Charles Buffum, a descendant of Perry,

ByMarcin Pawelczyk

Published: January 20, 2011 - 17:27

Updated: March 1, 2023 - 15:48

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Divers including Charles Buffum, a descendant of Perry, made the first discovery in 2005. However, they did not disclose the fact and continued to explore the area of the shipwreck in secret. Since then, they have found four more 1,000-pound guns, an anchor, cans and other metal objects. All of these items allow them to claim that 99% of the wreckage found is actually the USS Revenge.

From historical sources it is known that no other ship with such cannons as the divers found has ever sunk in this area. Unfortunately, it is still impossible to find an object that would unambiguously confirm the name of the found wreck. Such an object could be a ship’s bell, which always bears the name of the vessel.

The divers have informed the Navy of the find, which has priority in exploring and investigating the wrecks of their vessels. It is also possible to conduct further research by private persons. In such a case, all equipment elements brought to the surface will go to the museum.

The ship, led by Perry from Newport to New London, sank after colliding with a reef in a storm and in thick fog.

History
Revenge was a schooner purchased by the Navy in December 1806 for service on the east coast of the States. Oliver Hazard Perry took command of her in 1809. After the embargo on foreign trade was lifted, the ship travelled regularly between Florida and New England.

In April 1810, the Revenge was delivered to the Washington shipyard. In July of the same year Perry took part in a daring action which resulted in the capture of the American ship Diana, despite the presence of two hostile British ships in the area. On January 9, 1811, the ship entered a reef and was abandoned. Perry, as a result of the investigation, was cleared of responsibility for putting the ship on the reefs.

source: www.msnbc.msn.com