The Constitution was cruising against shipping off the Canadian coast. He obtained information from captures which indicated that a British squadron was in the area. He decided to switch his cruising grounds to further south. On the 18th August he was told by an American privateer of a lone warship within a days sail. He set off to investigate.
The Guerriere was in a very poor state of repair and was making for Halifax for a refit. The captain was nursing his masts and had only travelled 200 miles in the last twelve days.
Visual contact was made between the ships at 2 pm on the 19th August 1812.
On sighting the American the Guerriere back her mailsail to wait for him to come up. Constitution approached with some caution reducing to fighting sail and reefing his topsails. He had the wind and clearly did not intend to go swiftly past the Guerriere which was almost stationary and hand her the windward advantage.
Guerriere fired first with a broadside which mostly fell short, he then wore round and brought his port side battery to bear. The attempts by the British to out manoeuve the American was unsuccessful and about 6pm Dacres bore away giving Hull the windward advantage.
The Consitution came in on Guerriere's port side at a pistol shot away and the battle became a slogging match. In spite of the greater rate of fire by the British, firing three broadsides for the American's two, the greater number and weight of metal of the American guns soon began to tell.
Withing fifteen minutes the mizzen mast was shot away and trailed over the quarter effectively preventing any further significant manoeuve by the British. Constitution sailed across her bow and raked the Guerriere. The deadly close range fire was endured for about twenty minutes when, in a last desperate attempt to salvage the situation Dacres decided to attempt to board the American. But as the boarders were assembling the main mast was struck and fell forward taking the fore mast and jib boom with it.
Constitution hauled off to repair what little damage she had and returned as darkness fell to find out if Guerriere had struck her colours. Because of the poor light a boat was launched and Guerriere was boarded, Dacres informed the boarding officer that he had struck.
The morning of the 20th August 1812 dawned to find the Guerrriere a floating wreck. It was determined that the sick and wounded be evacuated as quickly as possible. Hull realised that he stood no chance at all of getting his prize into Boston. On the afternoon of the 20th the wreck was fired and her main magazine blew up sending the ship to the bottom.
The Americans welcomed Hull into Boston with massive celebrations. The maximum propaganda value was gained from an event which 'proved beyond all doubt' that the Royal Navy was not invincible.
The British learn a salutory lesson which was moderated, perhaps too greatly, by the poor state of the Guerriere and the fifty per cent advantage in size, fire power and manning of the American ship. There were to be a few more similar actions before the message was driven home and an effective response to the American big frigates was found.
