Independence was the first US Navy ship of the line to serve and its only razee. Her history exposes the fleet-level weakness hidden by the celebrated Great Frigates. Those heavy frigates were excellent for presence missions, long cruises, and single-ship actions, but they cost too much to supply all the cruisers a navy needed. They also had to withdraw whenever a British third rate or larger ship appeared. A balanced navy needed affordable ordinary frigates and ships able to stand in the line of battle.
Chapter · 0:11-7:35
USS Independence exposes the Great Frigate tradeoff
America's first commissioned ship of the line becomes a case study in why impressive heavy frigates could not substitute for fleet battle power.