2-329-807 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Sir Philip Broke, British naval officer, 1815 (c1880). Broke (1776-1841) commanded HMS 'Shannon' in its famous battle against the USS 'Chesapeake' during the War of 1812. The ships fought on 1st June 1813 as the 'Chesapeake' attempted to evade the blockade of Boston. Although the 'Shannon' was a smaller vessel than the 'Chesapeake', she emerged victorious due to superior gunnery. Broke suffered a head wound leading the boarding party that succeeded in capturing the American ship. He was created a baronet, awarded a Naval Gold Medal and later knighted for his exploits. From a portrait published in 1815. A print from Cassell's History of the United States, by Edmund Ollier, Volume II, Cassell Petter and Galpin, London, c1880.