The only ship left in the US Navy that has sunk an enemy ship is 217 years old

The USS Constitution. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

The only ship left in the U.S. Navy fleet that has sunk an enemy vessel is made of freakin’ wood.

Yeah, that’s right. The frigate USS Simpson (FFG-56) — which sunk an Iranian missile patrol boat in the 1980s — was decommissioned late last month. That means the 217-year-old USS Constitution is the last ship to have a kill on its scorecard.

First launched in 1797, the Constitution served until its retirement from active service in 1881, but the Navy continues to maintain the ship as a floating museum. It is perhaps best known for its exploits in the War of 1812, when the Constitution took out the HMS Guerriere, which earned her the nickname “Old Ironsides.”

From Dan Lamothe at The Washington Post:

Meanwhile, the Simpson is being towed from Florida to Philadelphia, where it will be put up for sale to a foreign military, USNI reported. Unless of course, anyone wants to set up a Kickstarter campaign to buy their very own warship.

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