American Brig Eagle 1812

EAGLE construction kit
American brig 1812

The bustling town of Vergennes, picturesquely situated north of Lake Champlain on the banks of Otter Creek, was practically made for shipbuilding. In addition to an iron foundry, where nails, mandrels and cannonballs were produced, there was also an excellently equipped sawmill, where the timber, mainly white oak and pine, from the extensive surrounding forests was processed. It was 23 July 1812: more than 200 shipwrights set to work under the direction of Adam and Noah Brown and laid the keel of the "Eagle", designed as a 20-gun brig. The imposing ship, 117 feet long and 34 feet wide, was finally launched on 11 August 1814. Armed with twelve 32-pounder carronades and eight 18-pounder carronades, the Eagle had a total weight of 508 tonnes. Thanks to its comparatively shallow draught, the Eagle was able to navigate the shallow waters of the lake without any problems. The crew was 150 strong and consisted exclusively of men from the American army. It included officers and sailors, but also soldiers, members of the music corps and one or two prisoners. Shortly after the launch, on 31 August 1814, the fleet of the American Royal Navy, to which the Eagle belonged, sailed from the Canadian border towards Plattsburgh (New York). Once there and briefly anchored, the Navy ships were brought into formation to withstand any attacks, no matter which direction they came from. The decisive naval battle against the British took place on 11 September 1814, with the British suffering a crushing defeat after just three hours. This unexpectedly quick and clear victory for the Americans ultimately had a significant influence on the British government's decision to conclude a peace treaty with the United States on Christmas Eve of the same year. However, there were also considerable losses on the American side - on the Eagle alone, 13 sailors lost their lives and a further 20 were injured. The ship's hull suffered damage from enemy fire in a total of 39 places. Despite all this, however, the Eagle emerged victorious from the battle.

Kit contents:
Ship stand with nameplate
One-piece keel and sawn frames
Moulding material for the planking and masts
Metal stern decoration
20 cannons and all necessary fittings
Flag set
Sail cloth
9 plan sheets on a scale of 1:1
Building instructions with parts list in German, English, Italian and French

Technical data
Scale 1:85
Length 650 mm
Height 440 mm
Width 215 mm