August 1812, the US frigate Constitution, 44 guns, fell in with HMS Guerriere, 38, off the coast of Nova Scotia.  The British Captain Dacres, eager to prove his nation’s mastery of the seas, quickly closed with Constitution, intending to give battle.  Guerriere proved hopelessly outclassed in the action, as the US frigate’s 24 pound main battery effectively destroyed Guerriere within 45 mintues, while the British ship’s 18 pound guns could do little damage to Constitution.  The British suffered over 100 killed and wounded while only 14 Americans were killed or injured.  After the battle, Dacres was exchanged, and exonerated at his subsequent court martial, his main excuse for the lopsided defeat being that Guerriere was originally captured from the French, meaning his ship was not built to British standards.