Naval+Battle+the+Bonhomme+Richard+Defeats+the+Serepis

=" I have not yet begun to fight ! "=

On August 14th, 1779, an American naval [|commodore] by the name of [|John Paul Jones]set sail to raid English shipping. [|Louis XVI] of France gave John’s boat to him early in the year.The original name of the boat was //Duc de Duras//, an ancient east Indiaman boat that was used between the trading of __France and__ the [|Orient]. He repaired the boat for battle and renamed it the [|Bonne Homme Richard], in honor of his friend and patron, [|Benjamin Franklin]. Not only was he commanding the Bohomme Richard, he was also commanding two French privateers and four other boats at the same time.: //The Pallas, the Vengeance, Le Cerf, Bohomme Richard, the Alliance,// and the two french privateers, //Monsieur//, and //Granville//. All of these boats discluding //the Alliance,// were donated boats from the French. Towards the evening on September 22cd, 1779, //the Bohomme// was right off of [|Spurn Head]hoping to find multitudes of fish near the [|Humber Estuary]. Along with their [|brigatine], //the Vengeance//, both ships headed off northward near darkness looking for their [|frigate]s, //the Pallas// and //the Alliance//. Right after midnight, two mystery [|vessel]s were seen by //the Bohomme// and //the Vengeance//. Not being able to know who they were, they waited until dawn and quickly found out. It was //the Pallas// and //the Alliance//. Early that afternoon, captain Jones was near Bridlington Bay when he spotted a [|brig]. A [|schooner]supposedly captured the day before was full of a 15 man [|boarding]party. Then two vessels were sighted ahead in the distance and the schooner set off a signal. Since //Alliance// was ahead of the others, it speeded up first to find out what vessels they were. Meanwhile, 50 British [|convoys] set sail on September 15th, 1779 to trade. Ports that they traded with included the Norwegian Coast, in the [|Baltic Sea], and at the mouth of the [|Skagerrak channel]. The convoys, included the [|50]-gun ship, [|the Serapis], and the 20-gun ship the //Countess of Scarborough. On September 23rd, 1779, t//hey finally arrived at [|Flamborough Head], right off of the North Sea, [|England]. The baltic convoys warned the //Countess of Scarabough// that and enemy [|squadron]could be approching. Although they did give a warning, many of the convoys ignored it. Around 4 pm, the convoys arrived at Flamborough head, and saw the danger in Bridlingon Bay. [|Captain Richard Pearson] of //the Serapis// signaled the captian of the //Countess of Scarborough// to join him.They then ordered the [|royal navy]escorts between them to protect them from the opposing squadrons that were drawing closer. At around around 6:00 pm, commodore Jones ordered //the Pallas// to go in front of the British convoys to confuse their squadrons strength. He then ordered the vessels to go in a [|line of battle]to make best use of their [|broadside]s against the army vessels. Captian Landais of //the Alliance// tryed a much different plan than that of commodore Jones. Using the tactics that he had learned in the formal training of the navy to help him, he sailed off to one side, against the wind. Captian Thomas Piercy of //the Countess of Scaraborough// had to do the same, because if he didn't it would have allowed //the Alliance// to sail right past him. This left captain Pearson alone with three other ships. A little after 7 pm, //the Serapis// was finally in pistol-shot range with the //Bohomme//. Captain Pearson then asked a few questions pertaining to Jones ship, what nationality he was, etc. When Pearson realized that Jones against the british, they immediately began fighting. Captain Landias's ship then fired at captian Piercy's ship and the fight began. While the fight between Piercy and Landais was going on, captain Cottineu of //the Pallas// and captain Ricot of //the Vengeance// were wondering what to do. They couldn't transfer anybody to any boat, and it became very clear to them that //the Bohomme// would definitly need help. It was pretty dark but the moon wasn't up and they couldn't see anything, so they just stayed where they were until they were given the orders to do something else. Knowing that his opponent was alot faster, and he was alot more out gunned, Johns only strategy of winning he thought was by fighting on their boat, or shooting from a far Pearson's men. Commondore Jones also knew that the 18-pounders on his ship could not win a gun fight, and so he tryed to [|grapple]and board his opponent. Pearson then asked a very cunning question, " Has your ship [|struck]?" Jones reply was " I have not yet begun to fight!**"** Luckily for him, the Serapis's [|anchor] attached some how to the Bohomme Richard's [|hull] and kept the two together.Captian Piercy was then quite astonished to see his opponenet, //the Alliance//, rejoin //the Pallas//. Captian Piercy of //the Countess// then tried to help //the Serapis//, but knew that it would start madness because the Serapis was already in battle with //the Bohomme//. He then thought that if he tried to shoot broadsides at //the Bohomme// it would probably hit //the serapis//, or the serapis could accidentaly hit //the countess//. Piercy then tried to attract the attention of //the Alliance and Pallace.// Around 8:30 pm, the moon had finally risen leaving //the Pallas// and //the Countess// to begin a second battle. A schooner and //the Vengeance// were approaching. Jones desperately needed this schooner party becasue it was full of a boarding party. Captain Landais then set off to find //the Pallas//. On his way he passed two ships that were stuck to eachother: //the Bohomme// and //the Serapis//. Feeling that he could easily shoot at the Serapis, he did. He fired a [|grapeshot], a [|round-shot], and a [|bar-shot]at the Serapis's [|bow]. Although he was in a good range of Serapis's bow, Bohomme's [|stern]was right next to it. Unfortunately, Landais did kill some of Jones squadron, but on the other hand he did kill some of Pearson's too. Knowing that he did something good, he kept sailing on his way. //The Bohomme// started to loose the battle against //the Serapis// most definitely until something happend that changed the course of the battle. **This shows some types of shots.** Right after about 9:30 pm, a man by the name of William Hamilton went out by //the Serapis's// deck that was mostly cleared of men and so he threw a [|grenade] into the deck. This sparked one of their broadsides to blow up, causing the almost entire half of the ship to blow up, leaving many men to fall into the sea because their clothes were burning from the grenade that was launched. Meanwhile //the Pallas// and //the Countess// were still batteling it out. //Alliance// then caught up with //the Pallas//. Knowing that some of his crew was dead, and that most were wounded, captain Piercy of //the Countess// finally struck his colors. After //the Pallace// and //the Countess// discussed surrender agreements, //the Alliance// retured to the main battle. Commondore Jones was know completely exhausted, and it was decided for them to surrender. They were going to struck their colors, but their flag was shot down so they could not. So they had to shout to each-other. Against all odds, when captain Pearson asked if they had struck their colors once more Jones said, **" I have not yet thought of it, but I am most determined to make you strike."** Some historians even believe that Jones shot some of his officers that were attempting to surrender against the British. This of course is said to be an English myth though. Pearson couldn't understand the answer that Jones made so he then sent over a boarding team of prisoners for //the Bohomme.// Finally at around 10:15 pm, //the Alliance// retured to help //the Bohomme//. The reason of why it took so long to get to //the Bohomme// was because the wind was saling against the ship, which took exeptionally longer. It was //the Alliance// and //the Bohomme// against the Serapis. //The Alliance// kept shooting willingly without stopping. Finally a little after 10:30 pm, Pearson finally struck his colors, surrendering to //the Bohomme// and //the Alliance.// Some of the British officers did not get the message, though and they kept shooting. It was said that 49 were dead and 58 were wounded aboard //the Serapis// and over 300 [|casultie]s for //the Bohomme//. //T////he Bohomme// finally won the battle. Overnight pumping to help repair the ship began the next day, but by 2 pm the next day many said the ship could not be saved. By 4 am the next morning, the pumping was abandoned and evreybody was transfered to a different ship. The boat sank two days later on September 25th, 1779 at 11 am due to bad leaking. Jones switched his crew to the prize boat, //the Serapis//. He then sailed away to [|Texel Roads], [|Holland].
 * The above picture shows the Serapis flag. The above picture is modern Flamborough Head.**

Questions: 1. Why did Jones decide not to attack the two mystery vessels that he saw with //the Vengeance//? 2. What changed the course of the battle? Explain. 3. What would have happened if //the Alliance// had not come back to help //the Bohomme//?