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12" THE BONHOMME RICHARD SAILING SHIP CAPTAIN JOHN PAUL JONES SANK 1779 HISTORIC

$ 44.88

Availability: 100 in stock
  • All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
  • Refund will be given as: Money Back
  • Item must be returned within: 14 Days
  • Condition: Excellent Condition. See pictures for full description
  • Restocking Fee: No
  • Modified Item: No
  • Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer

    Description

    12" THE BONHOMME RICHARD SAILING SHIP CAPTAIN JOHN PAUL JONES SANK 1779
    EXCELLENT CONDITION. SEE PICTURES FOR FULL DESCRIPTION
    NICE GIFT FOR THE BOAT COLLECTOR
    BEAUTIFUL NAUTICAL HISTORIC COLLECTIBLE CHRISTMAS GIFT
    A PIECE OF HISTORY TO BE ENJOYED FOR YEARS
    THE SHIPS HISTORY
    "Bonhomme Richard
    was a warship in the
    Continental Navy
    . She was originally
    a
    merchant ship
    built in France
    . She was placed at the disposal of
    John Paul Jones
    on 4 February 1779, by King
    Louis XVI of France
    as a result of a loan to the United States.
    On 23 September 1779, the squadron, led by John Paul Jones, encountered the Baltic Fleet of 41 sail under convoy of
    HMS
    Serapis
    and HM
    hired armed ship
    Countess of Scarborough
    near
    Flamborough Head
    .
    Bonhomme Richard
    and
    Serapis
    entered a bitter engagement at about 6:00 p.m. The battle continued for the next four hours, costing the lives of nearly half of the American and British crews. British victory seemed inevitable, as the more heavily armed
    Serapis
    used its firepower to rake
    Bonhomme Richard
    with devastating effect. The commander of
    Serapis
    finally called on Jones to surrender. He replied,
    "Sir, I have not yet begun to fight!"
    Jones eventually managed to lash the ships together, nullifying his opponent's greater maneuverability and allowing him to take advantage of the larger size and considerably more numerous crew of
    Bonhomme Richard
    . An attempt by the Americans to board
    Serapis
    was repulsed, as was an attempt by the British to board
    Bonhomme Richard
    . Finally, after another of Jones's ships joined the fight, the British captain was forced to surrender at about 10:30 p.m.
    Bonhomme Richard
    – shattered, on fire, leaking badly – defied all efforts to save her and sank about 36 hours later at 11:00 a.m. on 25 September 1779. Jones sailed the captured
    Serapis
    to the
    Dutch United Provinces
    for repairs.
    Though
    Bonhomme Richard
    sank after the battle, the battle's outcome was one of the factors that convinced the French crown to back the colonies in their fight to become independent of British authority."