Title: Clive won't give up on finding this ship
DirkPitt - February 27, 2004 09:33 AM (GMT)
Bonhomme Richard
Known as the father of the American navy, Captain John Paul Jones' claim to fame was the battle of Flamborough Head. He was in charge of the frigate Bonhomme Richard, formerly the French East-Indiaman Duc de Duras. In september 1779, his mission was to sail down the coast of Britain attacking any enemy convoys or shipping. And off Flamborough Head is where Jones found his prize.
The ships with him were the Alliance, Pallas and Vengeance, and their plan of attack was simple - destroy the escorts and take the valubles off the convoy. The escorts were the Countess of Scarborough and Serapis, and they could see the approaching American ships, so they told the convoy to scatter in order not to get caught. The two British ships closed the Americans, and in the evening of 23 September, the ships opened fire. Unfortunately for Jones, the British ships were not going to give in without a fight, and the Serapis, commanded by Captain Richard Pearson, and the Bonhomme Richard ended up being locked together bow to stern. At this distance, any shots made both ships a smoking wreck, but Jones' ship came off the worse. A night of heavy gunfire saw the Serapis boarded and captured, the Countess captured, the convoy escaping, and the Bonhomme Richard to be left a drifting wreck.
The battle had lasted all night with 1500 people lining the cliffs to watch the excitement just a few miles offshore. Jones took command of the Serapis, and two days later the Bonhomme Richard sank.
The location of the Richard has eluded all divers for the past 200 years. Author Clive Cussler launched three unsuccessful expeditions and in 1998 the Filey Underwater Research Unit announced they had found what they hoped to be the wreck resting in Filey Bay. At the time of writing, the wreck they found has still not been positively identifies as the Bonhomme Richard.
Clive and NUMA spent 3 weeks in the North Sea late in 2003, but he again came back empty handed !
Known as the father of the American navy, Captain John Paul Jones' claim to fame was the battle of Flamborough Head. He was in charge of the frigate Bonhomme Richard, formerly the French East-Indiaman Duc de Duras. In september 1779, his mission was to sail down the coast of Britain attacking any enemy convoys or shipping. And off Flamborough Head is where Jones found his prize.
The ships with him were the Alliance, Pallas and Vengeance, and their plan of attack was simple - destroy the escorts and take the valubles off the convoy. The escorts were the Countess of Scarborough and Serapis, and they could see the approaching American ships, so they told the convoy to scatter in order not to get caught. The two British ships closed the Americans, and in the evening of 23 September, the ships opened fire. Unfortunately for Jones, the British ships were not going to give in without a fight, and the Serapis, commanded by Captain Richard Pearson, and the Bonhomme Richard ended up being locked together bow to stern. At this distance, any shots made both ships a smoking wreck, but Jones' ship came off the worse. A night of heavy gunfire saw the Serapis boarded and captured, the Countess captured, the convoy escaping, and the Bonhomme Richard to be left a drifting wreck.
The battle had lasted all night with 1500 people lining the cliffs to watch the excitement just a few miles offshore. Jones took command of the Serapis, and two days later the Bonhomme Richard sank.
The location of the Richard has eluded all divers for the past 200 years. Author Clive Cussler launched three unsuccessful expeditions and in 1998 the Filey Underwater Research Unit announced they had found what they hoped to be the wreck resting in Filey Bay. At the time of writing, the wreck they found has still not been positively identifies as the Bonhomme Richard.
Clive and NUMA spent 3 weeks in the North Sea late in 2003, but he again came back empty handed !
Cyclops - March 4, 2004 04:23 PM (GMT)
Cusslers search for lost vessels = NUMA = money = MORE BOOKS! I hope he keeps searching for a long time. :P
Marribiuz - March 4, 2004 06:23 PM (GMT)
I think the equation is:
More Books = money = NUMA = Cussler searching for lost ships
More Books = money = NUMA = Cussler searching for lost ships
Nic0demus - March 10, 2004 12:58 PM (GMT)
...=inspiration for writing more books = good for us!
hiramyaegar - March 28, 2004 10:13 PM (GMT)
That's a beauty! I should show that to my grandfather. He was in the Merchant Marines and loves sailing ships.
nx2nothing - May 18, 2004 09:03 PM (GMT)
Go after it CC we will support you tell the end. th:
hiramyaegar - May 18, 2004 11:20 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (nx2nothing @ May 18 2004, 09:03 PM) |
| Go after it CC we will support you tell the end. th: |
Now if only A LOT more people would.