Home > USS Bonhomme Richard (1765)

The first USS Bonhomme Richard, formerly Duc de Durae, was a frigate built in France for the French East India Company in 1765, for service between France and the Orient. She was placed at the disposal of John Paul Jones on February 4, 1779, by King Louis the Beloved as a result of a gift to the United States by French shipping magnate, Jacques-Donatien Le Ray. Jones renamed her Bonhomme Richard, the French language equivalent of "Poor Richard," in honor of Benjamin Franklin's almanac called Poor Richard's AlmanacPoor Richard's Almanac (sometimes Almanack was a yearly almanac published by Benjamin Franklin, who adopted the pseudonym of "Poor Richard" for the purpose of this work in the title. It appeared continuously from 1732 to 1757. The almanac was a best selle.

On June 19June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 195 days remaining. Events 1306 Forces of Earl of Pembroke defeat Bruce's Scottish army at the Battle of Methven 1846 First baseball game under recognizable modern, 1779, Bonhomme Richard sailed from L'Orient accompanied by Alliance, Pallas, Vengeance, and Cerf with troop transports and merchant vessels under convoy to BordeauxBordeaux (Bordeu in Gascon) is a port city in the south-west of France, and is the prefecture (administrative capital) of the Gironde departement and the Aquitaine region''. Its inhabitants are called Bordelais''. The population of the metropolitan area ( and to cruise against the BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a state in Western Europe, usually known simply as the United Kingdom the UK Britain or less accurately as Great Britain . The UK was formed by a series of Acts of Union which united the formerly in the Bay of BiscayNot to be confused with the North American Biscayne Bay. The Bay of Biscay (French: Golfe de Gascogne Spanish: Mar Cantabrico is an arm of the North Atlantic Ocean. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the. Forced to return to port for repair, the squadron sailed again August 14, 1779. Going northwest around the west coast of the British Isles into the North Sea and then down the east coast the squadron took 16 merchant vessels as prizes.

On September 23, 1779, they encountered the Baltic Fleet of 41 sail under convoy of HMS Serapis (44) and Countess of Scarborough (22) near Flamborough Head. After 1800 Bonhomme Richard engaged Serapis and a bitter engagement ensued during the next four hours before Serapis struck her colors. Bonhomme Richard, shattered, on fire, and leaking badly defied all efforts to save her and sank at 1100 on September 25, 1779. John Paul Jones sailed the captured Serapis to the United Provinces for repairs.

See USS Bonhomme Richard for other ships of this name.

This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.