LOOKING FOR MR. JONES THE OCEAN TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION BEGINS A SEARCH FOR JOHN PAUL JONES’ SUNKEN SHIP WHILE ADMIRAL CALLO TAKES A LOOK AT THE MAN. By Richard H. Wagner (Originally published in The Log, Navy League of the United States, New York Council, Summer 2006) The views expressed herein are number or quality, to challenge the solely those of the Editor and are not world's largest seapower to a fleet those of the Navy League, the Council, action. Indeed, in an action in or any other entity. Penobscott Bay between 22 American ships and a 10-ship British squadron that ohn Paul Jones was America's first included a ship-of-the-line, the and, perhaps still is, its most famous Americans were all but wiped out. Still, Jnaval hero. However, like many of rather than let Britain have unchallenged the founding fathers, Jones' actual command of the seas, the Continental achievement has become clouded by Navy did what many inferior naval legend. Indeed, historians even dispute powers have done throughout the course whether he actually spoke the of history and concentrated on inspirational quotation: "I have not yet commerce raiding. begun to fight." So, what is Jones claim One particularly clever twist to to fame? the American strategy was the decision Jones’ fame rests upon his not to limit the activities of the victory at the Battle of Flamborough Continental Navy to American waters Head. Although Jones was a successful but rather to attack commerce off of the captain and peppered the Continental British Isles. By so doing, the Congress with ideas that were later Americans would force the British to embarced by the United States Navy, keep more of their warships at home. Jones would not have stood out from a This in turn would mean that there number of successful early commanders would be fewer British warships off except for this one crucial victory. America to prevent American ships and When the long simmering those of sympathetic neutrals from animosity between Britain and her landing much needed supplies. In American colonies broke into open addition, attacks on offshore shipping warfare, the rebels had no standing navy. and attacks on sea coast towns would Some merchant ships could be converted cause panic at home and would put into warships and a few purpose-built political pressure on the British warships could be constructed in government to end what was not a American shipyards but the colonists popular war to begin with. would never have the ships, either in Copyright: 2006 Richard H. Wagner All rights reserved This article may only be used by permission John Paul Jones was an advocate supplied by the French, Jones converted of this strategy. Born in Scotland in the Indiaman into a frigate, which he 1747, Jones had gone to sea at age 13 named BONHOMME RICHARD after and by the age of 21 was a captain of a Benjamin Franklin's nom de plume. merchant ship. However, in 1773, while While on paper BONHOMME in command of a ship in the West Indies, RICHARD was a formidable fighting he killed the ringleader of a mutiny with vessel, there were problems. First, the his sword. Rather than stand trial in ship was feeling the effects of age, Tobago, Jones emigrated to Virginia and which, among other things, rendered her changed his name from "John Paul" to slower than purpose-built warships. "John Paul Jones." He became a keen Second, the French were not about to supporter of the patriot cause and, in part with first-class supplies and what 1775, was commissioned as a first they gave, particularly the cannons, were lieutenant in the Continental Navy. items that the French Navy did not want. After a successful tour on ALFRED, Third, Jones had to assemble a polyglot Jones became the captain of the sloop crew consisting of Americans, PROVIDENCE and his reputation grew. Frenchmen, and various other In 1777, Jones was given nationalities including some Britons. command of the three-masted, 18-gun Only about a third of the crew spoke sloop-of-war RANGER. Operating out English. of French ports, RANGER began In August 1779, BONHOMME attacking British merchant ships in the RICHARD was made the flagship of a waters off Britain and Ireland. He also squadron of ships consisting of new successfully raided the port of American 36-gun frigate ALLIANCE, Whitehaven. Then, within sight of commanded by Captain Pierre Landis, Belfast, Ireland, he engaged and the French frigate PALLAS, the captured HMS DRAKE, a 20-gun sloop. FRENCH brig VENGENCE, the French Throughout the British Isles, there was cutter LE CERF, and two French panic over the exploits of "Paul Jones, privateers, MONSIEUR and the pirate." The embarrassed Royal GRANVILLE. The squadron was to Navy dispatched a squadron to seek him engage in commerce raiding around the out. In short, exactly what the British Isles and then rendezvous with a Americans had hoped for. convoy that the British had blockaded in The exploits of RANGER aided a Dutch port. American envoy Benjamin Franklin in This was a powerful force. his efforts to have the French supply the However, there was a big problem. Americans with ships that would be used Although Jones was the commodore of against France's traditional enemy. In the squadron, his political enemies in the early 1779, King Louis XVI purchased a French Ministry of Marine had drawn up 13-year old Indiaman called the DUC orders that allowed the other ships in the DE DURAS and placed it at the disposal squadron to use their own judgment. of Jones. Indiamen were large merchant Thus, they could ignore Jones's orders if ships built to withstand the rigors of they wished. voyages between Europe and the Far Four days after leaving harbor, East. Using cannons and materiel MONSIEUR took a prize and then 2 Copyright: 2006 Richard H. Wagner All rights reserved This article may only be used by permission abandoned the squadron. The other Scottish ports were thwarted either by French privateer dropped out of the the weather or by his captains’ refusal to squadron for the same reason not long participate. afterwards. At about 3 p.m. on 23 A few days later, the squadron September, off of Flamborough Head, became becalmed off the coast of Ireland Yorkshire, England, a lookout on and Jones, concerned that BONHOMME BONHOMME RICHARD spotted a RICHARD might drift aground, sent out large group of sail to the north. It was a a boat to tow the ship seaward. 40-ship British convoy bringing naval Unfortunately, the coxswain had supplies from the Baltic. It appeared to recently been disciplined and the be escorted by a frigate and a sloop-of- remainder of the crew were homesick war. Irishmen. During the night, they cut the Jones decided he would attack tow line and rowed ashore where they the frigate while PALLAS attacked the informed the British authorities that sloop. This left ALLIANCE and Jones was in the vicinity. A second boat VENGENCE to deal with the convoy. sent out to look for the first became lost BONHOMME RICHARD bore in a fog and was eventually captured by down on the larger of the two British the British. LE CERF was sent to look warships. Although HMS SERAPIS for the boats but also became lost and was rated as a frigate, she could have returned to France. been classified as a small ship-of-the- The next day, Jones argued with line with between 41 and 50 guns Landis and although he was in the arrayed on two gun decks. As Jones Continental Navy, Landis announced approached her in the early evening that he too was going to use his own light, however, only the gun ports on one judgment in all matters. Accordingly, deck were open. When the two ships Landis would take ALLIANCE off on were about a thousand yards apart, her own when the mood suited him. Captain Richard Pearson, RN, called for PALLAS then broke her tiller the ports on the second deck to be and fell behind. opened unmasking a row of 18 Even though the squadron was pounders. Onboard the BONHOMME left with only two ships, BONHOMME RICHARD there was an audible gasp as RICHARD and VENGENCE, it was a they realized that they were attacking a successful cruise as they took a number much superior ship. However, it was too of merchant prizes while they sailed late to go back. north around the top of Scotland. In Two additional factors favored addition, a British squadron scrambled to SERAPIS. First, she had the new search for Jones was wasting its time in innovation of copper plating on her hull, the waters off of Ireland. Eventually, which prevented sea growth. As a PALLAS returned to the squadron with result, she was much faster and more ALLIANCE appearing from time-to- nimble than Jones' ship. Second, her time. gun crews practiced an hour each day at The squadron headed south down their guns and could load, aim, and fire the North Sea taking several more in a minute and a half - - twice as fast as prizes. Jones' plans to raid various Jones' crews. Consequently, she was 3 Copyright: 2006 Richard H. Wagner All rights reserved This article may only be used by permission capable of a much greater rate of fire three nine pounders on the quarterdeck, than her opponent. one of which Jones was directing After an unsuccessful attempt at himself. Fires broke out and water persuading SERAPIS that began to fill the American ship.