Battle of Flamborough Head facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Flamborough Head
Part of the American Revolutionary War
Defence of Captn Pearson in his Majesty’s Ship Serapis and the Countess of Scarborough Arm’d Ship Captn Piercy, against Paul Jones's Squadron, 23 September 1779, by Richard Paton
Date 23 September 1779 Location off Flamborough Head, Yorkshire, England, North Sea Result See aftermath
Belligerents
United States  France	Great Britain
Commanders and leaders
John Paul Jones	Richard Pearson
Strength
1 ship, 2 frigates, 1 brigantine, 1 schooner	1 5th rate, 1 sloop-of-war
Casualties and losses
~170 killed or wounded 1 ship sunk	>117 killed or wounded, survivors captured 2 ships captured

The Battle of Flamborough Head was a big naval battle that happened on September 23, 1779. It took place in the North Sea, near the coast of Yorkshire, England. This fight was between a group of ships from France and America, led by Continental Navy officer John Paul Jones, and two British ships protecting many merchant vessels. Even though it wasn't the biggest battle, it became one of the most famous naval fights of the American Revolutionary War.

Who Fought in the Battle?

The American and French Ships

In September 1779, a group of four ships, led by American Captain John Paul Jones, sailed around Scotland and down the east coast of Britain. They caused trouble wherever they went! Even though they sailed under the American flag, most of these ships were given or loaned by France. They even had French captains.

The Alliance was different. It was built in America for the Continental Navy. The crews on these ships were a mix of Americans, French volunteers, and British sailors who had been captured and offered a chance to be free. Everyone was looking for glory or prize money.

On September 22, Jones, on his ship Bonhomme Richard, was near Spurn Head. He hoped to capture some ships. He decided to head north to meet up with his other ships, the frigates Alliance and Pallas. Early the next morning, they found each other. Captain Cottineau of the Pallas later said that Captain Pierre Landais of the Alliance had suggested running away if they saw a British warship. This was surprising, as the Alliance was known as a very fast and easy-to-steer warship.

Later that afternoon, the ships saw a small boat in Bridlington Bay. A small schooner, captured the day before, was sent to board it. Soon after, the Alliance spotted two large ships further north near Flamborough Head. The schooner was called back, and the whole group of ships headed towards these new, potentially valuable, targets.

The paths of the ships just before they saw each other on September 23.

The British Convoy and Escorts

On September 15, a large group of over 50 merchant ships set sail from Norway. They had been trading in the Baltic Sea and were now crossing the North Sea. These ships were carrying iron and timber, heading for various ports in Britain and Ireland.

Even though they had been warned about enemy ships, some merchant ships ignored signals from their escort, the 44-gun HMS Serapis. As they got closer to Flamborough Head, the ships at the front saw the danger. They quickly turned around, trying to reach the safety of Scarborough.

The Serapis sailed as fast as it could to get between the merchant ships and the Franco-American squadron. The smaller Countess of Scarborough (a hired ship used for protection) helped guide the convoy. Around 4 PM, Captain Richard Pearson of the Serapis signaled the Countess of Scarborough to join him. The British ships made sure to block the enemy from reaching the slower merchant ships.

The Battle Begins

As the situation became clear, the Alliance slowed down so the other ships could catch up. Around 6 PM, John Paul Jones ordered the Pallas to follow closely behind his ship, the Bonhomme Richard. This was to make it harder for the British to guess how many ships he had. He then ordered all his ships to line up.

Captain Landais of the Alliance had a different idea. He used his ship's speed to sail off to one side. To stop him from going after the convoy, Captain Thomas Piercy of the Countess of Scarborough had to follow him. This left the Serapis alone against the other three American ships.

Just after 7 PM, the Bonhomme Richard was very close to the Serapis. In the growing darkness, Captain Pearson of the Serapis called out to ask who they were. Jones gave a vague answer, then fired a shot. The Serapis immediately fired back with a full broadside (all its guns on one side). A minute later, Landais also fired at the Countess of Scarborough.

The Bonhomme Richard was about the same size as the Alliance. Jones had added six large 18-pound guns to his ship. However, these guns quickly broke after only a few shots, killing many sailors. This meant the Bonhomme Richard couldn't use its biggest guns. The Serapis, a newer British warship, had good 18-pound guns and was easier to steer. Both ships had about 320 crew members.

The Fight Gets Closer

While Jones and Landais fought their separate battles, the Pallas and Vengeance waited. They couldn't easily join the ship-to-ship duels without risking hitting their own side. It soon became clear that the Bonhomme Richard needed help.

Jones realized he couldn't win a gun fight without his 18-pounders. So, he decided to try and grapple (hook onto) the Serapis and board it. Pearson's crew tried to keep their distance, using their ship's better movement to stay away. At one point, the Bonhomme Richards front hit the Serapiss back. Captain Pearson famously asked, "Has your ship struck?" (meaning, "Have you surrendered?"). Jones's reply was, "I have not yet begun to fight!"

Meanwhile, the Alliance exchanged a few shots with the Countess of Scarborough. Less than 20 minutes after the first shot, Captain Piercy was surprised when the Alliance sailed away to join the Pallas. Landais later said the Countess of Scarborough had sailed away in the smoke. Piercy, whose ship was not badly damaged, headed towards the main battle to help the Serapis. But Jones's close-quarters fight meant it was too dangerous to intervene. Piercy then tried to get the attention of the Alliance and Pallas. Captain Cottineau of the Pallas saw this and steered towards the Countess of Scarborough, making Piercy slowly retreat.

Two Separate Duels

Soon after, John Paul Jones got what he wanted. The front spar (jib-boom) of the Serapis got caught in the rigging of the Bonhomme Richard. Jones quickly had his crew tie the two ships together. Pearson dropped anchor, hoping the Bonhomme Richard would tear free. But Jones's men had done their job well. The two ships ended up side-by-side, facing opposite ways, with their big guns touching each other's hulls. Even better for Jones, the Serapiss spare anchor got stuck in the Bonhomme Richards back, locking them together.

Pearson's crew fired directly into the Bonhomme Richard's hull, making huge holes. Jones needed to drive the British sailors off the Serapiss deck before his own ship was destroyed. His men in the masts had small guns and fire grenades. Three 9-pound guns on the back of his ship were still working. Two of these fired grapeshot (small balls like shotgun pellets) to clear the deck. The third fired solid bar-shot at the Serapiss main mast.

By 8:30 PM, the moon had risen. The Pallas and Countess of Scarborough began their own fight. The Vengeance and the schooner were still waiting. Captain Landais of the Alliance then decided to join the Pallas. On his way, the Alliance passed the two locked ships. Landais fired a broadside at the Serapiss front. But the Bonhomme Richards back was right next to it. Many of Landais's shots hit Jones's own men and damaged his ship. Landais then continued on his way.

The Bonhomme Richard was losing the battle badly. Fires were breaking out, and water was filling the lower part of the ship. Around 9:30 PM, one of Jones's men, William Hamilton, threw a grenade down a hatch on the Serapis. By luck, it hit a pile of gunpowder ready for loading into a gun. This caused a huge explosion that spread fire across the back half of the Serapis's lower deck. Many gunners were killed or badly burned, and five guns were put out of action.

Meanwhile, the Pallas and Countess of Scarborough were still fighting. The Alliance was catching up fast. Captain Piercy of the Countess of Scarborough saw that his ship was badly damaged and couldn't win or escape. He surrendered by lowering his flag. The Alliance went to take his surrender, but Landais let Captain Cottineau of the Pallas do it. Landais then headed back to the main battle.

The End of the Battle

The Serapis had been fighting alone for a while. The Bonhomme Richard's gun decks were so damaged that most British shots went right through. Fires were everywhere on both ships. Jones was exhausted. A rumor spread that he was dead, and some of his officers tried to surrender. But Jones was very much alive! He famously shouted, "I have not yet begun to fight!" (or something similar).

Pearson, unable to hear Jones's reply, sent a boarding team. But Jones had hidden a defensive force, who quickly drove the British boarders back. The Serapis's main mast was also badly damaged.

Around 10:15 PM, the Alliance returned. Landais fired another broadside at the Serapis. Jones's men yelled at him to stop, and Jones tried to order the Alliance to help with boarding. The moon was bright, clearly showing the Serapis. But Landais kept to his plan, firing at the Serapis's front and back. Again, many of his shots hit the Bonhomme Richard, causing more damage below the waterline. The ship started sinking quickly. Jones had to release the prisoners he was holding below deck. He quickly convinced them to help pump water to save their own lives.

Captain Pearson of the Serapis didn't know how bad things were on the Bonhomme Richard. He was losing many men from the Alliances attacks, and his ship couldn't move. The Alliance, still mostly undamaged, could keep firing. Also, nearly all the merchant ships he was protecting had reached safety. After the Alliances second broadside, Pearson decided he couldn't do anything more. Shortly after 10:30 PM, he surrendered by lowering his flag himself.

The Americans finally boarded the Serapis. Some British sailors who hadn't heard the surrender fired a few more shots. As Captain Pearson went to the Bonhomme Richard to formally surrender his sword, the main mast of the Serapis finally fell over.

The Bonhomme Richard was sinking. Boats from both the Serapis and Alliance began to evacuate its crew. Some former British prisoners used this chance to escape and go home. Thousands of people watched the battle from the high coast of Yorkshire that clear night, with a nearly full moon.

We don't have exact numbers for how many people were killed or wounded on both ships. Captain Pearson said there were "many more than" 49 dead and 68 wounded on the Serapis. British newspapers claimed 70 deaths on the Bonhomme Richard.

Aftermath

Overnight, the crew kept pumping water from the Bonhomme Richard, but it was still sinking. Guns from the lower decks were thrown overboard, and the dead were buried at sea. The next day, September 24, Jones took the captured British captain and lieutenant to safety. He returned later to check on his ship. Finding the water still rising, he ordered the wounded to be moved to other ships.

At 10 AM on September 25, everyone left the Bonhomme Richard. Just before 11 AM, the ship began to sink beneath the waves.

Several British Navy ships were looking for them, but the French captains insisted on sailing to the neutral port of Texel in the Netherlands. They arrived safely on October 3. Jones immediately wrote a report to Benjamin Franklin, complaining about Captain Landais's actions. Captain Cottineau, however, openly called Landais a coward. Landais challenged him to a duel and wounded him.

While the ships were being repaired, Jones had to deal with diplomatic issues. He was in a neutral port with captured enemy ships. The British ambassador, Sir Joseph Yorke, claimed Jones was a rebel and a pirate. He demanded the captured ships be returned. The Dutch agreed to treat the wounded but said their neutrality meant they couldn't decide who owned the ships. They told Jones's squadron to leave "as soon as possible."

To solve the problem, the Pallas and Vengeance were declared officially French. Captain Cottineau became the commander of a French squadron, with the captured Serapis as his main ship. Jones became captain of the American Alliance. British ships waited off the coast for him to leave. But as winter storms made it hard for them to stay, John Paul Jones slipped away on December 27 and sailed to France.

Back in England, something surprising happened. Even though Pearson and Piercy lost the battle, they were the only British captains who had actually fought Jones's squadron. And they had sunk his flagship! Most importantly, they had protected the convoy. When they returned home, they were honored by towns and rewarded by companies. Pearson even received a knighthood. In 1780, he was given three special Coconut Cups. In 1782, the Royal Navy even named a new ship Serapis, which was unusual for a ship that had lost a battle.

Order of Battle

American/French Squadron

• Ship Bonhomme Richard (42 guns)
• Frigate Alliance (36 guns)
• Frigate Pallas (32 guns)
• Brigantine Vengeance (12 or 14 guns)
• Captured schooner (with boarding party)
• Total: 122–124 guns

British Convoy Escorts

• Frigate/ship hybrid Serapis (44 guns)
• HM hired armed ship Countess of Scarborough (20 guns)
• Total: 64 guns

Images for kids

• 

  John Paul Jones, from an engraving made around 1779 after his victory.

• 

  A Coconut Cup in Silver, given to Captain Pearson in 1780.