[SuperLuminal]

The stuff of great motion pictures!

[DoodleBob]

Here is a picture of Bonhomme and John Paul Jones:

[SES1066]

The name, "Bonhomme Richard", was to honor Benjamin Franklin, one of the Ambassadors to France, as his very popular "Poor Richard's Almanac", became popular in France under the title of "Les Maximes du Bonhomme Richard"! The wreck of the ship has never been specifically identified as the general area, off Flamborough Head, Yorkshire, has many wrecks and lost trawling gear.

An interesting post-battle legal fight came about when John Paul Jones sailed the captured Serapis into the neutral port of Texel (Netherlands) without a 'National Ensign' as the one on the "Bonhomme Richard" had been blown away in the battle. The British representatives wanted to claim that this lack made the action a case of piracy, subjecting the winners to imprisonment and possible execution. Benjamin Franklin and John Adams quickly got a non-standard replacement ensign to the ship that then allowed the Dutch to avoid that legalism!

This is now known as the "Serapis" or "John Paul Jones" flag.