Join “The Sea Hunters” as they search the cold waters of the North Sea for the United States Navy’s most famous vessel, Captain John Paul Jones’ “Bonhomme Richard”. Using the latest in side scan sonar and magnetometer search equipment and working from tide charts and drift patterns developed by Dr. Clive Cussler, “The Sea Hunters” will search the North Sea for America’s most famous shipwreck.
In August of 1779 the “Bonhomme Richard” and a small accompanying fleet were ready to sail from France. They carried instructions to attack British shipping and to divert attention from the Franc-Spanish Invasion that was to attack on the South coast of England. Jones sailed West of Ireland, over the top of Scotland and Southward into the North Sea. He was sailing along the East coast of England when he encountered a British fleet accompanied by the 50 cannon British war ship “Serapis”. “Serapis” had the advantage in both size and fire power and as the battle played out it was clear that the “Bonhomme Richard” was taking a horrible beating. Captain Pearson of the “Serapis” called over “do you surrender” and to this Jones gave his famous reply, “I have not yet begun to fight”. As the “Serapis” and “Bonhomme Richard” passed close to fire broadsides the bow sprint of the “Serapis” became tangled in the rigging of the “Richard”. Jones’ men raced aboard the “Serapis” and after hours of bloody hand to hand combat “Serapis” was taken. Jones and his crew did all they could to keep “Bonhomme Richard” afloat after the battle but to no avail. She was too badly damaged and she sank just hours after the first major naval victory of the U.S. Navy in their war for independence.
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