HMS Serapis was a British frigate launched by the Royal Navy in 1779. Robert Dodd (1748–1815 was a British marine painter and graphic artist The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) Year 1779 ( MDCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The vessel was named after the god Serapis in Greek and Egyptian mythology. Serapis (Latin spelling or Sarapis in Greek was a syncretic Hellenistic - Egyptian god in Antiquity. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" The vessel was captured by Americans during the American Revolutionary War. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots"
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American Revolutionary War battle
HMS Serapis was designed as a 5th Rate vessel armed with 44 guns (20 18-pounders, 20 9-pounders, and 4 6-pounders). In Britain's Royal Navy during the classic age of fighting sail a fifth-rate was the penultimate class of warships in a hierarchal system of six "ratings" based On September 23, 1779, commanded by Captain Richard Pearson, she engaged the American warship USS Bonhomme Richard under the command of John Paul Jones in the North Sea at the Battle of Flamborough Head, England. Events 1122 - Concordat of Worms. 1459 - Battle of Blore Heath, the first major battle of the English Year 1779 ( MDCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The United States of America —commonly referred to as the John Paul Jones ( &ndash) was America's first well-known naval hero in the American Revolutionary War. The North Sea is a marginal, Epeiric sea of the Atlantic Ocean on the European Continental shelf. The American squadron During September 1779 the four remaining vessels from a seven-strong squadron which departed from the anchorage at Groix off L’Orient England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The two vessels exchanged heavy fire and Bonhomme Richard lost most of her fire power, but by attaching the two ships together, Jones was able to overcome much of Pearson's advantage. [1] The famous quote, "I have not yet begun to fight!"[1] was Jones's response to Pearson's premature (and probably not serious) call for Bonhomme Richard to surrender. The battle raged on for three hours as the crew of Bonhomme Richard tenaciously fought Serapis, raking her deck with gunfire. Eventually, Alliance, a frigate in Jones's squadron, began firing at both the attached ships indiscriminately. 1779 The new frigate's first assignment was to carry Lafayette back to France to petition the French Court for increased support in the American struggle for independence Bonhomme Richard began to sink, but Captain Pearson, unable to aim his guns at the frigate because he was tied to Jones's ship, surrendered, handing Serapis over to the Americans. [1]
Aftermath
Jones sailed to the neutral United Provinces (the Netherlands), but diplomatic complications arose because the Dutch authorities did not recognize the United States. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands An improvised Serapis flag was secretly entered into the Dutch records to avoid the charges of piracy. Serapis is a name given to an unconventional early United States Ensign flown from the captured British frigate Serapis. Serapis and her consort Countess of Scarborough were later declared as French captures.
Although the two British vessels had lost the battle, they had succeeded perfectly in protecting the very valuable convoy, and both captains were well rewarded.
Fate of the Serapis
The French commissioned the Serapis to a privateer named Roche who planned to use the ship against the British in the Indian Ocean. However, in July 1781 the ship was lost off the coast of Madagascar when a sailor accidentally dropped a lantern into a tub of brandy. Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern The crew fought the fire for two and one half hours, but the flames eventually burned through the spirit locker walls and reached a powder magazine. The resulting explosion blew the stern off the ship and the vessel sank.
The remains of the Serapis were located in November 1999 by American nautical archeologists Richard Sweet and Michael Tuttle.
See also
References
External links
- Serapis Project - project to locate the Serapis.
- H.M.S. Serapis High resolution photos of a model
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