<P> Even with the wealth of perspectives, including the commander's, it is difficult if not impossible to tell exactly what occurred . It is clear, however, that the crew felt alienated by their commander, who might well have been motivated by his pride . Jones believed his intentions were honorable, and his actions were strategically essential to the Revolution . Regardless of any controversy surrounding the mission, Ranger's capture of Drake was one of the Continental Navy's few significant military victories during the Revolution, and was of immense symbolic importance, demonstrating as it did that the Royal Navy was far from invincible . By overcoming such odds, Ranger's victory became an important symbol of the American spirit and served as an inspiration for the permanent establishment of the United States Navy after the revolution . </P> <P> In 1779, Captain Jones took command of the 42 - gun USS Bonhomme Richard (or as he preferred it, Bon Homme Richard), a merchant ship rebuilt and given to America by the French shipping magnate, Jacques - Donatien Le Ray . On August 14, as a vast French and Spanish invasion fleet approached England, he provided a diversion by heading for Ireland at the head of a five ship squadron including the 36 - gun USS Alliance, 32 - gun USS Pallas, 12 - gun USS Vengeance, and Le Cerf, also accompanied by two privateers, HMS Monsieur and Granville . When the squadron was only a few days out of Groix, Monsieur separated due to a disagreement between her captain and Jones . Several Royal Navy warships were sent towards Ireland in pursuit of Jones, but on this occasion, he continued right around the north of Scotland into the North Sea, creating near - panic all along Britain's east coast as far south as the Humber estuary . Jones's main problems, as on his previous voyage, resulted from insubordination, particularly by Pierre Landais, captain of Alliance . On September 23, 1779, the squadron met a large merchant convoy off the coast of Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire . The 50 - gun British frigate HMS Serapis and the 22 - gun hired ship Countess of Scarborough placed themselves between the convoy and Jones's squadron, allowing the merchants to escape . </P> <P> Shortly after 7 p.m. the Battle of Flamborough Head began . Serapis engaged Bonhomme Richard, and soon afterwards, Alliance fired, from a considerable distance, at Countess . Quickly recognizing that he could not win a battle of big guns, and with the wind dying, Jones made every effort to lock Richard and Serapis together (his famous, albeit possibly apocryphal, quotation "I have not yet begun to fight!" was uttered in reply to a demand to surrender in this phase of the battle), finally succeeding after about an hour, following which his deck guns and his Marine marksmen in the rigging began clearing the British decks . Alliance sailed past and fired a broadside, doing at least as much damage to Richard as to Serapis . Meanwhile, Countess of Scarborough had enticed Pallas downwind of the main battle, beginning a separate engagement . When Alliance approached this contest, about an hour after it had begun, the badly damaged Countess surrendered . </P> <P> With Bonhomme Richard burning and sinking, it seems that her ensign was shot away; when one of the officers, apparently believing his captain to be dead, shouted a surrender, the British commander asked, seriously this time, if they had struck their colours . Jones later remembered saying something like "I am determined to make you strike," but the words allegedly heard by crew - members and reported in newspapers a few days later were more like: "I may sink, but I'll be damned if I strike ." An attempt by the British to board Bonhomme Richard was thwarted, and a grenade caused the explosion of a large quantity of gunpowder on Serapis's lower gun - deck . </P>

Who said we have not yet begun to fight
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