3. A naval battle was fought in full view of the British coast
The most famous naval action of the Revolutionary War, though hardly the most critical one, was fought off the British coast at Flamborough Head, on the North Sea, and in full view of spectators ashore. They were treated to the sight of British ships of war striking their colors – surrendering – to an American squadron which was officered by both American and French sailors under the overall command of John Paul Jones. The battle itself was a confused and brutal affair, one of the American ships, Alliance, under French captain Pierre Landais, fired into its commander’s ship as well as those of the enemy, and the victorious American vessel, Bonhomme Richard, sank after the battle.
The British newspapers, fed by the reports of eyewitnesses ashore, many of whom were seamen, gave the American victory grudging but clear admiration. A British warship surrendering to an American within sight of its homeland was a profound shock (though it was not the first). The British commander who surrendered, Richard Pearson, was knighted for his actions in the battle and the British eventually built another ship bearing the name Serapis, an almost unheard of honor rarely given for a ship lost in battle. The battle was another reminder that the war was not limited to the American territories, and the British themselves were susceptible to the attacks of a capable mariner.