| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Bonhomme Richard |
| Namesake | Benjamin Franklin |
| Builder | French East India Company |
| Laid down | 1765 |
| Launched | 1766[1] |
| Acquired | 4 February 1779 |
| In service | 4 February 1779 |
| Out of service | 25 September 1779[1] |
| Fate | Sunk by HMS Serapis |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 998 |
| Length | 152 ft (46 m)[1] |
| Beam | 40 ft (12 m)[1] |
| Draft | 19 ft (5.8 m)[1] |
| Propulsion | Sail |
| Complement | 380 officers and enlisted[1] |
| Armament |
|
Bonhomme Richard, formerly Duc de Duras, was a warship in the American Continental Navy named for Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. She was originally an East Indiaman, a merchant ship built in France for the French East India Company in 1765, for service between France and Asia. She was placed at the disposal of John Paul Jones on 4 February 1779, by King Louis XVI of France as a result of a loan to the United States by French shipping magnate Jacques-Donatien Le Ray.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Bonhomme Richard". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 30 May 2010.