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Experts seek to find famous wreck [Bonhomme Richard!]
BBC ^ | 6-22-04 | Anon

Posted on 06/22/2006 6:38:09 AM PDT by Pharmboy


The Bonhomme Richard sank in
about 180ft of water

Experts have expressed confidence that they can find the sunken wreck of the ship made famous by legendary Solway born sailor John Paul Jones next month. The Bonhomme Richard went down in 1779 off Flamborough Head in East Yorkshire as Jones famously said: "Surrender - I have not yet begun to fight."

Several bids have been made to recover the ship captained by a man credited as the founding father of the US Navy.

Now underwater archaeology experts will use hi-tech methods to try to find it.

Dr Robert Neyland, head of the underwater archaeology unit at the US Navy Historical Centre, will head a team of six on a three-week search.

"We thought that one way to go about it would be to take the last historical information for locations of the fleet and the ship itself," he said.

"We put that together with the weather and tide information for that time period which have been recreated very well.

'Relatively deep'

"We then used modern computers to create a predictive model of where the ship went down," he added.

Dr Neyland is confident the wreck can be found despite the depth of waters involved.

"It is going to be in waters that are relatively deep - probably 150 to 200ft," he said.

"Divers are able to work in those waters - and archaeologists too."

Jones, a native of Arbigland on the Solway coast, engaged the British ship Serapis off Flamborough Head.

He captured Serapis but had to watch his own ship sink into the North Sea.

The battle on 23 September, 1779 is counted as one of the most memorable battles of the American Revolution


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: bnhommerichard; bonhommerichard; godsgravesglyphs; ivejustbeguntofight; ivejustbeguntofreep; johnpauljones; milhist; militaryhistory; revwar; shipwreck; therevolution; usnavy
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I hope they find it...
1 posted on 06/22/2006 6:38:14 AM PDT by Pharmboy
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To: Pharmboy
Jones famously said: "Surrender - I have not yet begun to fight."

And today we have leadership (motly dems) in the US Government who says "Fight? - We need to cut and run and surrender."

2 posted on 06/22/2006 6:41:51 AM PDT by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - They want to die for Islam, and we want to kill them.)
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Comment #3 Removed by Moderator

To: SunkenCiv; indcons; Chani; thefactor; blam; aculeus; ELS; Doctor Raoul; mainepatsfan; timpad; ...
An Huzzah! and a big thank you to SunkenCiv for alerting me to this article.

The John Paul Jones Flag

Ye Olde RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington Pinge List...Freepmail me to get ON or OFF this list

4 posted on 06/22/2006 6:43:13 AM PDT by Pharmboy (Democrats lie because they must)
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To: Pharmboy

Jones was also the greatest Admiral in the history of the Russian Navy.


5 posted on 06/22/2006 6:48:19 AM PDT by Strategerist
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To: Pharmboy
>I hope they find it...

Perhaps they can start by looking under the black dot on the inset map you posted... :)

6 posted on 06/22/2006 6:48:21 AM PDT by Fudd
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To: TonyRo76
"Jones famously said: "Surrender - I have not yet begun to fight." "

uh nope. He was told to strike or he'll sink and his reply was "I'll sink but I'll be damned if I'll strike" which was deemed bad language, so the line sas sanitized for public consumption. (From the Museum of Our National Heritgage, Lexington, MA)

7 posted on 06/22/2006 6:49:15 AM PDT by camle (Keep your mind open and somebody will fill if full of something for you.)
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To: Strategerist
Jones was also the greatest Admiral in the history of the Russian Navy.

The guy really led an interesting life. Evan Thomas (of Newsweak fame) published a biography a few years back.

8 posted on 06/22/2006 6:50:00 AM PDT by rhombus
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To: camle

strike as in strike your colors - lower your flag, surrender.


9 posted on 06/22/2006 6:50:26 AM PDT by camle (Keep your mind open and somebody will fill if full of something for you.)
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To: Fudd

HAHA...good one.


10 posted on 06/22/2006 6:50:34 AM PDT by Pharmboy (Democrats lie because they must)
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To: Pharmboy

11 posted on 06/22/2006 6:51:06 AM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilisation is aborting, buggering, and contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: Pharmboy
Oh, yes...how I hope there's a nice find...Serapis Project
12 posted on 06/22/2006 6:51:43 AM PDT by Gondring (If "Conservatives" now want to "conserve" our Constitution away, then I must be a Preservative!)
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To: Pharmboy

13 posted on 06/22/2006 6:52:36 AM PDT by Dr. Scarpetta
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To: Pharmboy
"Bonhomme Richard" is the French language equivalent of "Goodman Richard", the ship's name honoring Benjamin Franklin, the U.S. ambassador to France at the time.

The "Richard" part is derived from the pen name of Benjamin Franklin, the author of "Poor Richard's Almanak".

Gobs of American history connected with this naval vessel. I really pray they find it.

Leni

14 posted on 06/22/2006 6:53:05 AM PDT by MinuteGal (Mi casa es su casa. Mi pais es su pais. Mi dinero es su dinero. Mi..............)
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To: Pharmboy
Another interesting link...
15 posted on 06/22/2006 6:55:10 AM PDT by Gondring (If "Conservatives" now want to "conserve" our Constitution away, then I must be a Preservative!)
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To: camle

Thanks for that bit of arcane (but important) info...I did not know that.


16 posted on 06/22/2006 6:57:03 AM PDT by Pharmboy (Democrats lie because they must)
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To: 2banana

"I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way."

-- John Paul Jones, 1778, US Navy Patriot


17 posted on 06/22/2006 6:58:53 AM PDT by DieHard the Hunter (I am the Chieftain of my Clan. I bow to nobody. Get out of my way.)
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To: Pharmboy

Great!


18 posted on 06/22/2006 6:59:07 AM PDT by aculeus
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To: Fudd
"We thought that one way to go about it would be to take the last historical information for locations of the fleet and the ship itself," he said.

I suppose previous attempts were made by consulting the Psychic Friends Network?

19 posted on 06/22/2006 6:59:09 AM PDT by Gondring (If "Conservatives" now want to "conserve" our Constitution away, then I must be a Preservative!)
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To: 2banana

And to think that Kerry was a member of that same Navy.


20 posted on 06/22/2006 7:00:48 AM PDT by NonValueAdded ("So to hell with that twerp at the [WaPo]. I've got no time for him on a day like this." Mark Steyn)
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