Serapis HMS
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shipstamps
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Serapis HMS
H.M.S. Serapis is shown on the 35c. stamp in her own right. Previous stamp issues have depicted her in the engagement with the Bon Homme Richard. She was a 5th rate, 44 guns, completed at Rotherhithe on March 4, 1779; built by Randall. Her tonnage was 886 builders' measurement. After her capture by John Paul Jones on September 23, 1779 off Flamborough Head, she was transferred to the French Navy. SG411
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aukepalmhof
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Re: Serapis HMS
Built as a 5th Rate two-deck frigate by Randall at Rotherhithe for the Royal Navy.
04 March 1779 launched under the name HMS SERAPIS, named after the god Serapis a god of the Greek and Egyptian mythology.
Tonnage 886 ton (bm), dim. 140 x 38ft.
Armament, 20 – 18pdr, 20 – 9pdr, 2 – 6pdr. guns.
Crew?
Commissioned under command of Captain Richard Pearson (1731-1806). Her first voyage was to the Baltic to return with a convoy of merchantmen loaded with shipbuilding supplies and timber.
01 September 1779 she sailed from Elsinore (Helsingore), Denmark, with a convoy of 41 merchantmen bound for England.
When in a position off Flamborough Head, East Coast England, she encountered the American squadron under command of John Paul Jones on board the BONHOMME RICHARD.
The American squadron tried first to attack the convoy but he was intercepted by the SERAPIS, while the convoy escaped intact.
23 September the action started around sunset, and both vessels fired broadside to broadside, each trying to gain advantage and rake the other. The heavier shots of the SERAPIS drove in the side of the BONHOMME RICHARD, and rendered the helm useless and the poop was only supported by shattered pieces of timber. The 18 pdr. and 9 pdr. guns of the BONHOMME RICHARD were soon out of action.
When Pearson called across, “Has your ship struck?” Jones replied, “I have not yet begun to fight.”
Watchers on Flamborough Head and at Scarborough could see the two ships break apart and then entangled, still firing at each other. Jones used his three 9 pdr. against SERAPIS’s main mast and his sharpshooters in the fighting tops swept the British decks. Both ships were frequently one fire and BONHOMME RICHARD had 5 feet water in the hold. Pearson tried to break loose so that he could stand off and use his full battery while Jones struggled to keep close and prevent him from braking loose.
At 10.00 p.m. a Scottish sailor on BONHOMME RICHARD (according to Jones) crawled along the main yard with a basket of grenades and dropped one through the main hatchway of SERAPIS into bags of gunpowder causing a violent explosion; at the same time her main mast went overboard.
BONHOMME RICHARD’s gunner called for quarter and the British prisoners held below were released, Jones rapped the gunner on the head with a pistol and ordered the prisoners, who could have turned the tide for the British as they poured on deck, to work the pumps.
Pearson lost his nerve first and surrendered and Jones transferred his flag to SERAPIS.
During the action ALLIANCE fired more shots at Jone’s force that she did at the enemy. Although they worked to save BONHOMME RICHARD, she sank the next morning. SERAPIS was rigged with jury masts and ten days later reached TEXEL roads, The Netherlands. After being blockaded there for some weeks, Jones sailed in ALLIANCE.
Passing within sight of the English squadron in the Downs, he cleared the Channel and entered Corunna, Spain on 16 January 1780. On his return to France he found that SERAPIS had been sold at L’Orient, France.
He and Dr. Franklin went to Versailles but were received very coldly by the Minister of Marine, although Jones was presented to the King the following day.
There are various estimates of the number of crew and the casualties on both sides.
Captain Richard Pearson faced a court martial in England but was eventually honorably acquitted and later knighted.
SERAPIS was eventually bought and refitted for the French navy, and commissioned under command of Lieutenant de Vaisseau Roche.
Ordered to proceed to India, she arrived on the road of Isle St Marie an island on the East coast of Madagascar in July 1781.
While Roche was ashore a lieutenant and a subordinate went below decks to obtain the daily brandy ration for the crew. While the two men were busy “cutting” the brandy’s full strength with water, the lantern she used fell into the tub of brandy, and set the spirit locker on fire.
To extinguish the fire were unsuccessful and after two-and-a-half hours the flames burned through the locker walls and reached the powder magazine. An explosion blew out the stern and the vessel sank.
November 1999 the American nautical archaeologist, Richard Swete and his associate Michael Tuttle, again discovered the wreck.
Barbuda 1975 75c sg225, scott211. (She is the vessel on the left on the stamp.)
Ecuador 1976 5s sg1658, scottC590.
Grenada 1975 10c sg699, scott633
Malagasy 1975200f sg308, scottC138
Nicaragua 1976 2.75cor sg?, scottC909
Rwanda 1976 100f sgMS735, scott730
St Lucia 1975 35c sg411, scott384
Samoa 1976 20s sg461, scott430
USA 1936 1c sg786, scott790
Source: copied from http://www.cronab.demon.co.uk/S1.HTM http://www.serapisproject.org/history.html
Log Book. Ships of the Royal Navy by Colledge.
04 March 1779 launched under the name HMS SERAPIS, named after the god Serapis a god of the Greek and Egyptian mythology.
Tonnage 886 ton (bm), dim. 140 x 38ft.
Armament, 20 – 18pdr, 20 – 9pdr, 2 – 6pdr. guns.
Crew?
Commissioned under command of Captain Richard Pearson (1731-1806). Her first voyage was to the Baltic to return with a convoy of merchantmen loaded with shipbuilding supplies and timber.
01 September 1779 she sailed from Elsinore (Helsingore), Denmark, with a convoy of 41 merchantmen bound for England.
When in a position off Flamborough Head, East Coast England, she encountered the American squadron under command of John Paul Jones on board the BONHOMME RICHARD.
The American squadron tried first to attack the convoy but he was intercepted by the SERAPIS, while the convoy escaped intact.
23 September the action started around sunset, and both vessels fired broadside to broadside, each trying to gain advantage and rake the other. The heavier shots of the SERAPIS drove in the side of the BONHOMME RICHARD, and rendered the helm useless and the poop was only supported by shattered pieces of timber. The 18 pdr. and 9 pdr. guns of the BONHOMME RICHARD were soon out of action.
When Pearson called across, “Has your ship struck?” Jones replied, “I have not yet begun to fight.”
Watchers on Flamborough Head and at Scarborough could see the two ships break apart and then entangled, still firing at each other. Jones used his three 9 pdr. against SERAPIS’s main mast and his sharpshooters in the fighting tops swept the British decks. Both ships were frequently one fire and BONHOMME RICHARD had 5 feet water in the hold. Pearson tried to break loose so that he could stand off and use his full battery while Jones struggled to keep close and prevent him from braking loose.
At 10.00 p.m. a Scottish sailor on BONHOMME RICHARD (according to Jones) crawled along the main yard with a basket of grenades and dropped one through the main hatchway of SERAPIS into bags of gunpowder causing a violent explosion; at the same time her main mast went overboard.
BONHOMME RICHARD’s gunner called for quarter and the British prisoners held below were released, Jones rapped the gunner on the head with a pistol and ordered the prisoners, who could have turned the tide for the British as they poured on deck, to work the pumps.
Pearson lost his nerve first and surrendered and Jones transferred his flag to SERAPIS.
During the action ALLIANCE fired more shots at Jone’s force that she did at the enemy. Although they worked to save BONHOMME RICHARD, she sank the next morning. SERAPIS was rigged with jury masts and ten days later reached TEXEL roads, The Netherlands. After being blockaded there for some weeks, Jones sailed in ALLIANCE.
Passing within sight of the English squadron in the Downs, he cleared the Channel and entered Corunna, Spain on 16 January 1780. On his return to France he found that SERAPIS had been sold at L’Orient, France.
He and Dr. Franklin went to Versailles but were received very coldly by the Minister of Marine, although Jones was presented to the King the following day.
There are various estimates of the number of crew and the casualties on both sides.
Captain Richard Pearson faced a court martial in England but was eventually honorably acquitted and later knighted.
SERAPIS was eventually bought and refitted for the French navy, and commissioned under command of Lieutenant de Vaisseau Roche.
Ordered to proceed to India, she arrived on the road of Isle St Marie an island on the East coast of Madagascar in July 1781.
While Roche was ashore a lieutenant and a subordinate went below decks to obtain the daily brandy ration for the crew. While the two men were busy “cutting” the brandy’s full strength with water, the lantern she used fell into the tub of brandy, and set the spirit locker on fire.
To extinguish the fire were unsuccessful and after two-and-a-half hours the flames burned through the locker walls and reached the powder magazine. An explosion blew out the stern and the vessel sank.
November 1999 the American nautical archaeologist, Richard Swete and his associate Michael Tuttle, again discovered the wreck.
Barbuda 1975 75c sg225, scott211. (She is the vessel on the left on the stamp.)
Ecuador 1976 5s sg1658, scottC590.
Grenada 1975 10c sg699, scott633
Malagasy 1975200f sg308, scottC138
Nicaragua 1976 2.75cor sg?, scottC909
Rwanda 1976 100f sgMS735, scott730
St Lucia 1975 35c sg411, scott384
Samoa 1976 20s sg461, scott430
USA 1936 1c sg786, scott790
Source: copied from http://www.cronab.demon.co.uk/S1.HTM http://www.serapisproject.org/history.html
Log Book. Ships of the Royal Navy by Colledge.
- Attachments
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- SG308
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