On the evening of 23rd September 1779 crowds of people on the Yorkshire Cliffs watched one of the most stubborn naval battles in British history. The battle was between the American squadron of John Paul Jones and two British ships of war.

Jones was supplied with a small squadron of ships comprised of Bonhomme Richard with 40 guns, Alliance a frigate with 36 guns, the Pallas a French ship of 32 guns, the Cerf with 18 guns and the Vengeance with 12 guns.He spotted a fleet of forty-one merchantmen from the Baltic escorted by two British warships, the Serapis and the Countess of Scarborough, bearing NNE.

When the British fleet saw the squadron bearing down on them, they set sail for the refuge of the shore. The two British warships steered to intercept the American squadron and prepared for battle. All afternoon the American ships manoeuvred to get between the convoy and the land. At seven o`clock, with a full moon, the Bonhomme Richard found herself facing the Serapis. The English ships had succeed in their aim of getting between the Americans and the convoy.

The battle was intense and Jones, recognising his ships' inferior strength, sought to keep the battle at close quarters. In the close battle the Serapis struck into the Bonhomme Richard and Jones took the opportunity of making both ships fast. The battle continued fiercely with the ships locked together. A bloody close battle developed with both ships being badly damaged and many of the crew of both ships being killed or wounded. By 8 o'clock the Bonhomme Richard was leaking badly.

During the later stages of the battle the Alliance came up to join in but incredibly fired first at the Bonhomme Richard, instead of at the Serapis and did considerable damage, before firing at the Serapis. The Bonhomme Richard was an almost shattered wreck but the Serapis was in a worst state as the Alliance gave her the same attention that it had given the Bonhomme Richard.

Captain Pearson of Serapis gave up his gallant defence as he believed that no further good could result from continuing the combat now that the Alliance had joined in. He surrendered his sword to John Paul Jones on the deck of the Bonhomme Richard and the battle was over.