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In 1777 Jones was given command of the sloop ''Ranger'' and proceeded to France where he was promised command of a new, fast, well-armed frigate.  In 1778, Jones sailed the ''Ranger'' to raid the British coast and captured the British sloop ''Drake''.  After losing the ''Ranger'' in a legal dispute, the French gave Jones an armed merchant vessel which he named ''Bonhomme Richard'' (Good Man Richard) in honor of [[Benjamin Franklin]].

In 1777 Jones was given command of the sloop ''Ranger'' and proceeded to France where he was promised command of a new, fast, well-armed frigate.  In 1778, Jones sailed the ''Ranger'' to raid the British coast and captured the British sloop ''Drake''.  After losing the ''Ranger'' in a legal dispute, the French gave Jones an armed merchant vessel which he named ''Bonhomme Richard'' (Good Man Richard) in honor of [[Benjamin Franklin]].

 

On 23 September, 1779, a Franco-American squadron under [[John Paul Jones]] was off Flamborough Head, England, looking for British merchant ships to capture, when the British frigates ''Countess of Scarborough'' and ''Serapis'' bore down on it. The American frigate, "Bonhomme Richard" engaged the "Serapis".  In a  particularly bloody, destructive fight, the English captain called out  to inquire if the "Bonhomme Richard" had struck its colors.  Jones cried out, "I have not yet begun to fight!"  Upon raking the "Serapis", the crew of the ''Bonhomme Richard'' led by Jones boarded the English ship and captured her. Likewise, the French frigate ''Pallas'' captured her prize the ''Countess of Scarborough''. The action stuck out as an embarrassing defeat for the Royal Navy, who suffered the capture of two of her vessels in her own home waters, but goes down in history as the most memorable ship-on-ship gun battle in history.<ref> [http://books.google.com/books?id=qT5MGeLzr3cC&pg=PA187&dq=bonhomme+serapis&lr=&num=30&as_brr=1  Edward Shippen, ''Naval Battles, Ancient and Modern'' (1883)  p 187ff]</ref>  

On 23 September, 1779, a Franco-American squadron under Jones was off Flamborough Head, England, looking for British merchant ships to capture, when the British frigates ''Countess of Scarborough'' and ''Serapis'' bore down on it. The American frigate, "Bonhomme Richard" engaged the "Serapis".  In a  particularly bloody, destructive fight, the English captain called out  to inquire if the "Bonhomme Richard" had struck its colors.  Jones cried out, "I have not yet begun to fight!"  Upon raking the "Serapis", the crew of the ''Bonhomme Richard'' led by Jones boarded the English ship and captured her. Likewise, the French frigate ''Pallas'' captured her prize the ''Countess of Scarborough''. The action stuck out as an embarrassing defeat for the Royal Navy, who suffered the capture of two of her vessels in her own home waters, but goes down in history as the single most memorable ship-on-ship gun battle in history.<ref> [http://books.google.com/books?id=qT5MGeLzr3cC&pg=PA187&dq=bonhomme+serapis&lr=&num=30&as_brr=1  Edward Shippen, ''Naval Battles, Ancient and Modern'' (1883)  p 187ff]</ref>  

 

Jones was celebrated as a hero in France, in Europe, and America--and even, grudgingly, in Britain.  He took command of the ''Ariel'', loaned by the French for the transportation of military supplies to America. Sailing in December, 1780. he captured the British ship ''Triumph,'' which however escaped. On Feb. 18, 1781, he arrived at Philadelphia, having been absent from America over three years. Congress formally thanked him, but refused to promote him to rear-admiral. As a  compromise Jones was given command of the ''America,'' the first and only 74-gun ship in the Continental navy; when its construction was finished he sailed it to France, which took possession. In 1783 the U.S. shut down its entire navy and Jones was a civilian again.   

Jones was celebrated as a hero in France, in Europe, and America--and even, grudgingly, in Britain.  He took command of the ''Ariel'', loaned by the French for the transportation of military supplies to America. Sailing in December, 1780. he captured the British ship ''Triumph,'' which however escaped. On Feb. 18, 1781, he arrived at Philadelphia, having been absent from America over three years. Congress formally thanked him, but refused to promote him to rear-admiral. As a  compromise Jones was given command of the ''America,'' the first and only 74-gun ship in the Continental navy; when its construction was finished he sailed it to France, which took possession. In 1783 the U.S. shut down its entire navy and Jones was a civilian again.   

 

In 1787 Jones joined the Russian navy as a rear admiral. In 1788, the Russian navy sent Jones to join a flotilla of long boats fitted with brass ordnance to attack a Turkish squadron on the Sea of Azov; the use of explosive shells gave the Russians complete victory, although Jones received little credit and lost his command.<ref>Evan Thomas, ''John Paul Jones: Sailor, Hero, Father of the American Navy'' (2003) pp. 292-312</ref> Jones, a bachelor, returned to Paris in declining health, where he died. His body was returned to America in 1905 and given a tomb of honor at the Naval Academy at Anapolis.

In 1787 Jones joined the Russian navy as a rear admiral. In 1788, the Russian navy sent Jones to join a flotilla of long boats fitted with brass ordnance to attack a Turkish squadron on the Sea of Azov; the use of explosive shells gave the Russians complete victory, although Jones received little credit and lost his command.<ref>Evan Thomas, ''John Paul Jones: Sailor, Hero, Father of the American Navy'' (2003) pp. 292-312</ref> Jones, a bachelor, returned to Paris in declining health, where he died. His body was returned to America in 1905 and given a tomb of honor at the Naval Academy at Anapolis.