 {|    |} bonhomme richard, formerly duc de duras, was a warship in the continental navy. 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 the orient. 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. ==origin== little is known about the early career of bonhomme richard other than she was originally an east indiaman named duc de duras; a merchant ship built in france for the french east india company in 1765. in that capacity she sailed between france and the orient until purchased by king louis xvi of france in early 1779 and placed under the command john paul jones on 4 february.hill (1905), pp. 23â24. the size and armament of duc de duras made her a rough equivalent of half of a 64-gun ship of the linele bonhomme-richard, Ãchelle 1/48 par pierre et jacques mailliÃ¨re, commentaires g.d. jones renamed her bon homme richard - usually rendered in more correct french as bonhomme richard, to honor benjamin franklin, the american commissioner at paris whose poor richard's almanac was published in france under the title of les maximes du bonhomme richard. ==first patrols== on 19 june 1779, bonhomme richard sailed from lorient accompanied by , , , and cerf with troop transports and merchant vessels under convoy to bordeaux and to cruise against the british
1766_ships Maritime_incidents_in_1779 Sailing_frigates_of_the_United_States_Navy Ships_built_in_France Ships_of_the_Continental_Navy Shipwrecks_in_the_North_Sea