USS Ranger ( 1777 ) The first USS " Ranger was a sloop - of - war in the Continental Navy in active service in 1777 - 1780 ; she received the second salute to an American fighting vessel by a foreign power ( the first salute was received by the USS " Andrew Doria " when on 16 November 1776 she arrived at St . Eustatius and the Dutch island returned her 11 - gun salute ) . She was captured in 1780 , and brought into the Royal Navy as HMS " Halifax . She was decommissioned in 1781 . History . " Ranger " ( initially called " Hampshire " ) was launched 10 May 1777 by James Hackett , master shipbuilder , at the shipyard of John Langdon on what is now called Badger ' s Island in Kittery , Maine ; Captain John Paul Jones in command . Continental Navy . After fitting out , she sailed for France on 1 November 1777 , carrying dispatches telling of General Burgoyne ' s surrender to the commissioners in Paris . On the voyage over , two British prizes were captured . " Ranger " arrived at Nantes , France , 2 December , where Jones sold the prizes and delivered the news of the victory at Saratoga to Benjamin Franklin . On 14 February 1778 , " Ranger " received an official salute to the new American flag , the " Stars and Stripes , " given by the French fleet at Quiberon Bay . " Ranger " sailed from Brest 10 April 1778 , for the Irish Sea and four days later captured a prize between the Scilly Isles and Cape Clear . On 17 April , she took another prize and sent her back to France . Captain Jones led a daring raid on the British port of Whitehaven , 23 April , spiking the guns of the fortress , and burning the ships in the harbor . Sailing across the bay to St . Mary ' s Isle , Scotland , the American captain planned to seize the Earl of Selkirk and hold him as a hostage to obtain better treatment for American prisoners of war . However , since the Earl was absent , the plan failed . Several Royal Navy cruisers were searching for " Ranger " , and Captain Jones sailed across the North Channel to Carrickfergus , Ireland , to induce of 14 guns , to come out and fight . " Drake " came out slowly against the wind and tide , and , after an hour ' s battle , the battered " Drake " struck her colors , with three Americans and five British killed in the combat . Having made temporary repairs , and with a prize crew on " Drake " , " Ranger " continued around the west coast of Ireland , capturing a stores ship , and arrived at Brest with her prizes on 8 May . Captain Jones was detached to command , leaving Lieutenant Simpson , his first officer , in command . " Ranger " departed Brest 21 August , reaching Portsmouth , New Hampshire on 15 October , in company with and , plus three prizes taken in the $ 3 . The sloop departed Portsmouth on 24 February 1779 joining with the Continental Navy ships and in preying on British shipping in the North Atlantic . Seven prizes were captured early in April , and brought safely into port for sale . On 18 June , " Ranger " was underway again with " Providence " and " Queen of France " , capturing two Jamaicamen in July and nine more vessels off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland . Of the 11 prizes , three were recaptured , but the remaining eight , with their cargoes , were worth over a million dollars when sold in Boston . Royal Navy . Underway on 23 November , " Ranger " was ordered to Commodore Whipple ' s squadron , arriving at Charleston on 23 December , to support the garrison there under siege by the British . On 24 January 1780 , " Ranger " and " Providence " , in a short cruise down the coast captured three transports , loaded with supplies , near Tybee , Georgia . The British assault force was also discovered in the area . " Ranger " and " Providence " sailed back to Charleston with the news . Shortly afterwards the British commenced the final push . Although the channel and harbor configuration made naval operations and support difficult , " Ranger " took a station in the Cooper River , and was captured when the city fell on 11 May 1780 . " Ranger " was taken into the British Royal Navy and commissioned under the name HMS " Halifax " . She was decommissioned the following year .