On September 23, 1779, John Paul Jones captured Serapis in the ocean. At the beginning, the British were able to knock out the heaviest artillery, but Jones and his men kept fighting. A few hours later, the British surrendered. The Continental Navy only used 100 ships, while the British lost more than 200. This was significant because normally, the British were excellent in the naval battles, so this was a major victory for the Continental Navy. This affected the colonists because it was a major naval win.
