is it the John Paul Jones battle off England ?
In August 1779 Jones took command of the Bonhomme Richard and, accompanied by four small ships, sailed around the British Isles. In September the little squadron intercepted the Baltic merchant fleet under convoy of the British ships Serapis and Countess of Scarborough. What followed was one of the most famous naval engagements in American history. During the early stages of a gruelling 3 1/2-hour gun battle, Jones answered an enemy challenge to surrender with the memorable words, “I have not yet begun to fight!” He won a stunning victory, though with a heavy loss of life, when the Serapis surrendered and was boarded by Jones and his crew. The Bonhomme Richard sank soon afterward from damage received in the engagement, and Jones sailed both the Serapis and the captured Countess of Scarborough to the Netherlands. In France Louis XVI rewarded him with a gold-hilted sword and made him a chevalier of France.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Paul-Jones-United-States-naval-officer