Glorious First of June

Overview

The Glorious First of June, also known as the Third Battle of Ushant and the Fourth Battle of Ushant, was fought on 1 June 1794 between the British and French navies during the War of the First Coalition. It was the first and largest fleet action of the French Revolutionary Wars.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Glorious First of June was the first and largest fleet action of the French Revolutionary Wars, fought between the British fleet under Howe and the French fleet under Villaret de Joyeuse during the War of the First Coalition. British casualties numbered approximately 1,200 against French losses of roughly 4,000, indicating a tactical advantage for the British in the exchange. As the opening major fleet engagement of the wider conflict between Britain and Revolutionary France, the battle established the scale and character of naval confrontation that would define the maritime dimension of the coalition wars throughout the 1790s.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)