Historedia
EuropeEvent

First Battle of Ushant

When
1778
Where
100 miles west of Ushant, at the mouth of the English Channel; Operational area off Ushant and the Bay of Biscay; British fleet off Ushant
Episodes
4

The First Battle of Ushant was fought on 27 July 1778 between French and British fleets roughly 100 miles west of Ushant, at the mouth of the English Channel. The engagement, the first major naval action of the Anglo-French War of 1778, ended indecisively with no ships lost on either side and triggered political recriminations in both countries.

Episodes

  1. 27 July 1778 · 100 miles west of Ushant, at the mouth of the English ChannelIndecisive fleet engagement off Ushant

    French and British fleets met 100 miles west of Ushant on 27 July 1778 and fought an indecisive battle with no ships lost on either side.

  2. 1778, during the campaign leading to the battle · Operational area off Ushant and the Bay of BiscayFrench strategy of avoiding battle

    The French commander was under orders to avoid battle if possible, seeking to preserve a fleet in being rather than force a decisive engagement.

  3. 27 July 1778 · British fleet off UshantKeppel and Palliser's failed concerted attack

    British squadron commanders Keppel and Palliser, already personally and politically at odds, failed to make a concerted attack on the French fleet.

  4. 27 July 1778 · British fleet off UshantFrench rigging fire disables British ships

    French ships firing high into the rigging disabled several British vessels, towards which Keppel stood down while signalling to form line of battle.

Background and detail

Background. The battle occurred during the American Revolutionary War, in the Anglo-French War of 1778. The French commander was under orders to avoid battle if possible, in order to maintain a fleet in being, while the British fleet's two squadron commanders were already personally and politically at odds with each other.

British Command Tensions. Admiral of the Blue Augustus Keppel and Vice-Admiral of the Blue Sir Hugh Palliser, 1st Baronet, commanded the two squadrons of the British fleet. Their personal and political rivalry meant they failed to make a concerted attack on the French, shaping the engagement's indecisive outcome.

Aftermath and Recriminations. The battle ended indecisively, with no ships lost on either side. French firing high into the rigging had disabled several British ships, towards which Keppel stood down while making the signal to form line of battle. The outcome led to recriminations and political conflicts in both countries.

People involved

Sources

  1. Battle of Ushant (1778) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-20

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.