Historic Naval Fiction The Home of Naval Fiction Set in the Age of Sail

Glorious First of June

The Glorious First of June, the first fleet action of the Revolutionary War, took place over 3 days in 1794 400 nautical miles (740 km) west of Ushant in the Atlantic Ocean.

The British fleet, under the command of Lord Howe with 25 ships of the line defeated a French fleet of 26 ships under the command of Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse which was protecting a vitally important grain convoy from the United States

Summary:

The two fleets first sighted each other on 28 May when a squadron of the fastest British ships cut off the rearmost French  vessel Révolutionnaire which was engaged with HMS Audacious as darkness fell. They parted during the night and returned to their respective home ports.

Next day Howe's attempt to split the French fleet in half failed when the lead ship, HMS Caesar, failed to turn when ordered, although both fleets suffered damage in the inconclusive action that followed. Three French ships were sent back to port with damage, but the next day a detached squadron under Admral Nielly joined. The fleets did not engage the next two days because of thick fog. They met again 1 June 1794. Howe ordered each of his ships to turn individually towards the French line, intending to breach it at every point and rake the French ships at both bow and stern however many captains could not break through due to the good order of the French line. This meant that those ships which did break through met the combined fire of many ships and were badly damaged. HMS Defence was the first to break the French line. Within an hour the British and French lines were hopelessly confused, with three separate engagements being fought within sight of one another. Eventually 11 French ships under Villaret in Montagne broke away and formed a new line leaving badly damaged ships of both sides drifting between the two fleets.

After a further brief engagement the two fleets seperated and the French withdrew taking several dismasted ships with them. This led to subsequent condemnation of the British for not capturing more ships although they were badly damaged and the French would most probably have opposed the attempt. Most sources accept that French casualties in the campaign numbered approximately 7,000, including around 3,000 captured, but these figures are vague and frequently do not agree with each other on details. British casualties are easier to confirm but here too there are some discrepancies; overall British casualties are generally given as around 1,200. Whilst the British won the battle, tactically they lost as the grain convoy arrived safely.

Novels based around this battle.

	Ships	Guns	Captain	Ships fate
British Fleet (1st June)
	Caesar	80	Anthony Molloy
	Bellerophon	74	Flag - Rear-Admiral Thomas Pasley  Cptn. - William Johnstone Hope	Extensive damage to masts and rigging
	Leviathan	74	Lord Hugh Seymour
	Russell	74	John Willett Payne
	Royal Sovereign	100	Flag - Vice-Admiral Thomas Graves Cptn. - Henry Nicholls	Damage to masts and rigging
	Marlborough	74	George Cranfield-Berkeley	Totally dismasted
	Defence	74	James Gambier	Totally dismasted
	Impregnable	98	Flag - Rear-Admiral Benjamin Caldwell Cptn. - George B. Westcott	Damage to masts and rigging
	Tremendous	74	James Pigott
	Barfleur	98	Flag - Rear-Admiral George Bowyer Cptn. - Cuthbert Collingwood
	Invincible	74	Thomas Pakenham
	Culloden	74	Isaac Schomberg
	Gibraltar	80	Thomas Mackenzie
	Queen Charlotte	100	Flag - Admiral Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe Cptn. of the Fleet - Sir Roger Curtis Cptn. - Sir Andrew Snape Douglas	Extensive damage to masts and rigging
	Brunswick	74	John Harvey (Mortally wounded) Lt. William Edward Cracraft (Acting)	Lost mizenmast Extensive damage to other masts and rigging
	Valiant	74	Thomas Pringle
	Orion	74	John Thomas Duckworth	Minor damage to masts and rigging
	Queen	98	Flag - Rear-Admiral Alan Gardner Cptn. - John Hutt (Mortally wounded)	Lost mainmast Damage to other masts and rigging
	Ramillies	74	Henry Harvey
	Alfred	74	John Bazeley
	Montagu	74	James Montagu (Killed in Action)
	Royal George	100	Flag - Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Hood Cptn. - William Domett
	Majestic	74	Charles Cotton
	Glory	98	John Elphinstone
	Thunderer	74	Albemarle Bertie
French Fleet (1st June)
	Trajan	74	Dumoutier
	Éole	74	Bertrand Keranguin
	America	74	Louis L'Héritier	Captured
	Téméraire	74	Morel
	Terrible	110	Flag - Rear-Admiral François-Joseph Bouvet  Cptn. - Pierre-Jacques Longer	Lost main and mizen masts
	Impétueux	74	Douville (Killed in Action)	Captured
	Mucius	74	Larrégny	Totally dismasted
	Tourville	74	Langlois
	Gasparin	74	Tardy
	Convention	74	Joseph-Allary
	Trente-et-un-Mai	74	Honoré Joseph Antoine Ganteaume	Extensive damage to masts and rigging
	Tyrannicide	74	Alain-joseph Dordelin	Extensive damage to masts and rigging
	Juste	80	Blavet	Captured
	Montagne	120	Flag - Rear-Admiral Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse Flag Cptn. - Paul Basire (Killed in Action) Cptn. - Jean-François Vignot
	Jacobin	80	Jean André Gassin
	Achille	74	Guillaume-Jean-Nöel La Villegris	Captured
	Vengeur du Peuple	74	Jean François Renaudin	Captured and sunk
	Patriote	74	Lucadou
	Northumberland	74	François-Pierre Etienne	Captured
	Entreprenant	74	LeFrancq
	Jemmappes	74	Desmartis	Totally dismasted
	Neptune	74	Tiphane
	Pelletier	74	Berrade
	Républicain	110	Flag - Rear-Admiral Joseph-Marie Nielly Cptn. - Pierre-Mandé Lebeau	Totally dismasted
	Sans Pareil	80	Jean-François Courand	Captured
	Scipion	80	Huguet	Totally dismasted
British Fleet - Also Present
	Latona	38	Edward Thornbrough
	Phaeton	38	William Bentinck
	Aquilon	36	Robert Stopford
	Niger	36	Captain Arthur Kaye Legge
	Southampton	36	Robert Forbes
	Venus	36	William Brown
	Pegasus	28	Robert Barlow
	Kingfisher	18	Thomas Le Marchant Gosseyln
	Ranger	16	Lt. Charles Cotgrave
	Rattler	16	Lt. John Winne
	Comet	14	Cdr. William Bradley	Fireship
	Incendiary	14	Cdr. John Cooke	Fireship
	Charon		George Countess	Hospital ship
French Fleet - Also Present
	Tamise	32	Jean-Marthe-Adrien L'Hermite
	The French fleet was accompanied by approximately 16 frigates, corvettes, brigs and cutters.