Glorious First of June

Glorious First of June
Part of the French Revolutionary Wars
Lord Howe's action, or the Glorious First of June by Philippe-Jacques de Loutherbourg, painted 1795, shows the two flagships engaged on 1 June 1794. Queen Charlotte is to the left and Montagne to the right.
Date 1 June 1794 Location 400 miles west of Ushant Result British victory; French strategic success
Combatants
Great Britain	First French Republic
Commanders
Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe	Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse
Strength
25 ships of the line	26 ships of the line
Casualties
8 ships damaged, 287 men killed, 811 wounded	7 ships lost, 13 damaged, 1,500 men killed, 2,000 wounded, 3,000 captured

•  • e War of the First Coalition

Verdun – Valmy – Jemappes – 1st Mainz – Neerwinden – Famars – Hondshoote – Wattignies – Kaiserslautern - Tourcoing – Tournay – Ushant – Fleurus – Vosges – 1st Dego – Luxembourg – Genoa – Groix – Hyères – 2nd Mainz – Millesimo – Montenotte – 2nd Dego – Mondovì – Lodi – Castiglione – Neresheim – Amberg – Würzburg – Bassano – Rovereto – Arcole – Rivoli – Neuwied - Camperdown Revolt in the Vendée – War of the Pyrenees – Anglo–Spanish War

•  • e Naval Battles of the French Revolutionary Wars
Ushant – Genoa – Groix – Hyères – Camperdown – St Vincent – Nile – Copenhagen – Algeciras

The Glorious First of June (also known as the Third Battle of Ushant and in French as the Bataille du 13 prairial an 2) is the British name for a naval battle fought in the Atlantic Ocean on 28 and 29 May and June 1 1794 between the Royal Navy and the navy of Revolutionary France. It was the first major naval battle of the French Revolutionary Wars.

Contents 1 Origins 2 Action of May 28 3 Action of May 29 4 Two days of chase 5 Battle of the 1st of June 6 Aftermath 7 Ships involved 7.1 Britain (Howe) 7.2 France (Villaret-Joyeuse) 8 References

Origins

The French people were suffering much distress from the bad harvest of the previous year, and a great convoy of 117 merchant ships laden with corn was expected from America.

• December 1793 - Admiral Vanstabel of the French navy sent to escort the convoy with two ships of the line.
• 10th April 1794 - Six French ships of the line left Brest to meet Vanstabel in mid ocean.
• 11th April - Vanstabel sailed with his charge from the Chesapeake.
• 2nd May - The British force designed to intercept the convoy, under Admiral Lord Howe (then in command of the channel fleet), sails from Spithead. It consists of 34 sail of the line and 15 smaller vessels, having under his charge nearly a hundred merchant ships which were to be seen clear of the Channel.
• 4th May - When off the Lizard, the English convoy was sent on its way protected by 8 line of battle ships and 6 or 7 frigates. Two of the line of battle ships were to accompany them throughout the voyage. The other six under Rear-admiral Montagu were to go as far as Cape Finisterre, and were then to cruise on the look-out for the French convoy between Cape Ortegal and Belle Isle. These detachments reduced the force under Lord Howe's immediate command to 26 of the line and 7 frigates.
• 5th May - Howe is off Ushant, and sends frigates to reconnoitre the harbour of Brest. They report to him that the main French fleet, which was under the command of Villaret-Joyeuse, and was of 25 sail of the line, was lying at anchor in the roads. Howe then sailed to the latitude on which the convoy was likely to be met with, knowing that if the French admiral came out it would be to meet the ships with the food and cover them from attack. To seek the convoy was therefore the most sure way of forcing Villaret-Joyeuse to action. Fleet continues cruising in the Bay of Biscay.
• 16th May - Villaret-Joyeuse sails with his whole force
• 17th May - Villaret-Joyeuse's force passes close to the British fleet on the 17th, unseen in a fog.
• 19 May - The French Brest fleet sailed to meet the convoy.
  • Lord Howe returns to Ushant and again reconnoitres Brest, revealing Villaret-Joyeuse's departure.
  • the French admiral was informed by the Patriote (74) that Nielly had fallen in with, and had captured, the British frigate Castor 32, under Captain Thomas Troubridge, together with a convoy from Newfoundland.
  • Villaret-Joyeuse captured part of a Dutch convoy of 53 sail from Lisbon.
  • a frigate detached by Admiral Montagu joined Howe. It brought information that Montagu had recaptured part of the Newfoundland convoy, and had learnt that Nielly was to join Vanstabel at sea, and that their combined force would be 9 sail of the line. Montagu himself had steered to cruise on the route of the convoy between the 45th and 47th degrees of north latitude. Howe now steered to meet his subordinate who, he considered, would be in danger from the main French fleet.
• 21st May - Howe recaptured some of the Dutch ships taken by Villaret-Joyeuse. From them he learnt that on the 19th the French fleet had been in latitude 47 46 N. and in longitude 11 22 W. and was steering westward. Judging that Montagu was too far to the south to be in peril from Villaret-Joyeuse, and considering him strong enough to perform the duty of intercepting the convoy, Lord Howe decided to pursue the main French fleet. The wind was changeable and the weather hazy.

Action of May 28

It was not until May 28, at 6:30 A.M., that the British fleet caught sight of the enemy in 47 ~4 N. and 13 39 W. The wind was from the south-east, and the French were to windward. Villaret-Joyeuse bore down to a distance of 10 miles from the British, and then hauled to the wind on the port tack. It was difficult for the British fleet to force an action from leeward if the French were unwilling to engage. Lord Howe detached a light squadron of four ships, the Bellerophon 74, Russell 74, Marlborough 74, and Thunderer 74 under Rear-admiral Thomas Pasley, to attack the rear of the French line. Villaret-Joyeuse stood on and endeavoured to work to windward. In the course of the afternoon Pasley's ships began to come up with the last of the French line, the Révolutionnaire 110. A partial action took place which went on till after dark; other British vessels joined. Révolutionnaire was completely dismasted and was towed to Rochefort by the French Audacieux 74. The British Audacious 74 was also crippled and compelled to return to Plymouth.

Action of May 29

During the night the two fleets continued on the same course, and next day Howe renewed his attempts to force an action from leeward. He tacked his fleet in succession, his lead ship tacking first and the rest in order, in the hope that he would be able to cut through the French rear and gain the weather-gauge. Villaret-Joyeuse then turned all his ships together and again headed in the same direction as the British. This movement brought him nearer the British fleet, and another partial action took place between the van of each force. Seeing that the French admiral was not disposed to charge home, Howe at noon once more ordered his fleet to tack in succession. His signal was poorly obeyed by the van, and his object, which was to cut through the French line, was not at once achieved. But the admiral himself finally set an example by tacking his flagship, the Queen Charlotte 100, and passing through the French, two ships from the end of their line. He was followed by several other ships from the British fleet, and Villaret-Joyeuse, seeing the peril of the ships in his rear, wore all his ships together to help them. Both forces had been thrown into considerable confusion by these movements, but the British had gained the weather-gauge. Villaret-Joyeuse was able to save the two ships cut off, but he had fallen to leeward and the power to force on a battle had passed to Lord Howe. Two of the French ships, Montagnard 74 and the Indomptable 80 were forced to return home.

Two days of chase

During the 30th the fleets lost sight of one another for a time. The French, who had four ships crippled, had been joined by four others, and were again 26 in number, including Patriote. The 31st of May passed without a hostile meeting and in thick weather, but by the evening the British were close to windward of the French. As Howe, who had not full confidence in all his captains, did not wish for a night battle, he waited till the following morning, keeping the French under observation by frigates.

Battle of the 1st of June

On the 1st of June (13 prairial An 2 in the French Revolutionary calendar) they were in the same relative positions, and at about a quarter past eight Howe bore down on the French, throwing his whole line on them at once from end to end, with orders to pass through from windward to leeward, and so to place the British ships on the French ships' line of retreat. It was a bold departure from the then established methods of fighting, and most honourable in a man of sixty-eight, who had been trained in the old school. Its essential merit was that it produced a close mêlée, in which the better average gunnery and seamanship of the British fleet would tell. Lord Howe's orders were not fully obeyed by all his captains, but a signal victory was won. The battle rapidly turned into a general mêlée which lasted all day. The French ships Sans-Pareil, Juste, America, Impétueux, Northumberland, and Achille were taken, and the Vengeur du Peuple sank after a four-hour duel with HMS Brunswick. When the French withdrew, many of the British ships were in no condition to pursue: Defence and Marlborough were completely dismasted and had to be towed back to port. Aboard the Tremendous, Mrs Daniel Mackenzie gave birth to a boy, Daniel "Tremendous" Mackenzie, who was later awarded the Naval General Service medal in recognition of his presence at the action (with a rating of "baby").

Aftermath

The French food convoy escaped capture, having passed over the spot on which the action of the 28th May was fought on the following day, and apart from one ship lost in heavy weather anchored at Brest on the 3rd of June. Its safe arrival went far to console the French for their tactical defeat. Howe's failure to stop the convoy was forgotten by the English public in their joy over the combat victory. The French had lost 7 ships, with a further 13 severely damaged, and had suffered perhaps 1,500 killed, 2,000 wounded and 3,000 captured, while the British had 8 seriously damaged ships, 287 killed and 811 wounded. Both sides claimed victory: the British for the tactical battle itself, but the French achieved the strategic objective of their campaign, since the grain convoy reached Brest safely. Yet the French Navy never again tried to fight a convoy through the British blockade, France resorting instead to blockade-running, privateering and trade through neutral countries.

Ships involved

Britain (Howe)

Ship	Guns	Commander	Notes
Line of Battle
Caesar	80	Captain Anthony James Pye Molloy
Bellerophon	74	Captain William Hope, Rear-Admiral Thomas Pasley
Leviathan	74	Captain Hugh Seymour
Russell	74	Captain Payne
Royal Sovereign	100	Captain Henry Nichol(l?)s, Admiral Graves
Marlborough	74	Captain G. Cranfield Berkeley
Defence	74	Captain James Gambier
Impregnable	98	Captain George Blagden Westcott, Rear-Admiral Caldwell
Tremendous	74	Captain Pigott
Barfleur	98	Captain Cuthbert Collingwood, Rear-Admiral Bowyer
Invincible	74	Captain Thomas Pakenham
Culloden	74	Captain Isaac Schomberg
Gibraltar	80	Captain Thomas Mackenzie
Queen Charlotte	100	Captains Roger Curtis and Andrew Snape Douglas, Admiral Lord Howe	(flag 1)
Brunswick	74	Captain John Harvey
Valiant	74	Captain Thomas Pringle
Orion	74	Captain John Thomas Duckworth
Queen	98	Captain John Hutt, Rear-Admiral Gardner
Ramillies	74	Captain Henry Harvey
Alfred	74	Captain John Bazely
Montagu	74	Captain James Montagu
Royal George	100	Captain William Domett, Admiral Hood
Majestic	74	Captain Charles Cotton
Glory	98	Captain John Elphinstone
Thunderer	74	Captain Albemarle Bertie
Others
Phaëton	38	Captain William Bentinck
Latona	38	Captain Edward Thornborough
Niger	32	Captain Arthur Kaye Legge
Southampton	32	Captain Robert Forbes
Venus	32	Captain William Brown
Aquilon	32	Captain Robert Stopford
Pegasus	28	Captain Robert Barlow
Charon		Captain George Countess	(hospital ship, former 44-gun 2-decker)
Comet		Captain William Bradley	(fireship)
Incendiary		Captain John Cook	(fireship)
Kingfisher		Captain Thomas Le Marchant Grosselyn	(sloop)
Rattler		Captain John Winne	(cutter)
Ranger		Captain Charles Cotgrave	(cutter)

France (Villaret-Joyeuse)

Ship	Guns	Commander	Notes
Line of Battle
Trajan*	74	Captain Dumoutier
Eole	74	Captain Bertrand Keranguen
America	74	Captain Louis Lhéritier
Téméraire*	74	Captain Morel
Terrible	110	Captain LeRay, Contre-Amiral Bouvet de Précourt
Impétueux	74	Captain Douville	Captured
Mucius	74	Captain Larreguy
Tourville	74	Captain Langlois
Gasparin	74	Captain Tardy
Convention	74	Captain Joseph-Allary
Trente-et-un Mai	74	Captain Honoré Gantheaume	Joined late 31 May
Tyrannicide	74	Captain Alain-Joseph Dordelin
Juste	80	Captain Blavet	Captured
Montagne	120	Captain Basire, Rear-Admiral Villaret de Joyeuse
Jacobin	80	Captain Gassin
Achille	74	Captain Guillaume-Jean-Noël La Villegris	Captured
Vengeur de Peuple	74	Captain Renaudin	Sunk by Brunswick
Patriote*	74	Captain Lucadou
Northumberland	74	Captain François-Pierre Etienne	Captured
Entreprenant	74	Captain Lefrancq
Jem(m?)appes	80	Captain Desmartis
Neptune	74	Captain Tiphaigne
Pelletier	74	Captain Barrade
Républicain	110	Captain Longer, Contre-Amiral Nielly
Sans-Pareil*	80	Captain Jean-François Courant	Captured
Scipion	74	Captain Huguet
Frigates
Bellone	36
Seine
Tamise		Captain Jean-Marthe-Adrien L'Hermite
Others
Montagnard	74	Captain Jean-Baptiste-Franois Bompart	Left 29 May
Indomptable	74	Captain Lamel	Damaged, sent home late 31 May
Mont Blanc	74	Captain Thévenard	Sent home late 31 May
Révolutionnaire	110		Damaged 28 May, towed to Rochefort 28/28 May by Audacieux
Audacieux	74		Left 28/29 May

Ships marked * were in Nielly's squadron, which joined (except for Audacieux 74) on 30 May.

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.