Battle of Ushant (1778)
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The Battle of Ushant (also called the First Battle of Ushant) took place on 27 July 1778,[1] and was fought during the American Revolutionary War between French and British fleets Template:Convert west of Ushant, an island at the mouth of the English Channel off the westernmost point of France. "Ushant" is the anglicised pronunciation of "Ouessant".
The French commander was under orders to avoid battle if possible, in order to maintain a fleet in being.Template:Sfn The commanders of the two squadrons of the British fleet were already personally and politically at odds with each other, and failed to make a concerted attack on the French.[2]
The battle, which was the first major naval engagement in the Anglo-French War of 1778, ended indecisively with no ships lost on either side and led to recriminations and political conflicts in both countries.
Background
The British had a fleet of thirty ships-of-the-line, four frigates, and two fire-ships commanded by Admiral Augustus Keppel, in Template:HMS, which sailed from Spithead on 9 July.[3] The French fleet had thirty-two ships-of-the-line, seven frigates, five corvettes and one lugger, commanded by Vice-Admiral Comte d'Orvilliers, who had sailed from Brest on 8 July.Template:Sfn Keppel sighted the French fleet west of Ushant at just after noon on 23 July.Template:Sfn Keppel immediately ordered his battleships into line and set off in pursuit. At around 7 o'clock in the evening, the French fleet went about and began heading towards the British. Keppel, who did not wish to engage at night, had his ships hove to in response.Template:Sfn In the morning, d'Orvilliers found himself to the north-west of the British fleet and cut off from Brest, although he retained the weather gage. Two of his ships, standing to leeward, escaped into port, leaving him with thirty ships-of-the-line.Template:Sfn Keppel tried for three days to bring the French to action but d'Orvilliers declined, maintaining his position upwind and heading into the Atlantic.Template:Sfn
Battle
At 6Template:Nbspa.m. on 27 July, with the British fleet roughly line-abreast, Keppel gave the order for the rear division, several miles away under Sir Hugh Palliser, to chase to windward. At 9Template:Nbspa.m., the French, who had hitherto been sailing in the same direction, several miles to windward, went about once more. As the rearmost ships of the French fleet were tacking, however, the wind changed allowing the British to close the gap between them and their quarry.Template:Sfn At 10:15 the British were slightly to leeward, line-ahead on the same course as the French. A little later, a change in wind direction brought about a rain squall which cleared at around 11 o'clock. A further change in wind direction to the south-west gave advantage to the British which d'Orvilliers sought to negate by ordering his ships about. The French, now heading towards the British in a loose formation, would pass slightly to windward.Template:Sfn
The French ships were a few points off the wind and d'Orvilliers ordered them close hauled which caused the French line to veer slightly away from the British. The battle began at 11:20 when the fourth French ship in the line was able to bring her guns to bear. Keppel, who wished to save his salvo for the enemy flagship, received the broadsides of six French ships without reply. Once he had engaged the 110-gun Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., he continued to attack the next six ships in the French line.Template:Sfn
As the British van under Robert Harland passed the end of the French line, Harland ordered his ships about so as to chase the French rearguard, including the Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"..Template:Sfn Palliser's ten ships at the rear had not formed line of battle but were instead in a loose irregular formation. This was in part due to Keppel's earlier order to break off and chase the French ships to windward. Palliser's division therefore was badly mauled, having allowed itself to be attacked piecemeal.Template:Sfn At 1Template:Nbspp.m. Victory passed the last French ship and attempted to follow Harland but was so badly damaged in the masts and rigging that Keppel had to wear round and it was 2Template:Nbspp.m. before his ships were on the opposite tack. It was about this time that Palliser in Formidable emerged from the battle, downwind of Keppel's division.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
Meanwhile, the French line had tacked and was now heading south on the starboard tack and threatening to pass the British fleet to leeward. The French practice of firing high into the rigging had left several of the British ships disabled and it was this group that Keppel now stood down towards whilst making the signal, 'form line of battle'.Template:Sfn By 4Template:Nbspp.m., Harland's division had gone about and joined Keppel's ships in line but Palliser would not or could not conform and his ships, misunderstanding Keppel's intentions, formed line with their commander, several miles upwind from the rest of the British fleet. D'Orvilliers did not, however, attack the British fleet while it was divided into three sections but instead continued his course, passing the British fleet to leeward.Template:Sfn
At 5Template:Nbspp.m., Keppel sent the sixth-rate, Template:HMS, to demand that Palliser join the main body of the fleet and when this failed, at 7, Keppel removed Palliser from the chain of command by individually signalling each ship in Palliser's division.Template:Sfn By the time those ships had joined Keppel, night had fallen and, under cover of darkness, the French fleet sailed off. By daylight the French were 20 miles away and with no chance of catching them, Keppel decided to return to Plymouth to repair his ships.Template:Sfn
Aftermath
France
The duc de Chartres, Louis Philippe II d'Orléans, a French Prince du sang (Prince of the royal blood), who took part in the battle, requested permission to carry news of its outcome to Paris and Versailles. He arrived there early on the morning of 2 August, had Louis XVI woken and announced a victory. Chartres was widely celebrated and received a twenty-minute standing ovation when he attended the Paris Opera. An effigy of Admiral Keppel was burnt in the gardens of his family residence, the Palais-Royal.Template:Sfn Chartres then returned to Brest to rejoin the fleet. Fresh reports of the battle and Chartres' role then began to arrive in the French capital. Far from a victory, it was now reported as being at best indecisive, and Chartres was accused by d'Orvilliers of either misunderstanding or deliberately ignoring an order to engage the enemy.Template:Sfn
Chartres was soon mocked by street ballads in Paris, and the embarrassment led to his eventual resignation from the Navy. He subsequently tried to gain permission to take part in a planned invasion of Britain the following year, but he was refused by the King.Template:Sfn
The captains of Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". and Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., Trémigon and Rochechouart, were subject of an inquiry for their failure to take part in the battle after they got separated from the fleet in the night of 23 to 24 July. Rochechouart was also the commanding officer of the Second Division of the White-and-Blue squadron. Trémigon was admonished, and Rochechouart was cleared.Template:Sfnp
Britain
A violent quarrel, exacerbated by political differences, broke out between the British commands. This led to two courts-martial, the resignation of Keppel, and great injury to the discipline of the navy. Keppel was court-martialled but cleared of misconduct in action. Much was made of the alteration of log books and missing notes.Template:Sfn Palliser was criticised by an inquiry before the affair turned into a squabble of party politics.Template:Sfn
Order of battle
British fleet
| Admiral Keppel's fleetTemplate:Sfnp | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | Guns | Commander | Casualties | Notes | |||
| Killed | Wounded | Total | |||||
| Van | |||||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain Joshua Rowley | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain Sir John Hamilton | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain Phillips Cosby | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 64 | Captain John Neal Pleydell Nott | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 90 | Captain William Brereton | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 90 | Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Harland Captain Isaac Prescott |
Squadron flagship | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain Sir John Lockhart Ross | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain Joseph Peyton | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain Keith Stewart | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 64 | Captain Sir Charles Douglas | |||||
| Centre | |||||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain Lord Mulgrave | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain Robert Boyle-Walsingham | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 90 | Captain Richard Edwards | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain John Leveson-Gower | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 64 | Captain John MacBride | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 100 | Admiral Augustus Keppel Rear-Admiral John Campbell (first captain) Captain Jonathan Faulknor (second captain) |
Fleet flagship | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 80 | Captain John Jervis | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 90 | Captain Sir John Lindsay | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 64 | Captain Robert Kingsmill | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain Sir Richard Bickerton | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain Michael Clements | |||||
| Rear | |||||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 64 | Captain Mark Robinson | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain Frederick Lewis Maitland | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain Alexander Hood | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 90 | Vice-Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser Captain John Bazely |
Squadron flagship | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 90 | Captain John Laforey | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 64 | Captain Lord Longford | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 64 | Captain Samuel Goodall | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain John Carter Allen | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain Robert Digby | |||||
| Reconnaissance and signals | |||||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 32 | Captain Samuel Marshall | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 28 | Captain Evelyn Sutton | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 28 | Captain Sir William Burnaby | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 28 | Captain Thomas Windsor | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 28 | Captain Henry Bryne | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 20 | Captain Robert Biggs | |||||
| Pluto | 8 | Commander James Bradby | Fireship | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 8 | Commander James Lloyd | Fireship | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 12 | Commander William George Fairfax | |||||
| Casualties: 133 killed, 373 wounded, 506 totalTemplate:Sfnp | |||||||
French fleet
The French line of battle was in reversed order (the Régiment du Dauphin provided a detachment of marines during the battle).Template:Sfnp
| Admiral Orvilliers' fleetTemplate:SfnpTemplate:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Ship | Guns | Commander | Casualties | Notes | ||
| Killed | Wounded | Total | |||||
| Escadre bleue | |||||||
| Third Division | Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain Jacques de Boutier de La Cardonnie | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Chef d'Escadre François-Aymar de Monteil | Division flagship | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 64 | Captain Bon Chrétien de Briqueville | |||||
| First Division | Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain Louis-André Beaussier de Chateauvert | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 80 | Lieutenant-General Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans Captain Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte Captain Pierre de Roquefeuil-Montpeyroux |
Division and Squadron flagship | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain Paul-Jules de la Porte-Vezins | |||||
| Second Division | Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 64 | Captain Jean-François Gilart de Larchantel | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Chef d'Escadre François Joseph Paul de Grasse | Division flagship | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 64 | Captain Claude-René Pâris de Soulanges | |||||
| Escadre blanche | |||||||
| Third Division | Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 64 | Captain Charles René Dominique Sochet, Chevalier Destouches | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Chef d'Escadre Charles Jean d'Hector | Division flagship | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 64 | Captain Vincent-Joseph-Marie de Proisy de Brison | |||||
| First Division | Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain Louis-Philippe de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 110 | Lieutenant-General Louis Guillouet, comte d'Orvilliers Captain Louis Guillaume de Parscau du Plessix |
Division, Squadron and Fleet flagship | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain François-Louis de Brach | |||||
| Second Division | Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain Thomas d'Estienne d'Orves | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 90 | Chef d'Escadre Luc Urbain de Bouëxic, comte de Guichen Captain Antoine de Thomassin de Peynier |
Division flagship | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 64 | Captain Armand-François Cillart de Suville | |||||
| Escadre blanche et bleue | |||||||
| Third Division | Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 64 | Captain Claude-François Renart d'Amblimont | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Chef d'Escadre Antoine Hilarion de Beausset | Division flagship | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 64 | Captain Charles-Marie de La Grandière | |||||
| First Division | Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain Henry-César Boscal de Réals | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 80 | Lieutenant-General Louis Charles du Chaffault de BesnéTemplate:WIA Captain Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec |
Division and Squadron flagship.Template:Sfnp First officer Bessey de la Vouste killed.Template:Sfnp | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 74 | Captain Marcel-Ambroise d’Aubenton | |||||
| Second DivisionTemplate:Refn | Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 64 | Captain Nicholas-Hyacinthe de Botderu | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 50 | Captain Jean François Denis de Keredern de Trobriand | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 70 | Captain Armand-Claude Poute de Nieuil | |||||
| Reserve | |||||||
| Reserve | Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 64 | Captain Gaspard de Ligondès | ||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 64 | Captain Claude Mithon de Genouilly | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 50 | Captain Jean-Baptiste Turpin du Breuil | |||||
| Reconnaissance and signals | |||||||
| Frigates | Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 32 | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 32 | ||||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 32 | ||||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 32 | ||||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 32 | ||||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 32 | ||||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 32 | ||||||
| Corvettes and lighter units | Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 12 | |||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 12 | ||||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 4 | ||||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 10 | ||||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 10 | ||||||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 4 or 6 | ||||||
| Casualties: 163 killed, 517 wounded, 680 totalTemplate:Sfnp | |||||||
Notes
References
Sources
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