Biscay campaign of June 1795 order of battle

The Biscay campaign of June 1795 consisted of a series of manoeuvres and two battles fought between the British Channel Fleet and the French Atlantic Fleet off the Southern coast of Brittany in the Bay of Biscay during the French Revolutionary Wars. In late May 1795, a British battle squadron of six ships of the line under Vice-Admiral William Cornwallis was sent by Admiral Lord Bridport to enforce the blockade of the French port of Brest, the home port of the French Atlantic Fleet.James, p. 237 On 8 June, Cornwallis discovered a convoy of merchant vessels travelling from Bordeaux to Brest under the protection of a small squadron under Contre-amiral Jean Gaspard Vence. Cornwallis attacked the convoy, Vence retreating under the protection of batteries on the fortified island of Belle Île as Cornwallis seized eight ships from the convoy. As Cornwallis sent his prizes back to Britain the main French fleet at Brest under Vice-amiral Villaret de Joyeuse put to sea to protect Vence's remaining ships.James, p. 238

On 16 June, Cornwallis's squadron encountered Villaret's fleet, in conjunction with Vence's force, off Penmarck Point. Cornwallis had misunderstood the signals from Captain Robert Stopford on the scouting frigate HMS Phaeton and had sailed much too close to the larger French fleet.Tracy, p. 121 When he realised his error, the British admiral turned his squadron westwards, retreating away from the French coast with Villaret's force in pursuit. Light winds and poorly loaded ships delayed his escape, and on 17 June the French vanguard caught up with his rearguard.Brenton, p. 229 Throughout the day the French and British ships exchanged fire and by the late afternoon the rearmost British ship HMS Mars was in danger of being overwhelmed. Cornwallis responded by interposing his 100-gun flagship HMS Royal Sovereign between the British and French forces.Clowes, p. 257 The heavy broadsides of the flagship drove back the French and soon afterwards Villaret recalled his ships, concerned by sails on the horizon which he may have believed to be the rest of the Channel Fleet, although in reality they were a British merchant convoy. The battle is known in British histories as Cornwallis's Retreat.Woodman, p. 60

Villaret retreated towards Brest, but was driven south by a storm on 18 June. Unbeknownst to either Cornwallis or Villaret, the main Channel Fleet was already at sea, protecting an expeditionary force carrying a French Royalist army intended to invade Quiberon, the convoy under the command of Commodore Sir John Borlase Warren.Gardiner, p. 48 On 22 June, Warren's scouts identified the French fleet at sea off the coastal island of Groix and he took the convoy further out to sea away from the French, who did not pursue, and sent word to Bridport.Clowes, p. 261 The British admiral placed his fleet between the French and the expeditionary force, Villaret falling back towards the sheltered anchorage between Groix and the port of Lorient. Light winds delayed both fleets, but on the morning of 23 June Bridport's vanguard overran the rearmost French ships. Villaret attempted to effect a fighting withdrawal, but several of his captains ignored his orders, throwing the retreat into disorder. Three French ships were captured and the rest scattered along the nearby French coast. Although a renewed attack might have destroyed the entire French fleet Bridport, concerned his ships might be wrecked, withdrew unexpectedly.James, p. 247 The action is known as the Battle of Groix.

The campaign was a strategic victory for the British; the remainder of the French fleet was forced to shelter in Lorient, from which they were unable to sail again until 1796.James, p. 253 The expeditionary force landed safely in Quiberon but the operation ended in disaster, Warren evacuating the survivors a month later.Clowes, p. 266 Bridport remained cruising with his fleet off the Breton Coast until September, before handing over control to Rear-Admiral Henry Harvey.James, p. 252 The battle was controversial in both countries, British commentators observing that Bridport had missed a unique opportunity to completely destroy the French Atlantic fleet, while in France a series of courts-martial were held to try those officers who were felt to have disobeyed orders: two were dismissed from the French Navy.Rouvier, p. 214

British fleet Note that as carronades were not traditionally taken into consideration when calculating a ship's rate,James, p. 32 these ships may have been carrying more guns than indicated below.

Cornwallis's Squadron Vice-Admiral Cornwallis's squadron Ship Rate Guns Commander Casualties Notes Killed Wounded Total HMS Royal Sovereign First rate 100 Vice-Admiral William CornwallisCaptain John Whitby 0 0 0 Heavily engaged on 17 June. HMS Mars Third rate 74 Captain Sir Charles Cotton 0 12 12 Heavily engaged on 17 June, severe damage to rigging and sails. HMS Triumph Third rate 74 Captain Sir Erasmus Gower 0 0 0 Engaged on 8 June. Heavily engaged on 17 June: severe damage to rigging, sails and stern. HMS Brunswick Third rate 74 Captain Lord Charles FitzGerald 0 0 0 Engaged on 17 June. HMS Bellerophon Third rate 74 Captain Lord Cranstoun 0 0 0 Engaged on 17 June. HMS Phaeton Fifth rate 38 Captain Robert Stopford - - - Lightly damaged, 1 killed, 7 wounded on 8 June. Present but not engaged on 17 June. HMS Pallas Fifth rate 32 Captain Henry Curzon - - - Present but not engaged on 17 June. HMS Kingfisher Brig-sloop 18 Commander Thomas Le Marchant Gosselin - - - Retired to Spithead on 11 June.Total casualties: 12 woundedSources: James, pp. 237–240; Clowes, pp. 255–258;

Bridport's fleet Admiral Lord Bridport's Fleet Ship Rate Guns Commander Casualties Notes Killed Wounded Total HMS Royal George First rate 100 Admiral Lord BridportCaptain William Domett 0 7 7 Engaged on 23 June. HMS Queen Charlotte First rate 100 Captain Sir Andrew Snape Douglas 4 32 36 Heavily engaged on 23 June and damaged in rigging and sails. HMS Queen Second rate 98 Vice-Admiral Sir Alan GardnerCaptain William Bedford 0 0 0 Engaged on 23 June. HMS London Second rate 98 Vice-Admiral John ColpoysCaptain Edward Griffith 0 3 3 Engaged on 23 June. HMS Prince of Wales Second rate 98 Vice-Admiral Henry HarveyCaptain John Bazely - - - Not engaged in the action. HMS Prince Second rate 98 Captain Charles Powell Hamilton - - - Not engaged in the action. HMS Prince George Second rate 98 Captain William Edge - - - Not engaged in the action. HMS Barfleur Second rate 98 Captain James Richard Dacres - - - Not engaged in the action. HMS Sans Pareil Third rate 80 Rear-Admiral Lord Hugh SeymourCaptain William Browell 10 2 12 Heavily engaged on 23 June and lightly damaged. HMS Valiant Third rate 74 Captain Christopher Parker - - - Not engaged in the action. HMS Orion Third rate 74 Captain Sir James Saumarez 6 18 24 Heavily engaged on 23 June. HMS Irresistible Third rate 74 Captain Richard Grindall 3 11 14 Heavily engaged on 23 June and lightly damaged. HMS Russell Third rate 74 Captain Thomas Larcom 3 10 13 Heavily engaged on 23 June. HMS Colossus Third rate 74 Captain John Monkton 5 30 35 Heavily engaged on 23 June.Support ships HMS Revolutionnaire Fifth rate 38 Captain Francis Cole - - - Not engaged in the action. HMS Thalia Fifth rate 36 Captain Lord Henry Paulet - - - Not engaged in the action. HMS Nymphe Fifth rate 36 Captain George Murray - - - Not engaged in the action. HMS Aquilon Fifth rate 32 Captain Robert Barlow - - - Not engaged in the action. HMS Astrea Fifth rate 32 Captain Richard Lane - - - Not engaged in the action. HMS Babet Sixth rate 20 Captain Edward Codrington - - - Not engaged in the action. HMS Charon Hospital Ship Commander Walter Lock - - - Not engaged in the action. HMS Maegera Fireship 14 Commander Henry Blackwood - - - Not engaged in the action. HMS Incendiary Fireship 14 Commander John Draper - - - Not engaged in the action. HMS Argus Lugger 14 - - - Not engaged in the action. HMS Dolly Lugger 14 - - - Not engaged in the action.Total casualties: 31 killed, 113 woundedSources: James, pp. 240–250; Clowes, pp. 260–263;

Quiberon Expeditionary Force Commodore Warren's squadron Ship Rate Guns Commander Casualties Notes Killed Wounded Total HMS Robust Third rate 74 Captain Edward Thornbrough - - - Attached to Bridport's fleet on 20 June but not engaged in the action. HMS Thunderer Third rate 74 Captain Albemarle Bertie - - - Attached to Bridport's fleet on 20 June but not engaged in the action. HMS Standard Third rate 64 Captain Joseph Ellison - - - Attached to Bridport's fleet on 20 June but not engaged in the action. HMS Pomone Fifth rate 44 Commodore Sir John Borlase Warren - - - HMS Anson Fifth rate 44 Captain Philip Charles Durham - - - HMS Artois Fifth rate 38 Captain Sir Edmund Nagle - - - HMS Arethusa Fifth rate 38 Captain Mark Robinson - - - HMS Concorde Fifth rate 32 Captain Anthony Hunt - - - HMS Galatea Fifth rate 32 Captain Richard Goodwin Keats - - -Sources: James, p. 253; Clowes, p. 265

French fleet Officers killed in action are marked with a symbol. Note that as carronades were not traditionally taken into consideration when calculating a ship's rate, these ships may have been carrying more guns than indicated below.

Villaret de Joyeuse's fleet Ship Type Guns Commander Casualties Notes Killed Wounded Total Peuple Ship of the line 120 Vice-admiral Louis Thomas Villaret de JoyeuseCaptain Étienne Eustache BruixCaptain Jacques Angot Décret no 1051 de la Convention nationale, Collection générale des décrets rendus par la Convention Nationale, Volume 51, Retrieved 28 April 2012