Battle of Ushant (1778)

Battle of Ushant
Part of the Anglo-French War
Combat d'Ouessant juillet 1778, Théodore Gudin
Date 27 July 1778 Location Off Ushant, Bay of Biscay, Atlantic 48°33′37″N 7°22′58″W / 48.56028°N 7.38278°W / 48.56028; -7.38278 Result Indecisive
Belligerents
Great Britain	France
Commanders and leaders
Augustus Keppel Hugh Palliser	Comte d'Orvilliers Comte de Guichen
Strength
29 ships-of-the-line	30 ships-of-the-line
Casualties and losses
407 killed 789 wounded[1]	126 killed 413 wounded[1]

The Battle of Ushant (also called the First Battle of Ushant) took place on 27 July 1778,^[2] and was fought during the American Revolutionary War between French and British fleets 100 miles (160 km) 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.^[3] 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.^[4]

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.