Glorious First of June

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The Glorious First of June, also known as the Third Battle of Ushant and the Fourth Battle of Ushant, (known in France as the Bataille du 13 prairial an 2 or Combat de Prairial) was a fleet action fought on 1 June 1794 between the British and French navies during the War of the First Coalition. It was the first and largest fleet action of the French Revolutionary Wars. The action was the culmination of the Atlantic campaign of May 1794, which had criss-crossed the Bay of Biscay over the previous month and saw both sides capturing numerous merchant ships and small warships along with engaging in two partial, but inconclusive, fleet actions. The British Channel Squadron under Admiral of the Blue Richard Howe, Earl Howe attempted to prevent the passage of a vital French grain convoy from the United States, which was protected by the French Atlantic Squadron commanded by Counter-admiral Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse. The two forces clashed in the Atlantic Ocean, some 400 nautical miles...

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