First Battle of Groix
Encyclopedia
The First Battle of Groix was a naval engagement that took place on 16 and 17 June 1795 during the French Revolutionary War off the west coast of France
. It is sometimes known as Cornwallis's Retreat.
Admiral William Cornwallis
was cruising near Brest
with five ships of the line, the , , , , , two frigates and one cutter, , , when a French fleet of twelve sail of the line and fourteen large frigates appeared, commanded by Admiral Villaret Joyeuse
. The odds being very greatly against him, Cornwallis was compelled to order a retreat. Unfortunately for the British, two of their ships were slow and unweatherly and fell behind the rest. The van of the French fleet began to catch the two slower British ships. The rearmost ship, the Mars, was caught and suffered severely in her rigging and was in danger of being surrounded by the French. Witnessing this, Cornwallis turned his squadron around to support her. The French admiral made the assumption that Cornwallis must have sighted a larger British force beyond his own field of vision and had turned to engage the enemy knowing that a superior force was nearby to come to their relief. The French admiral ordered his ships to disengage and Cornwallis and his small squadron retreated in order. The action is evidence of the superiority which the victory of the Glorious First of June
, and the known efficiency of the British crews, had given to the Royal Navy. The reputation of Cornwallis was amplified and the praise given him was no doubt the greater because he was personally very popular with officers and men.
The battle itself was not a victory for the British as such although it did improve morale amongst the British fleet and reduced morale amongst the French.
, Captain John Whitby (74 guns) Captain Charles Cotton
(74 guns) Captain Erasmus Gower
(74 guns) Captain Charles Fitzgerald
(74 guns) Captain Lord James Cranstoun
(38 guns) Captain Robert Stopford (32 guns) Captain Henry Curzon
(18 guns) Commander Thomas Le Marchant Gosselyn
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is sometimes known as Cornwallis's Retreat.
Admiral William Cornwallis
William Cornwallis
Admiral the Honourable Sir William Cornwallis GCB was a Royal Navy officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was the brother of Charles Cornwallis, the 1st Marquess Cornwallis, governor-general of India...
was cruising near Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
with five ships of the line, the , , , , , two frigates and one cutter, , , when a French fleet of twelve sail of the line and fourteen large frigates appeared, commanded by Admiral Villaret Joyeuse
Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse
Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse was a French admiral.-Early career:Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse was born in Auch, in the heart of Gascony. The Villaret de Joyeuse family figured among the minor nobility from Languedoc...
. The odds being very greatly against him, Cornwallis was compelled to order a retreat. Unfortunately for the British, two of their ships were slow and unweatherly and fell behind the rest. The van of the French fleet began to catch the two slower British ships. The rearmost ship, the Mars, was caught and suffered severely in her rigging and was in danger of being surrounded by the French. Witnessing this, Cornwallis turned his squadron around to support her. The French admiral made the assumption that Cornwallis must have sighted a larger British force beyond his own field of vision and had turned to engage the enemy knowing that a superior force was nearby to come to their relief. The French admiral ordered his ships to disengage and Cornwallis and his small squadron retreated in order. The action is evidence of the superiority which the victory of the Glorious First of June
Glorious First of June
The Glorious First of June [Note A] of 1794 was the first and largest fleet action of the naval conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the First French Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars...
, and the known efficiency of the British crews, had given to the Royal Navy. The reputation of Cornwallis was amplified and the praise given him was no doubt the greater because he was personally very popular with officers and men.
The battle itself was not a victory for the British as such although it did improve morale amongst the British fleet and reduced morale amongst the French.
British Squadron (William Cornwallis)
(100 guns) Admiral William CornwallisWilliam Cornwallis
Admiral the Honourable Sir William Cornwallis GCB was a Royal Navy officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was the brother of Charles Cornwallis, the 1st Marquess Cornwallis, governor-general of India...
, Captain John Whitby (74 guns) Captain Charles Cotton
Sir Charles Cotton, 5th Baronet
Sir Charles Cotton, 5th Baronet was a senior Royal Navy officer of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars whose service continued until his death in command of the Channel Fleet from apoplexy in 1812. During his service, Cotton saw action off the Eastern Seaboard of the Thirteen Colonies and...
(74 guns) Captain Erasmus Gower
Erasmus Gower
Sir Erasmus Gower naval officer and colonial governor born Cilgerran, Wales and died Hambledon, Hampshire, England....
(74 guns) Captain Charles Fitzgerald
Charles FitzGerald, 1st Baron Lecale
Rear-Admiral Charles James FitzGerald, 1st Baron Lecale PC , styled Lord Charles FitzGerald between 1761 and 1800, was an Irish naval commander and politician.-Background:...
(74 guns) Captain Lord James Cranstoun
James Cranstoun, 8th Lord Cranstoun
James Cranstoun, 8th Lord Cranstoun was an officer of the Royal Navy.The third son of James Cranstoun, 6th Lord Cranstoun, he succeeded to the title on 1 August 1778 on the death of his elder brother William Cranstoun, 7th Lord Cranstoun....
(38 guns) Captain Robert Stopford (32 guns) Captain Henry Curzon
Henry Curzon
Admiral Henry Curzon was a Royal Navy officer who held commands during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars....
(18 guns) Commander Thomas Le Marchant Gosselyn
France (Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse)
- PeupleFrench ship Océan (1790)Océan was a 118-gun first-rate three-decker ship of the line of the French Navy, lead ship of her class.She was ordered as États de Bourgogne and was launched at Brest in 1790...
(118 guns) – Captain Jacques Angot, Adm. Villaret de JoyeuseLouis Thomas Villaret de JoyeuseLouis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse was a French admiral.-Early career:Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse was born in Auch, in the heart of Gascony. The Villaret de Joyeuse family figured among the minor nobility from Languedoc... - RedoutableFrench ship Redoutable (1791)The Redoutable was a Téméraire class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy. She is known for her duel with HMS Victory during the Battle of Trafalgar and for killing Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson during the action.- Early career :...
(76 guns) – Captain Pierre Augustin Moncousu, Adm. Kerguelen - Alexandre (74 guns) – Captain François Charles Guillemet
- Droits de l’HommeFrench ship Droits de l'Homme (1794)The Droits de l'Homme was a 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy during the French Revolution.The Droits de l'Homme, was involved in the Action of 6 November 1794, chasing the British 74s Canada and Alexander...
(74 guns) – Captain Cornic - FormidableHMS Belleisle (1795)Lion was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the French Navy, which later served in the Royal Navy. She was built at Rochefort. She was later renamed Marat and then Formidable, with the changing fortunes of the French Revolution....
(74 guns) – Captain Charles-Alexandre Durand-Linois - FougueuxFrench ship FougueuxThe Fougueux was a Téméraire class 74-gun French ship of the line built at Lorient from 1784 to 1785 by engineer Segondat.She took part in the Battle of Trafalgar, firing the first shot of the battle upon HMS Royal Sovereign. She later attempted to come to the aid of the Redoutable by engaging HMS...
(74 guns) – Captain Giot-Labrière - Jean-Bart (74 guns) – Captain Gouardon
- MuciusFrench ship Orion (1787)The Orion was a Téméraire class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.She took part in fighting on the coast of Italy. In 1793, she was renamed Mucius Scaevola, soon shortened to Mucius....
(74 guns) – Captain Larréguy - NestorFrench ship Nestor (1793)The Nestor was a 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.In the night of the 30th December 1794, Nestor was dismasted due to the poor quality of her masts, and had to return to Brest for repairs. On her journey back, the Nestor met a British frigate under a false flag...
(74 guns) – Captain Henry, Adm. VenceJean Gaspard VenceJean Gaspard de Vence was a French privateer, admiral and Maritime Prefect of Toulon.-Biography:In 1762 at age 15 he entered the merchant navy in Bayonne, sailed to Saint-Domingue and several years later became a captain. Transferred to the Royal Navy, served on a 74-gun battleship «Le... - TigreFrench ship Tigre (1793)Tigre was a 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.Her first captain was Pierre Jean Van Stabel. When Van Stabel was promoted, she became the flagship of his 6-ship squadron. She notably fought in 1793 to rescue the Sémillante, along with the Jean Bart.Under Jacques Bedout, she took part in...
(74 guns) – Captain Bedout - WattigniesFrench ship Wattignies (1794)The Wattignies was a 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.She took part in the Expédition d'Irlande in 1798 under captain Antoine René Thévenard.In July 1808, she was converted to a fluyt....
(74 guns) – Captain Joseph René Donat - ZéléFrench ship Zélé (1764)The Zélé was a César class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.On 6 July 1779, she participated in the Battle of Grenada as a member of the Vanguard. In 1781 and 1782, she took part in the naval operations in the American Revolutionary War, under Admiral de Grasse. She fought at the Battle...
(74 guns) – Captain Aved-Magnac - Brave (42 guns) – Captain Thévénard
- Scévola (42 guns) – Captain Le Bozec
- Cocarde nationale (40 guns) – Captain Quérangal
- Driade (36 guns) – Lieutenant Gramont
- Fidèle (38 guns) – Lieutenant Bernard
- FraternitéFrench frigate Aglaé (1788)The Aglaé was a 32-gun frigate of the French Navy.During the Revolutionary wars, she was used to ferry troops to the Caribbean, and spent two years on station at Saint Domingue...
(34 guns) – Lieutenant Florinville - Insurgente (32 guns) – Lieutenant Violette
- Néréide (34 guns) – Lieutenant Briand
- ProserpineHMS Amelia (1796)Proserpine was a 38-gun Hébé-class frigate of the French Navy captured by on 13 June 1796. The Admiralty commissioned Prosperine into the Royal Navy as the fifth rate, HMS Amelia...
(38 guns) – Captain Daugier - Régénéré (42 guns) – Captain Héron
- République française (40 guns) – Lieutenant Pitôt
- Tribune (40 guns) – Lieutenant Bernard
- Vengeance (40 guns) – Lieutenant Le Comte
- Virginie (40 guns) – Lieutenant Bergeret
- Attalante (16 guns) – Ensign Dordelin
- Constance (22 guns) – Lieutenant Bouchet
- Lascasad (18 guns) – Lieutenant Blanzon (14 guns) – Ensign Denis
- Papillon (14 guns) – Lieutenant Cousin
- Papillon (12 guns) – Ensign Menou
- Large (10 guns) – Engisn Le Large
- Printemps (10 guns) – Ensign Faucher