# Glorious First of June order of battle

The Glorious First of June (known in France as Bataille du 13 prairial an 2 and sometimes called the Third Battle of Ushant) of 1794 was the first and largest naval action between the French and British fleets during the French Revolutionary Wars. The action was fought over 400 miles (640 km) west of Ushant, the most western point on Brittany in France, deep in the Atlantic Ocean. The British fleet under Lord Howe was attempting to defeat a French fleet under Villaret de Joyeuse which was in turn attempting to lure Howe away from a grain convoy destined for France from the United States. The future of the French Revolution depended on this 117-strong convoy, which would save France from famine if it arrived safely. Ultimately, both admirals were successful in their ambitions; Howe defeated Villaret in open battle and sunk or captured seven of his ships. Villaret managed to occupy Howe for long enough and inflict sufficient damage that the convoy escaped unscathed.
Although the campaign was decided by a final major action, May 1794 saw both fleets at sea with several subordinate squadrons, both admirals conducting a complicated series of convoy, commerce raiding and fleet manoeuvre operations. Numerous merchant ships and small warships were taken or destroyed during the month-long campaign by both sides, and there were also two partial fleet engagements as Howe and Villaret made first contact. Both admirals suffered from wilful disobedience by a number of their officers during the battle, and confusion in reading signals, which caused an uneven series of melees to break out rather than the unified battle line Howe had envisaged when planning the action. Nevertheless, both commanders were highly praised on their return to their home ports and the battle was considered a success by both sides, with only a few dissenters amongst the naval establishments of both nations.
Historians have had great trouble determining the exact dispositions of the French fleet, and even more trouble assessing the casualties it suffered in the battle. During The Terror then raging in France, bureaucracy broke down and consequently records were patchy or non-existent. The French Navy was no exception, and few ship's logs have survived, making an accurate order of battle difficult to discern. Those estimates which are available are often the work of British naval officers at the battle, whose accounts frequently differ. Casualties too are almost impossible to establish exactly. French sources published after the battle give a figure of 3,000, but this number does not include those captured, which amounted to 3,500 alone. British estimates aboard captured ships alone are of 1,500 casualties and most historians agree that total French losses during the month-long campaign were around 7,000, as opposed to the British losses estimated at between 1,100 and 1,500.

## British fleet
### 28 May

Ships of Lord Howe's fleet engaged on 28 May :
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Casualties | Casualties | Casualties | Notes |
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Killed | Wounded | Total | Notes |
| HMS Russell | Third rate | 74 | Captain John Willett Payne | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| HMS Bellerophon | Third rate | 74 | Rear-Admiral Thomas Pasley Captain William Johnstone Hope | 0 | 0 | 0 | Damage to topmasts. |
| HMS Marlborough | Third rate | 74 | Captain George Cranfield Berkeley | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| HMS Thunderer | Third rate | 74 | Captain Albemarle Bertie | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| HMS Leviathan | Third rate | 74 | Captain Lord Hugh Seymour | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| HMS Audacious | Third rate | 74 | Captain William Parker | 3 | 19 | 22 | Returned to Britain in a disabled state |
| Total casualties 3 killed, 19 wounded, 22 total |||||||||||

### 29 May

Ships of Lord Howe's fleet engaged on 29 May :
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Casualties | Casualties | Casualties | Notes |
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Killed | Wounded | Total | Notes |
| HMS Caesar | Third rate | 80 | Captain Anthony Molloy | 3 | 19 | 22 | Minor damage to rigging and hull |
| HMS Queen | Second rate | 98 | Rear-Admiral Alan Gardner Captain John Hutt † | 23 | 26 | 49 | Extensive damage to masts, rigging and hull |
| HMS Royal George | First rate | 100 | Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Hood Captain William Domett | 15 | 23 | 38 | Minor damage to rigging and hull |
| HMS Invincible | Third rate | 74 | Captain Thomas Pakenham | 10 | 21 | 31 | Minor damage to topmasts |
| HMS Royal Sovereign | First rate | 100 | Vice-Admiral Thomas Graves Captain Henry Nicholls | 8 | 22 | 30 | |
| HMS Russell | Third rate | 74 | Captain John Willett Payne | 0 | 0 | 0 | Minor damage to rigging and hull. |
| HMS Orion | Third rate | 74 | Captain John Thomas Duckworth | 3 | 0 | 3 | Minor damage to rigging. |
| HMS Ramillies | Third rate | 74 | Captain Henry Harvey | 3 | 0 | 3 | Minor damage to rigging. |
| HMS Defence | Third rate | 74 | Captain James Gambier | 1 | 3 | 4 | Minor damage to rigging |
| HMS Majestic | Third rate | 74 | Captain Charles Cotton | 1 | 13 | 14 | Minor damage to rigging. |
| HMS Queen Charlotte | First rate | 100 | Admiral Lord Howe Captain Sir Roger Curtis Captain Sir Andrew Snape Douglas | 1 | 0 | 1 | Minor damage to rigging. |
| Total casualties 68 killed, 130 wounded, 198 total |||||||||||

### 1 June

Lord Howe's fleet on the Glorious First of June :
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Casualties | Casualties | Casualties | Notes |
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Killed | Wounded | Total | Notes |
| HMS Caesar | Third rate | 80 | Captain Anthony Molloy | 14 | 53 | 67 | |
| HMS Bellerophon | Third rate | 74 | Rear-Admiral Thomas Pasley Captain William Johnstone Hope | 4 | 27 | 31 | Extensive damage to masts and rigging. |
| HMS Leviathan | Third rate | 74 | Captain Lord Hugh Seymour | 11 | 32 | 43 | |
| HMS Russell | Third rate | 74 | Captain John Willett Payne | 8 | 26 | 34 | |
| HMS Royal Sovereign | First rate | 100 | Vice-Admiral Thomas Graves Captain Henry Nicholls | 14 | 44 | 58 | Damage to masts and rigging |
| HMS Marlborough | Third rate | 74 | Captain George Cranfield Berkeley | 29 | 80 | 109 | Totally dismasted |
| HMS Defence | Third rate | 74 | Captain James Gambier | 17 | 36 | 53 | Totally dismasted. |
| HMS Impregnable | Second rate | 98 | Rear-Admiral Benjamin Caldwell Captain George Blagdon Westcott | 7 | 24 | 31 | Damage to masts and rigging. |
| HMS Tremendous | Third rate | 74 | Captain James Pigott | 3 | 8 | 11 | |
| HMS Barfleur | Second rate | 98 | Rear-Admiral George Bowyer Captain Cuthbert Collingwood | 9 | 25 | 34 | |
| HMS Invincible | Third rate | 74 | Captain Thomas Pakenham | 4 | 10 | 14 | |
| HMS Culloden | Third rate | 74 | Captain Isaac Schomberg | 2 | 5 | 7 | |
| HMS Gibraltar | Third rate | 80 | Captain Thomas Mackenzie | 2 | 12 | 14 | |
| HMS Queen Charlotte | First rate | 100 | Admiral Lord Howe Captain Sir Roger Curtis Captain Sir Andrew Snape Douglas | 13 | 29 | 42 | Extensive damage to masts and rigging. |
| HMS Brunswick | Third rate | 74 | Captain John Harvey † Lieutenant William Edward Cracraft | 45 | 114 | 159 | Lost mizzenmast, extensive damage to remaining masts and rigging. |
| HMS Valiant | Third rate | 74 | Captain Thomas Pringle | 2 | 9 | 11 | |
| HMS Orion | Third rate | 74 | Captain John Thomas Duckworth | 2 | 24 | 26 | Minor damage to masts and rigging |
| HMS Queen | Second rate | 98 | Rear-Admiral Alan Gardner | 14 | 40 | 54 | Lost mainmast, damage to remaining masts and rigging |
| HMS Ramillies | Third rate | 74 | Captain Henry Harvey | 2 | 7 | 9 | |
| HMS Alfred | Third rate | 74 | Captain John Bazely | 0 | 8 | 8 | |
| HMS Montagu | Third rate | 74 | Captain James Montagu † | 4 | 13 | 17 | |
| HMS Royal George | First rate | 100 | Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Hood Captain William Domett | 5 | 49 | 54 | Lost foremast, damage to remaining masts and rigging. |
| HMS Majestic | Third rate | 74 | Captain Charles Cotton | 2 | 5 | 7 | |
| HMS Glory | Second rate | 98 | Captain John Elphinstone | 13 | 39 | 52 | Severe damage to masts and rigging |
| HMS Thunderer | Third rate | 74 | Captain Albemarle Bertie | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Support ships |||||||||||
| HMS Phaeton | Fifth rate | 38 | Captain William Bentinck | 3 | 5 | 8 | |
| HMS Latona | Fifth rate | 38 | Captain Edward Thornbrough | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| HMS Niger | Fifth rate | 36 | Captain Arthur Kaye Legge | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| HMS Southampton | Fifth rate | 36 | Captain Robert Forbes | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| HMS Venus | Fifth rate | 36 | Captain William Brown | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| HMS Aquilon | Fifth rate | 36 | Captain Robert Stopford | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| HMS Pegasus | Sixth rate | 28 | Captain Robert Barlow | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| HMS Charon | Hospital ship | - | Captain George Countess | - | - | - | |
| HMS Comet | Fireship | 14 | Commander William Bradley | - | - | - | |
| HMS Incendiary | Fireship | 14 | Commander John Cooke | - | - | - | |
| HMS Kingfisher | Sloop | 18 | Commander Thomas Le Marchant Gosselin | - | - | - | |
| HMS Rattler | Cutter | 16 | Lieutenant John Winne | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| HMS Ranger | Cutter | 16 | Lieutenant Charles Cotgrave | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total casualties 229 killed, 724 wounded, 953 total |||||||||||

### Attached squadrons

Admiral Montagu's squadron :
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Casualties | Casualties | Casualties | Notes |
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Killed | Wounded | Total | Notes |
| HMS Hector | Third rate | 74 | Rear-Admiral George Montagu Captain Lawrence Halstead | - | - | - | |
| HMS Alexander | Third rate | 74 | Captain Richard Rodney Bligh | - | - | - | |
| HMS Ganges | Third rate | 74 | Captain William Truscott | - | - | - | |
| HMS Colossus | Third rate | 74 | Captain Charles Pole | - | - | - | Attached on 4 June. |
| HMS Bellona | Third rate | 74 | Captain George Wilson | - | - | - | |
| HMS Theseus | Third rate | 74 | Captain Robert Calder | - | - | - | |
| HMS Arrogant | Third rate | 74 | Captain Richard Lucas | - | - | - | |
| HMS Minotaur | Third rate | 74 | Captain Thomas Louis | - | - | - | Attached on 4 June. |
| HMS Ruby | Third rate | 64 | Captain Sir Richard Bickerton | - | - | - | Attached on 4 June. |
| HMS Pallas | Fifth rate | 32 | Captain Henry Curzon | - | - | - | |
| HMS Concorde | Fifth rate | 36 | Captain Sir Richard Strachan | - | - | - | |
Captain Rainier's convoy escort :
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Casualties | Casualties | Casualties | Notes |
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Killed | Wounded | Total | Notes |
| HMS Suffolk | Third rate | 74 | Captain Peter Rainier | - | - | - | Ordered to Madras |
| HMS Sampson | Third rate | 64 | Captain Robert Montagu | - | - | - | Detached to Saint Helena |
| HMS Centurion | Fourth rate | 50 | Captain Samuel Osborne | - | - | - | Ordered to Madras |
| HMS Resistance | Fifth Rate | 44 | Captain Edward Pakenham | - | - | - | Ordered to Madras |
| HMS Argo | Fifth Rate | 44 | Captain William Clark | - | - | - | Detached to Saint Helena |
| HMS Orpheus | Fifth Rate | 32 | Captain Henry Newcome | - | - | - | Ordered to Madras |
| HMS Swift | Sloop | 14 | Commander John Dolling | - | - | - | Ordered to Madras |
| Source: Parkinson, p. 68 ||||||||

## French fleet
### 28 May

Ships of Villaret de Joyeuse's fleet engaged on 28 May :
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Casualties | Casualties | Casualties | Notes |
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Killed | Wounded | Total | Notes |
| Révolutionnaire | First rate | 110 | Captain Vaudangel | | | ~400 | Returned to France in a disabled state |
| Audacieux | Third rate | 74 | Captain Pilastre | - | - | - | Returned to France with Révolutionnaire |
| Although other ships were engaged during the action, their names and details are unknown. ||||||||

### 29 May

Ships of Villaret de Joyeuse's fleet engaged on 29 May :
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Casualties | Casualties | Casualties | Notes |
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Killed | Wounded | Total | Notes |
| Montagnard | Third rate | 74 | Captain Jean-Baptiste-François Bompard | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Badly damaged, attached to Vanstabel's squadron. |
| Éole | Third rate | 74 | Captain Bertrand Keranguen Captain Bruix | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Terrible | First rate | 110 | Captain Pierre-Jacques Longer Captain Bouvet | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Tyrannicide | Third rate | 74 | Captain Alain-Joseph Dordelin | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Indomptable | Third rate | 80 | Captain Lamesle Captain Nielly | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Returned to France in a disabled state. |
| Mont Blanc ? | Third rate | 74 | Captain Thévenard | - | - | - | Returned to France with Indomptable. |
| Although other ships were engaged during the action, their names and details are unknown. ||||||||

### 1 June

Vanguard (Rear-Admiral Bouvet) :
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Casualties | Casualties | Casualties | Notes |
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Killed | Wounded | Total | Notes |
| Convention | Third rate | 74 | Captain Allary | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Gasparin | Third rate | 74 | Captain Tardy | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| America | Third rate | 74 | Captain L'Héritier | 134 | 110 | 244 | Totally dismasted. Captured, subsequently HMS Impétueux. |
| Téméraire | Third rate | 74 | Captain Morel | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Attached from Nielly's squadron |
| Terrible | First rate | 110 | Rear-Admiral Bouvet Captain Longer | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Lost mainmast and mizzenmast. |
| Impétueux | Third rate | 74 | Captain Douville † | 100 | 85 | 185 | Totally dismasted. Captured, subsequently destroyed in a dockyard fire. |
| Mucius | Third rate | 74 | Captain Lareguy | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Totally dismasted. |
| Éole | Third rate | 74 | Captain Bertrand Keranguen † | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Tourville | Third rate | 74 | Captain Langlois | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Précieuse | Frigate | 32 | | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Naïade | Brig-Corvette | 16 | | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Ships ordered by position in the line of battle (Guérin, vol. 6, pp. 503–04) ||||||||
Battle corps (Rear-Admiral Villaret-Joyeuse) :
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Casualties | Casualties | Casualties | Notes |
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Killed | Wounded | Total | Notes |
| Trajan | Third rate | 74 | Captain Dumoutier | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Attached from Nielly's squadron. |
| Tyrannicide | Third rate | 74 | Captain Dordelin | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Extensive damage to masts and rigging. |
| Juste | Third rate | 80 | Captain Blavet | 100 | 145 | 245 | Totally dismasted. Captured, subsequently HMS Juste |
| Montagne | First rate | 120 | Rear-Admiral Villaret-Joyeuse Représentant en mission Jean Bon Saint-André Flag Captain Bazire † Captain Vignot | | | ~300 | |
| Jacobin | Third rate | 80 | Captain Gassin | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Achille | Third rate | 74 | Captain La Villegris | 36 | 60 | 66 | Totally dismasted. Captured, subsequently dismantled. |
| Northumberland | Third rate | 74 | Captain Étienne | 60 | 100 | 160 | Totally dismasted. Captured, subsequently dismantled. |
| Vengeur du Peuple | Third rate | 74 | Captain Renaudin | ~200-600 | | | Captured but sank due to severe damage. |
| Patriote | Third rate | 74 | Captain Lacadou | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Attached from Nielly's squadron. |
| Proserpine | Frigate | 38 | | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Tamise | Frigate | 32 | | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Papillon | Corvette | 12 | | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Ships ordered by position in the line of battle (Guérin, vol. 6, pp. 503–04) ||||||||
Rear guard :
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Casualties | Casualties | Casualties | Notes |
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Killed | Wounded | Total | Notes |
| Entreprenant | Third rate | 74 | Captain Lefranq | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Neptune | Third rate | 74 | Captain Tiphaine | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Jemmappes | Third rate | 74 | Captain Desmartis Captain Le Roy | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Totally dismasted. |
| Trente-et-un-Mai | Third rate | 74 | Captain Ganteaume | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Attached to fleet 31 May. Extensive damage to masts and rigging. |
| Républicain | First rate | 110 | Rear-Admiral Nielly Captain Lebeau Captain Louger | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Totally dismasted. |
| Sans Pareil | Third rate | 80 | Captain Courand | 260 | 120 | 380 | Attached from Nielly's squadron. Totally dismasted. Captured, subsequently HMS Sans Pareil. |
| Scipion | Third rate | 80 | Captain Huguet | 64 | 151 | 215 | Totally dismasted. |
| Pelletier | Third rate | 74 | Captain Berrade Captain Raillard | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Galathée | Frigate | 32 | | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Gentille | Frigate | 32 | | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Ships ordered by position in the line of battle (Guérin, vol. 6, pp. 503–04) ||||||||

### Attached squadrons

Admiral Vanstabel's convoy escort :
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Casualties | Casualties | Casualties | Notes |
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Killed | Wounded | Total | Notes |
| Jean Bart | Third rate | 74 | Rear-Admiral Pierre Vanstabel | - | - | - | |
| Tigre | Third rate | 74 | | - | - | - | |
| Embuscade | frigate | 32 | Lieutenant Maurice-Julien Emeriau | - | - | - | |
| Vanstabel's squadron was accompanied by one more frigate and a brig. ||||||||
Admiral Cornic's squadron :
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Casualties | Casualties | Casualties | Notes |
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Killed | Wounded | Total | Notes |
| Majestueux | First rate | 110 | Rear-Admiral Pierre-François Cornic | - | - | - | |
| Aquilon | Third rate | 74 | Captain Thevenaut | - | - | - | |
| Jupiter | Third rate | 74 | | - | - | - | |
| Marat | Third rate | 74 | | - | - | - | |
| Nestor | Third rate | 74 | | - | - | - | |
| Redoutable | Third rate | 74 | | - | - | - | |
| Révolution | Third rate | 74 | | - | - | - | |
| Superbe | Third rate | 74 | | - | - | - | |
| Cornic's squadron was accompanied by two frigates, a corvette and a cutter. ||||||||
The various French units patrolling in the Bay of Biscay kept in contact through a large number of frigates and smaller craft which passed messages between the commanders. This close contact enabled the French fleets to successfully divert the British away from the convoy. Due to the turbulent situation existing in France during 1794, accurate records regarding which frigates were with which fleet and which were present at which action do not exist. Thus only an incomplete listing of French support craft can be created, based mainly on those recognised and reported by British officers.
Attached frigates :
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Casualties | Casualties | Casualties | Notes |
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Killed | Wounded | Total | Notes |
| Bellone | Fifth rate | 36 | | - | - | - | |
| Seine | Fifth rate | | | - | - | - | |
| Tamise | Fifth rate | 32 | Captain Jean-Marthe-Adrien L'Hermite | - | - | - | Present at the Glorious First of June. |
| Galathée | Fifth rate | 32 | | - | - | - | Present at the Glorious First of June. |
| Républicaine ? | Corvette | 20 | | - | - | - | Captured and burnt 27 May. |
| Inconnue | Corvette | 16 | | - | - | - | Captured and burnt 27 May. |