Battle of Ushant
1778 CE.
Shown on the map at 48.560°, -7.383°.
The Battle of Ushant (also called the First Battle of Ushant) took place on 27 July 1778, 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. The French commander was under orders to avoid battle if possible, in order to maintain a fleet in being. The commanders of the two squadrons of the British fleet, Admiral of the Blue Augustus Keppel and Vice-Admiral of the Blue Sir Hugh Palliser, 1st Baronet, were already personally and politically at odds with each other, and failed to make a concerted attack on the French. 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.
Text from the Wikipedia article Battle of Ushant (1778), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.