A British naval victory off Groix in 1795 that captured three French ships of the line but failed to destroy the French Atlantic Fleet, drawing criticism of Admiral Bridport.
Key Facts
- Date
- 23 June 1795
- British ships of the line
- 14 ships
- French ships of the line
- 12 ships
- French ships captured
- 3 ships
- French captains court-martialled
- Several, two dismissed
- French fleet confined to
- Lorient until winter 1795
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The British Channel Fleet under Admiral Lord Bridport was escorting a Royalist invasion convoy bound for Quiberon. The French Atlantic Fleet under Vice-admiral Villaret de Joyeuse, after repelling a British squadron at Cornwallis's Retreat on 17 June, was attempting to return to Brest when Bridport's superior force of 14 ships of the line intercepted it on 22 June 1795.
On 23 June 1795, the British vanguard overhauled the slower rearmost ships of Villaret's 12-ship fleet off the island of Groix in the Bay of Biscay. Despite a determined French rearguard action, three French ships of the line were captured with very heavy casualties. Bridport then halted the pursuit after only a few hours, fearing his ships might be wrecked on the rocky coastline.
The French fleet took refuge in Lorient, where food shortages forced Villaret to discharge much of his crews; most ships did not return to Brest until winter, neutralising French naval power on the coastline for the rest of 1795. The Quiberon invasion ended in disaster a month later. Several French captains faced court-martial, while Bridport was widely criticised for failing to destroy the French fleet.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Admiral Lord Bridport.
Side B
1 belligerent
Vice-admiral Villaret de Joyeuse.