Action of 8 June 1755

Action of 8 June 1755
Part of the French and Indian War
The Capture of the 'Alcide' and 'Lys' unknown 18th century artist
Date 8 June 1755 Location Gulf of St Lawrence, off present-day Cape Race, Newfoundland Result British victory
Belligerents
Great Britain	France
Commanders and leaders
Edward Boscawen	Toussaint Hocquart
Strength
3 ships of the line	3 ships of the line; one en flûte
Casualties and losses
7 killed 25 wounded	2 ships of the line captured 130 killed and wounded 2,000 prisoners

The Action of 8 June 1755 was a naval battle between France and Great Britain early in the French and Indian War. The British captured the third-rate French ships Alcide and Lys off Cape Race, Newfoundland in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The battle contributed to the eventual war declarations that in 1756 formally began the Seven Years' War.

In 1754, French and British colonial forces clashed in 1754, first in the Battle of Jumonville Glen, and then in the Battle of Fort Necessity, over control of the upper Ohio River valley, near present-day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When word of these conflicts reached London, government leaders decided to send regular army troops to occupy the site on which the French had constructed Fort Duquesne. Word of the British military planning leaked to France, where convoys of troops were also rushed into readiness for service in North America. The Royal Navy, aware of the French plans, dispatched Vice Admiral Edward Boscawen and a fleet of eleven ships of the line to the Gulf of St. Lawrence to intercept French shipping headed for Quebec City. Boscawen patrolled along the southern shore of Newfoundland. Three weeks later, a second fleet of seven ships was despatched under Admiral Holbourne to intercept French shipping.

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Wikipedia