The Glorious (ish) 1st of June
by Jonathan Hopkins When France ’s revolutionary government declared war on Britain in 1793, the country breathed a collective sigh of despair. Since being drummed out of America in 1776 things had not gone well for the British, militarily. They were forced from their toehold on the French mainland at Toulon thanks largely to the clever tactics of a young artillery captain called Napoleon Buonaparte. And the Duke of York’s campaign in Flanders was becoming bogged down after minor early successes. Britain needed a victory. Something to shout about: to help restore collective morale and take people’s minds off growing social unrest at home. So when in the spring of 1794 the Admiralty got wind of a large enemy grain convoy returning to France from America , the English Channel fleet, under Admiral Lord Howe, was ordered to intercept it. Sixty-nine years old at that time, Richard Howe joined the navy at thirteen and having been successfully involved in many previous naval acti...