In June, Admiral Keppel sailed from Portsmouth, with twenty ships, on a cruise.
Falling in with two French frigates, his guns, to bring them to, opened the war.

Finding from their papers that thirty-two French ships lay in Brest, he at once returned for reinforcements.

Sailing again with thirty ships, he fell in with the French fleet under D'Orvilliers to the westward of Ushant, and to windward, with a westerly wind.

On the 27th of July was fought the first fleet action of the war, generally known as the battle of Ushant.
This battle, in which thirty ships-of-the-line fought on either side, was wholly indecisive in its results.

No ship was taken or sunk; both fleets, after separating, returned to their respective ports.