Action of 17 June 1778
| Action of 17 June 1778 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the American Revolutionary War | |||||||
Fight of the Belle Poule and the Arethusa Auguste-Louis de Rossel de Cercy, 1789 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Great Britain | France | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Augustus Keppel | Jean Clocheterie | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
1 ship of the line 2 frigates 1 cutter |
2 frigates 1 corvette | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 44 killed or wounded |
107 killed or wounded 1 frigate captured | ||||||
The action of 17 June 1778 (also known as the fight of Belle Poule and Arethusa) was a single-ship action that took place off the coast of France between British and French frigates. It was widely celebrated in both France and Great Britain and was the first engagement fought between the two nations during the American Revolutionary War before a formal declaration of war was even announced.