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 Ray, Newfoundland in the Gulf of St.

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 French fleet, under the command of Admiral Dubois de la Motte, for the most part managed to avoid these British forces.