It was the first naval battle of the Hundred Years' War and the first recorded European naval battle using artillery, as the English ship Christopher had three cannons and one handgun.

[1] The battle featured a vast French fleet under admirals Hugues Quiéret and Nicolas Béhuchet against a small squadron of five great English cogs transporting an enormous cargo of wool to Antwerp, where Edward III of England was hoping to sell it, in order to be able to pay subsidies to his allies.

Overwhelmed by the superior numbers and with some of their crew still on shore, John Kingston, the commander of the squadron, surrendered after a day's fighting.

[citation needed] The French captured the rich cargo, took the five cogs into their fleet and massacred the English prisoners.

The chronicles write: Thus conquering did these said mariners of the king of France in this winter take great pillage, and especially they conquered the handsome great nef called the Christophe, all charged with the goods and wool that the English were sending to Flanders, which nef had cost the English king much to build: but its crew were lost to these Normans, and were put to death.51°38′42″N 3°22′23″E / 51.645°N 3.373°E / 51.645; 3.373