Westphalia, Hesse and Lower Saxony Electoral Saxony Brandenburg Silesia East Prussia Pomerania Iberian Peninsula Naval Operations The Battle of Cape Finisterre was a naval engagement fought off the Northern Spanish Atlantic coast near Cape Finisterre between British and French squadrons during the Seven Years' War.

[1] In April 1761 the Royal Navy capitalised on its regional dominance to invade Belle Île, an island off Brittany, which was captured in June.

[5] At 05:00 on the morning of 14 August, L'Ambert changed his opinion of the strength of the British squadron, assuming that Bellona was a 50-gun fourth rate ship.

Confident of victory, he turned his squadron back towards Faulknor's ships, ordering Malicieuse and Hermine to attack Brilliant while he led Courageux against Bellona.

[5] The ships of the line approached one another head on, L'Ambert pulling Courageux alongside Bellona at 06:25 and opening fire with his broadside at close range.

Despite the severe damage to his sails and rigging, Faulknor then attempted to wear around, successfully bringing Bellona across the French ship's starboard stern quarter and firing a series of raking broadsides.

[4] Historian William Laird Clowes considers that this discrepancy was probably the result of differences in British and French tactical doctrine, the French trained to fire at the masts and rigging of an enemy ship in order to disable them, while British doctrine trained crews to fire into the hull of enemy ships to kill the crew.