Battles & Campaigns · 1761
Capture of Belle Île
Belle-Île, Brittany, France
What happened
A first British landing failed and a storm damaged many boats. On the second try, British troops climbed cliffs where the French did not expect them. The French fell back to the fortress at Le Palais and surrendered after a siege of more than a month.
Why it matters
The island gave Britain a base near the French coast and control of the Bay of Biscay. France could not send help because Britain controlled the sea.
What came next
The Treaty of Paris in 1763 gave the island back to France in exchange for Menorca. Acadian exiles later settled there.
Did you know?
Olaudah Equiano, author of a well-known memoir, saw the attack from HMS Ætna and described it in his book.
Timeline
- 7 Apr 1761British expedition arrives; first landing fails.
- 8 Jun 1761Sainte-Croix surrenders.
- 1763Treaty of Paris returns Belle Île to France.
- By 1785Most Acadian settlers leave for Spanish Louisiana.