Îles Saint-Marcouf comprise two small uninhabited islands off the coast of Normandy, France. They lie in the Baie de la Seine region of the English Channel and are east of the coast of the Cotentin peninsula at Ravenoville and from the island of Tatihou and the harbour at Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue. In addition to the fortifications described below, on the larger island there is a lighthouse that dates to 1948. The larger island, île du Large, is east of the smaller île de Terre. They have a total area of and a maximum altitude of . The islands take their name from Saint Marcouf, a saint born in Bayeux, whom it was said could cure anyone of scrofula. He died on the Îles Saint-Marcouf on 1May 588 CE. There was a monastic presence on the islands until the 15th century. British occupation During the French Revolutionary Wars the Royal Navy held the islands for nearly seven years as a strategic forward base. In July 1795 British sailors and marines from the Western Frigate Squadron under the command of Captain Sir Sidney Smith in occupied the islands. Smith dedicated several gunvessels, including , , , and , the last purpose-built for the role, to provide materials and manpower for fortifying the islands and establishing a naval garrison. Royal Engineers helped construct redoubts and shore batteries that detachments of marines and Royal Artillery, who augmented the sailors, helped man. In December 1795 the crew of Shark mutinied, in part because of the harsh conditions on the islands, and handed her over to the French. The islands served as a forward base for the blockade of Le Havre, a launching point for intercepting coastal shipping, and as a transit point for French émigrés. The British repelled a major attack on 7 May 1798 by French troops at the battle of the Îles Saint-Marcouf, with minimal British but heavy French casualties. The islands almost made naval history in late 1800. On 12 September Robert Fulton sailed his submarine Nautilus to Growan, near Isigny-sur-Mer, a small harbour near the islands. His objective was to use his submarine to attack the gunvessels protecting the islands. He made two attempts, but each time his targets sailed before he could reach them. Increasingly poor weather as winter approached prevented any further attempts. Although Fulton continued work on his concept, he never again threatened the islands. French control The British returned