and she spent the whole year of 1770 fitting out. On 30 November 1771, she was declared in need of an extensive refit. Career In 1773, Bretagne was listed as serving in the Brest Brigade of the Ponant Division of the Navy. However, her state was deteriorating, and harbour director Count de Breugnon sent her to a dry dock, where she entered on 9 August. In 1775, Orvilliers took command of the Brest squadron and, finding her timbers rotten, petitionned Sartine for an extensive refit; reconstruction started on 1 September 1776, taking 480,000 pounds, and Bretagne was launched on 7 April 1777. She took two more months for fitting out. Anglo-French War (1778–1783) She took part in most of the engagements of the European theatre of the Anglo-French War, notably the Battle of Ushant in 1778, where she served as Orvilliers' flagship, with Parscau du Plessix as flag captain. She took part in the Armada of 1779, but an epidemic aboard forced her to return to Brest in September. In 1779, her armament was reinforced by adding 10 further 6-pounders to her quarterdeck, turning her into a 110-gun. On 2 September 1780, Bretagne left Brest for Cadiz, where she took part in the Great Siege of Gibraltar. Although she had good nautical qualities, Bretagne had a tendency to leak and hog, and from February to April 1781, she underwent a refit in Brest and notably received a copper sheathing. Bretagne then undertook an expedition under Captain Soulange in Guichen's squadron in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic from 22 June to early September. After spending three months in Brest, she sailed again on 12 December 1781. She sustained damage in foul weather, notably in a hurricane on 25 and 26 December. At her return to Brest, Bretagne was in need of serious repairs, and Guichen, to his chagrin, had to transfer his flag to Terrible. In 1782, her keel had hogged by 1'7" pied du roi. Bretagne was refitted in Brest from 2 March to July 1782, undergoing extensive repairs of her hull but losing her copper sheathing in the process. On 8 July 1782, Bretagne departed Brest under Captain Charles Picot de Dampierre to join the Franco-Spanish combined fleet still besieging Gibraltar, arriving on 11 along with Invincible, Robuste, Protecteur, Actif, Zodiaque, Bien Aimé and Guerrier. Her cutter rescued men from the crew of the Spanish floating battery Talla Piedra