▁inf antry . ▁This ▁fire ▁pre cluded ▁the ▁landing ▁of ▁any ▁French ▁soldiers , ▁and ▁killed ▁nearly ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁them ▁in ▁the ▁landing ▁ships . ▁In ▁addition , ▁as ▁the ▁landing ▁force ▁retre ated , ▁British ▁fire ▁from ▁the ▁smaller ▁island ▁to ▁the ▁north ▁inf lic ted ▁further ▁losses ▁on ▁the ▁French . ▁British ▁cas ual ties ▁were ▁neg lig ible . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁failure ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁operation , ▁British ▁forces ▁began ▁a ▁close ▁block ade ▁of ▁the ▁Content in ▁ports , ▁where ▁the ▁surv iving ▁landing ▁craft ▁were ▁anch ored . ▁A ▁month ▁after ▁the ▁battle , ▁this ▁strategy ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁secondary ▁success ▁when ▁a ▁French ▁fr ig ate ▁and ▁cor v ette ▁were ▁intercept ed ▁and ▁defeated ▁by ▁the ▁block ade ▁squad ron . ▁ ▁Background ▁Through out ▁the ▁French ▁Revolution ary ▁Wars , ▁British ▁war ships ▁pat rolled ▁the ▁French ▁coast , ▁intercept ing ▁and ▁destroy ing ▁French ▁mar itime ▁traffic ▁and ▁block ading ▁French ▁ports . ▁In ▁ 1 7 9 5 ▁then ▁Captain ▁Sir ▁Sid ney ▁Smith , ▁a ▁prominent ▁Royal ▁Navy ▁officer , ▁recogn ised ▁that ▁if ▁res upp ly ▁points ▁could ▁be ▁established ▁on ▁islands ▁off ▁the ▁French ▁coast ▁then ▁cru ising ▁war ships ▁could ▁extend ▁their ▁time ▁at ▁sea . ▁To ▁this ▁purpose , ▁Smith ▁seized ▁the ▁un in hab ited ▁Î les ▁Saint - M arc ou f , ▁which ▁lie ▁ ▁off ▁R aven ov ille ▁on ▁the ▁Cot entin ▁pen ins ula ▁in ▁Norm