oth am ' s ▁squad ron ▁made ▁des perate ▁efforts ▁to ▁reach ▁the ▁battle , ▁the ▁wind ▁was ▁too ▁light ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁only ▁able ▁to ▁ch ase ▁the ▁remaining ▁ships ▁back ▁into ▁Saint - V a ast - la - H oug ue . ▁ ▁After math ▁ ▁The ▁battle ▁was ▁a ▁dis aster ▁for ▁the ▁French . ▁According ▁to ▁uno fficial ▁accounts , ▁they ▁lost ▁approximately ▁ 9 0 0   men ▁killed ▁or ▁d rown ed ▁and ▁at ▁least ▁ 3 0 0   w ounded , ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁the ▁newly ▁constructed ▁landing ▁craft . ▁In ▁France ▁the ▁newly ▁appointed ▁Minister ▁of ▁Marine ▁Ét ienne ▁E ust ache ▁Bru ix ▁ordered ▁a ▁second ▁attempt ▁on ▁the ▁islands ▁soon ▁afterwards ▁but ▁the ▁French ▁Directory , ▁which ▁did ▁not ▁want ▁the ▁embar rass ment ▁of ▁a ▁second ▁dis astr ous ▁attack , ▁immediately ▁counter m and ed ▁the ▁orders . ▁Instead , ▁Lac ros se ▁gave ▁orders ▁for ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁surv iving ▁ships ▁to ▁be ▁sent ▁to ▁Cher bourg , ▁det ach ments ▁later ▁reaching ▁Saint ▁Mal o ▁and ▁Gran ville . ▁Mus ke in ▁was ▁ordered ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁Le ▁Hav re ▁with ▁the ▁remainder . ▁ ▁In ▁Britain ▁the ▁successful ▁defence ▁of ▁the ▁islands ▁was ▁highly ▁pra ised ▁and ▁Price ▁was ▁promoted ▁as ▁a ▁reward , ▁although ▁Bour ne ▁was ▁not , ▁despite ▁a ▁recommendation ▁in ▁the ▁official ▁report . ▁British ▁losses ▁included ▁a ▁single ▁marine ▁killed ▁and ▁four ▁other ▁personnel ▁wounded