alternatehistory.com

June:
New England planters begin arriving on the southern Acadian (Nova Scotia) coast to set up farms on land taken from or abandoned by the French Acadians.

June – July:
Tacky’s War: A mass slave revolt in Jamaica is harshly put down by colonial authorities.

July 3rd:
A lightning strike causes a major fire at the Portsmouth Royal Dockyard in England, burning a ship of the line that was nearly finished being built there to the ground.

July 6th: Nine Years War: Battle of Pertuis d’Antioche

On July 6th, a storm scatters the British blockade fleet near La Rochelle and Rochefort, was also smashes the HMS Lyon (60) aground on Ile de Re. A large French fleet takes advantage of the situation to escape into the open sea.

The concentrated French fleet battled a few British ships that attempted to prevent their escape, prior to the British fleet reforming.

French Forces: Formidable (80), Juste (74), Hermes (74), Magnifique (74), Centaure (70), Comte de Provice (68), Comte de Sainte Florentine (60), Fortune (58), Duc d’Orleans (54), Conde (44), Duc d’Berry (44), Vestal (32), Frippone (24), Mutine (24), Vigilent (20), Elephant (20)

British Forces: HMS Duke (90), Duc d’Aquitaine (ex-french) (64), Woolwich (44),
Arriving later to assist in the battle:
Dunkirk (60), Barfluer (80), Norfolk (74), Valiant (74), Rochester (50), Active (28), Seaford (22)

During the brief but fierce battle the Duke (90) and Woolwich (44) were sunk, Duc d’Aquitaine (64) was so badly damaged in sank in distress on return to England. The French lost the Duc d’Orleans (54) to the waves. Although the French could have pursued the late arriving British ships they chose not to as additional unlocated and undamaged British ships were still somewhere in the area. They instead proceeded out to sea, with a French trade convoy. They fleet later split up, some bound for India and others bound for the Caribbean.

French Victory

After the British blockade fleet reformed, some ships pursued the French for several weeks but failed to locate them. The French would later lose the Mutine (24) to British capture in the Caribbean on September 14th. The British would not keep the vessel, instead selling it to private interests.