7 France and Spain planned an invasion of England
While the Spanish besieged Gibraltar, a French army was gathered around the port of Le Havre in northern France. The 40,000 man army was intended to invade the Isle of Wight and the British coast, and a fleet of almost 400 transport boats was assembled at Le Havre and St. Malo. A French fleet sailed from Brest to rendezvous with the Spanish fleet near Corunna. The French were undersupplied due to the haste of their departure, and their movement was slowed due to contrary winds. When they arrived at the rendezvous the Spanish were absent, driven from the station by the same contrary winds. The undersupplied French crews were soon stricken by scurvy and other diseases as a result of malnutrition.
The French and Spanish did not rendezvous until the third week of July, 1779. The combined fleet then sailed into the English Channel. At the same time John Paul Jones sailed with his small squadron including Bonhomme Richard as a diversion, which led to the Battle off Flamborough Head that year. The massive Franco-Spanish fleet hovered off of the coast of England in plain sight of a disturbed populace, presenting the greatest threat of invasion Britain had faced since 1588. In the end it was French indecision over a landing point which delayed an invasion, followed by Channel storms driving the fleet back out to sea. By the end of August the combined fleet sailed for Brest and the invasion of 1779 was called off.