Conflans, having struggled with unfavorable winds, had slowed down on the night of the nineteenth in order to arrive at Quiberon at dawn. 

Twenty miles off Belle-isle, he sights seven of Duff's squadron.

Once he realizes that this is not the main British fleet, he gives chase.

Duff splits his ships to the north and south, with the French van and center in pursuit, while the rearguard holds off to windward to watch some strange sails appearing from the west.

The French break off the pursuit but are still scattered as Hawke's fleet comes into sight.

HMS Magnanime sights the French at 8:30 and Hawke gives the signal for line abreast.

Conflans is faced with a choice, to fight in his current disadvantageous position in high seas and a "very violent" WNW wind, or take up a defensive position in Quiberon Bay and dare Hawke to come into the labyrinth of shoals and reefs.

About 9am Hawke gives the signal for general chase along with a new signal for the first seven ships to form a line ahead and, in spite of the weather and the dangerous waters, sets full sail.

By 2:30 Conflans rounds Les Cardinaux, the rocks at the end of the Quiberon peninsula that give the battle its name in French

The first shots are heard as he does so, although Sir John Bentley in Warspite will claim that they were fired without his orders.

However the British are starting to overtake the rear of the French fleet even as their van and center make it to the safety of the bay.

Just before 4 PM the battered Formidable surrenders to the Resolution, just as Hawke himself rounds The Cardinals.

Meanwhile, Thésée loses her duel with HMS Torbay and founders, Superbe capsizes, and the badly damaged Héros strikes her flag to Viscount Howe before running aground on the Four Shoal during the night.

Meanwhile, the wind shifts to the NW, further confusing Conflans' half-formed line as they tangle together in the face of Hawke's daring pursuit.

Conflans tries unsuccessfully to resolve the muddle, but in the end decides to put to sea again.

His flagship, Soleil Royal, headed for the entrance to the bay just as Hawke is coming in on Royal George.

Hawke sees an opportunity to rake Soleil Royal, but Intrépide interposes herself and takes the fire.

Meanwhile, Soleil Royal has fallen to leeward and is forced to run back and anchor off Croisic, away from the rest of the French fleet.

By now it is about 5 PM and darkness has fallen, so Hawke makes the signal to anchor.

During the nigh, eight French ships manage to do what Soleil Royal had failed to do, to navigate through the shoals to the safety of the open sea, and escape to Rochefort.

Seven ships and the frigates are in the Villaine estuary, but Hawke dares not attack them in the stormy weather.

The French jettison  their guns and gear and use the rising tide and northwesterly wind to escape over the sandbar at the bottom of the Villaine river.

One of these ships was wrecked, and the remaining six will be trapped throughout 1760 by a blockading British squadron and only later will manage to break out and reach Brest in 1761/1762.

The badly damaged Juste is lost as she makes for the Loire, one hundred and fifty of her crew surviving the ordeal, and Resolution grounds on the Four Shoal during the night.

Soleil Royal tries to escape to the safety of the batteries at Croisic, but Essex pursues her with the result that both are wrecked on the Four Shoal beside Heros.