In June of 1340, the English decided to attack the French fleet at Sluys in order to pre-empt a French invasion. After a nine hour battle, that featured both archer attacks and hand-to-hand combat, the English fleet of 200 ships destroyed the French forces; close to 16,000 men died mostly French. The major outcome of the battle was that it permantly stopped all ideas of a French invasion of England and determined that the majority of the warfare would be conducted in France.