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Naval Battle of Genoa (1795)
Encyclopedia
The Naval Battle of Genoa was fought on 14 March 1795 off the coast of Genoa
, a port city in north-western Italy
, between French warships under Rear-Admiral Pierre Martin
and British and Neapolitan warships under Vice Admiral William Hotham
. The battle ended in a British-Neapolitan victory over the French and the capture of the French ships Ça Ira and Censeur
by the British.
, shifted his fleet from San Fiorenzo Bay, Corsica
, to Leghorn
, news which soon reached the French naval base at Toulon
. A fleet of fifteen ships of the line, six frigate
s and two brig
-corvette
s was prepared, and having embarked 5,000 troops, put to sea on 3 March under the command of Rear-Admiral Pierre Martin to invade Corsica and recapture it from the British. Their progress was hampered by a series of north-easterly gales, but they came in sight of the island by early morning on 7 March, when the fleet's advanced figures discovered a British warship sailing under a jury rig
. This was the 74-gun , which had been refitting in San Fiorenzo Bay with the rest of the fleet in early 1795, when her lower masts, stripped of rigging, rolled over the side and were lost. A court-martial
found that the proper precautions to secure the masts had not been taken and dismissed Berwicks captain, William Smith, her first lieutenant, and her master from the ship. Hotham had then sailed with his fleet, ordering Berwicks new captain, Adam Littlejohn, to fit a jury rig and then sail to join him at Leghorn. Littlejohn soon realised that the approaching fleet was a French one, despite their flying Spanish flags, and attempted to escape. With Berwicks speed greatly reduced to the jury-rig, the French frigates were able to close on the British ship, and at 11 am the Alceste
passed to leeward and opened fire within musket-shot on the Berwicks lee bow. The Minerve
and Vestale
then hauled within range and took up position on Berwicks quarter. By noon, her rigging was cut to pieces and every sail was in ribbons. During the battle four sailors were wounded and a bar-shot decapitated Littlejohn; he was the only man killed. Command then devolved upon Lieutenant Nesbit Palmer, who consulted with the other officers. Palmer decided that as Berwick was unable to escape in her disabled state and that all further resistance was useless; he then ordered that Berwick strike her colours
. The Alceste had suffered casualties of eight men wounded, including her captain and another officer. Upon surrendering the British officers and crew were dispersed into the French ships.
On 8 March, news reached Hotham that a French fleet had been sighted off Île Sainte-Marguerite
two days earlier. Further intelligence arrived later that day when the sloop
approached Hotham's anchorage, flying the signal for a fleet in the north-west. On reporting to Hotham the fleet was announced to be sailing southward. Hotham immediately unmoored his fleet, putting to sea early on the morning of 9 March heading for Corsica. As yet unaware of the fate of Berwick, he sent the brig
ahead to San Fiorenzo to order Berwick to join him off Cap Corse
. Tarleton reported back to the fleet that night, giving Hotham news of Berwicks capture, and presumably an updated location of the French fleet, as Hotham changed his course, heading north-west. The following morning on 10 March the British came in sight of the French fleet, now beating northwards back to Toulon against a south-west wind.
to carry away her maintopmast. She received permission to leave the fleet in company with a frigate, and made for Gourjean roads where she met the captured Berwick, also with a frigate in company, and together they made their way to Toulon, taking no further part in the battle. By dawn on the 13 March, and with the French still declining an action, Hotham gave the signal for a general chase. As the British closed on the French, taking advantage of the fresh breeze, the third-most ship in the French rear, the 80-gun Ça Ira, collided with the ship in front of her, the 80-gun Victoire
. The Victoire was slightly damaged, but the Ça Ira lost her fore and main topmasts as a result, causing her to lag behind.
then ranged up on Inconstant, firing several broadsides as she approached, and then took Ça Ira in tow. Inconstant then tacked about, passing under Ça Iras lee, and fired a broadside into her. The crew of the Ça Ira had by now cleared the wreckage of their topmasts and opened fire on the smaller frigate, killing three men and wounding fourteen, while a shot hit her hull between wind and water, forcing her to bear away.
, surged up and by 10.45 am was in range on Ça Iras quarter. HMS Agamemnon carried fewer and lighter guns, and had some 344 men, compared to nearly 1,060 sailors and soldiers aboard the Ça Ira. She maintained a heavy fire on the crippled French ship, still being towed by Vestale, with , commanded by Captain Samuel Reeve, moving up to support him for a time. Nelson continued the duel until 2.15 pm when more French ships arrived in range, coming to support Ça Ira. Nelson then dropped back into position in the British line, which was reformed as the French rear came in range, with the 74-gun ships and exchanging intermittent fire with the rear-most French ships, which included the 120-gun Sans-Culotte
and the 74-gun Timoléon
. By now Nelson had inflicted heavy casualties and considerable damage on the beleaguered Ça Ira.
, the 120-gun Sans-Culotte, to the frigate Friponnee, apparently to better direct the fleet. During the night, by accident or by mismanagement, the Sans-Culotte lost contact with the fleet and took no further part in the action, depriving the French of their only three-decked warship. During the night, Vestale was relieved by the 74-gun Censeur in towing the now dismasted Ça Ira. Daylight revealed the French fleet still on the larboard tack, with the Ça Ira and Censeur now isolated well behind the main body of the fleet. The British fleet were advantageously placed to windward, and observing the lagging pair, Hotham signalled the 74-gun ships Captain and Bedford to close and attack them. Running down from windward they bore up and battered them for 1 hour and 15 minutes, during which time Captain endured raking fire before she could turn her broadsides to bear, and consequently suffered severe damage to her sails, rigging, and stays. She signalled to be towed out of the action, shortly afterwards followed by Bedford, which had also had her sails and rigging badly cut up. Three men were killed on Captain and nine wounded, two mortally. Bedford had seven killed and eighteen wounded.
would lead the action, but the lack of wind meant that most of the ships were becalmed for long periods, and Duquesne struggled to come about. As she did so she came within range of the 32-gun , similarly becalmed and helpless, and opened fire on her. Captain Benjamin Hallowell
ordered his crew below decks, and after a period of time the Neapolitan frigate Minerva drifted near the Duquesne, attracting the attention of the French guns away from Lowestoffe, which did not suffer any casualties, though her sails and rigging were cut up. The Duquesne finally completed her turn, but then instead of obeying Martin's order to lead the line to leeward, she instead passed to windward.
The French line, led by Duquesne and followed by the 80-gun ships Victoire and Tonnant, came within range of Illustrious and Courageux at 8 am and the two sides commenced a heavy cannonade. After over an hour of fighting Illustrious had been hit a number of times in her hull, and had lost her foretopmast, mainmast and mizzenmast, and with her bowsprit and foremast wounded. Courageux had also lost her main and mizzenmasts. The three French ships eventually passed by, and were not followed by the rest of the fleet. The Duquesne, Victoire and Tonnant fired a few shots at the British ships astern of Illustrious and Courageux, and then sailed away, abandoning the Ça Ira and Censeur. Martin made no further attempt to come to their aid, taking advantage of a strengthening and favourable wind to resume heading northwards, while Hotham decided his van was too badly damaged to pursue, and contented himself with securing the two French ships, which surrendered promptly once it became clear the fleet had abandoned them. Hotham then made for Spezia Bay.
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, a port city in north-western Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, between French warships under Rear-Admiral Pierre Martin
Pierre Martin (French Navy officer)
Admiral Pierre Martin was a French Navy officer and admiral.- Youth :Pierre Martin was born to a Canadian family of Louisbourg. In 1759, his family fled to Rochefort as his hometown was taken by the British during the Seven Years' War.Martin served as an apprentice on the fluit Saint Esprit...
and British and Neapolitan warships under Vice Admiral William Hotham
William Hotham, 1st Baron Hotham
Admiral William Hotham, 1st Baron Hotham was an officer in the Royal Navy. He was the son of Sir Beaumont Hotham , a lineal descendant of Sir John Hotham....
. The battle ended in a British-Neapolitan victory over the French and the capture of the French ships Ça Ira and Censeur
French ship Censeur (1782)
Censeur was a 74-gun Pégase-class ship of the line of the French Navy, launched in 1782. She served during the last months of the American War of Independence, and survived to see action in the French Revolutionary Wars. She was briefly captured by the British, but was retaken after a few months...
by the British.
Capture of HMS Berwick
In early 1795 Vice-Admiral Hotham, the commander in chief of the Mediterranean FleetMediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
, shifted his fleet from San Fiorenzo Bay, Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, to Leghorn
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
, news which soon reached the French naval base at Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
. A fleet of fifteen ships of the line, six frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s and two brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
-corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
s was prepared, and having embarked 5,000 troops, put to sea on 3 March under the command of Rear-Admiral Pierre Martin to invade Corsica and recapture it from the British. Their progress was hampered by a series of north-easterly gales, but they came in sight of the island by early morning on 7 March, when the fleet's advanced figures discovered a British warship sailing under a jury rig
Jury rig
Jury rigging refers to makeshift repairs or temporary contrivances, made with only the tools and materials that happen to be on hand. Originally a nautical term, on sailing ships a jury rig is a replacement mast and yards improvised in case of damage or loss of the original mast.-Etymology:The...
. This was the 74-gun , which had been refitting in San Fiorenzo Bay with the rest of the fleet in early 1795, when her lower masts, stripped of rigging, rolled over the side and were lost. A court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
found that the proper precautions to secure the masts had not been taken and dismissed Berwicks captain, William Smith, her first lieutenant, and her master from the ship. Hotham had then sailed with his fleet, ordering Berwicks new captain, Adam Littlejohn, to fit a jury rig and then sail to join him at Leghorn. Littlejohn soon realised that the approaching fleet was a French one, despite their flying Spanish flags, and attempted to escape. With Berwicks speed greatly reduced to the jury-rig, the French frigates were able to close on the British ship, and at 11 am the Alceste
French frigate Alceste (1780)
The Alceste was a Magicienne class frigate of the French Navy, launched in 1780, seized by the British at the Siege of Toulon and transefered to the Kingdom of Sardinia, retaken by the French a year later, and eventually captured by the Royal Navy at the Action of 18 June 1799.At the outbreak of...
passed to leeward and opened fire within musket-shot on the Berwicks lee bow. The Minerve
French frigate Minerve (1794)
The Minerve was a 40-gun frigate of the French Navy. She was captured twice by the British and recaptured once by the French. She therefore served under four names:*Minerve, 1794–1795*HMS Minerve, 1795–1803*Canonnière, 1803–1810...
and Vestale
French ship Vestale (1756)
The Vestale was a Blonde class 30-gun frigate of the French Navy.She was captured by HMS Unicorn at the Battle of Quiberon Bay, 8 January 1761, and recommissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Flora...
then hauled within range and took up position on Berwicks quarter. By noon, her rigging was cut to pieces and every sail was in ribbons. During the battle four sailors were wounded and a bar-shot decapitated Littlejohn; he was the only man killed. Command then devolved upon Lieutenant Nesbit Palmer, who consulted with the other officers. Palmer decided that as Berwick was unable to escape in her disabled state and that all further resistance was useless; he then ordered that Berwick strike her colours
Striking the colors
Striking the colors is the universally recognized indication of surrender, particularly for ships at sea. Surrender is dated from the time the ensign is struck.-In international law:# "Colors. A national flag . The colors . ....
. The Alceste had suffered casualties of eight men wounded, including her captain and another officer. Upon surrendering the British officers and crew were dispersed into the French ships.
On 8 March, news reached Hotham that a French fleet had been sighted off Île Sainte-Marguerite
Île Sainte-Marguerite
The Île Sainte-Marguerite is the largest of the Lérins Islands, about half a mile off shore from the French Riviera town of Cannes. The island is approximately 3km in length and 900m across....
two days earlier. Further intelligence arrived later that day when the sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
approached Hotham's anchorage, flying the signal for a fleet in the north-west. On reporting to Hotham the fleet was announced to be sailing southward. Hotham immediately unmoored his fleet, putting to sea early on the morning of 9 March heading for Corsica. As yet unaware of the fate of Berwick, he sent the brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
ahead to San Fiorenzo to order Berwick to join him off Cap Corse
Cap Corse
Cap Corse, a geographical area of Corsica , is a 25-mile long peninsula located at the northern tip of the island. At the base of it is the second largest city in Corsica, Bastia...
. Tarleton reported back to the fleet that night, giving Hotham news of Berwicks capture, and presumably an updated location of the French fleet, as Hotham changed his course, heading north-west. The following morning on 10 March the British came in sight of the French fleet, now beating northwards back to Toulon against a south-west wind.
The fleets circle
The two fleets gradually closed over the next two days, hampered by light winds. Favourable winds on the evening of 12 March caused the British to form a line of battle, but the French bore away. Heavy squalls blew up during the night of 12 March, causing the 74-gun MercureFrench ship Mercure (1783)
The Mercure was a 74-gun Séduisant-class ship of the line of the French Navy.She took part in the Battle of the Nile under Captain Cambon. She fought against HMS Majestic and was captured by HMS Alexander. Damaged beyond repair and aground, she was burnt.-See also:*List of ships captured in the...
to carry away her maintopmast. She received permission to leave the fleet in company with a frigate, and made for Gourjean roads where she met the captured Berwick, also with a frigate in company, and together they made their way to Toulon, taking no further part in the battle. By dawn on the 13 March, and with the French still declining an action, Hotham gave the signal for a general chase. As the British closed on the French, taking advantage of the fresh breeze, the third-most ship in the French rear, the 80-gun Ça Ira, collided with the ship in front of her, the 80-gun Victoire
French ship Languedoc (1766)
The Languedoc was a ship of the line of the French Navy and flagship of Admiral d'Estaing. She was offered to King Louis XV by the Languedoc, as part of a national effort to rebuild the navy after the Seven Years' War. She was designed by the naval architect Joseph Coulomb.In 1776, France decided...
. The Victoire was slightly damaged, but the Ça Ira lost her fore and main topmasts as a result, causing her to lag behind.
Fremantle attacks
Captain Thomas Fremantle, aboard the 36-gun seized the opportunity and ranging up on Ça Iras larboard quarter, opened fire. The 36-gun VestaleFrench ship Vestale (1756)
The Vestale was a Blonde class 30-gun frigate of the French Navy.She was captured by HMS Unicorn at the Battle of Quiberon Bay, 8 January 1761, and recommissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Flora...
then ranged up on Inconstant, firing several broadsides as she approached, and then took Ça Ira in tow. Inconstant then tacked about, passing under Ça Iras lee, and fired a broadside into her. The crew of the Ça Ira had by now cleared the wreckage of their topmasts and opened fire on the smaller frigate, killing three men and wounding fourteen, while a shot hit her hull between wind and water, forcing her to bear away.
Nelson engages
As Fremantle fell away, the 64-gun , captained by Horatio NelsonHoratio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
, surged up and by 10.45 am was in range on Ça Iras quarter. HMS Agamemnon carried fewer and lighter guns, and had some 344 men, compared to nearly 1,060 sailors and soldiers aboard the Ça Ira. She maintained a heavy fire on the crippled French ship, still being towed by Vestale, with , commanded by Captain Samuel Reeve, moving up to support him for a time. Nelson continued the duel until 2.15 pm when more French ships arrived in range, coming to support Ça Ira. Nelson then dropped back into position in the British line, which was reformed as the French rear came in range, with the 74-gun ships and exchanging intermittent fire with the rear-most French ships, which included the 120-gun Sans-Culotte
French ship Orient (1791)
The Dauphin-Royal was an Océan class 118-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.During the French Revolution, she was renamed Sans-Culotte in September 1792, and eventually Orient in May 1795....
and the 74-gun Timoléon
French ship Commerce de Bordeaux (1785)
The Commerce de Bordeaux was a Téméraire class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.Renamed Timoléon in February 1794, she took part in the Battle of the Nile under captain Louis-Léonce Trullet. In the confusion of the battle, her rudder was damaged by misdirected fire from the neighbouring...
. By now Nelson had inflicted heavy casualties and considerable damage on the beleaguered Ça Ira.
Ça Ira and Censeur vs Captain and Bedford
The action ended for the day, with Martin transferring from his flagshipFlagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
, the 120-gun Sans-Culotte, to the frigate Friponnee, apparently to better direct the fleet. During the night, by accident or by mismanagement, the Sans-Culotte lost contact with the fleet and took no further part in the action, depriving the French of their only three-decked warship. During the night, Vestale was relieved by the 74-gun Censeur in towing the now dismasted Ça Ira. Daylight revealed the French fleet still on the larboard tack, with the Ça Ira and Censeur now isolated well behind the main body of the fleet. The British fleet were advantageously placed to windward, and observing the lagging pair, Hotham signalled the 74-gun ships Captain and Bedford to close and attack them. Running down from windward they bore up and battered them for 1 hour and 15 minutes, during which time Captain endured raking fire before she could turn her broadsides to bear, and consequently suffered severe damage to her sails, rigging, and stays. She signalled to be towed out of the action, shortly afterwards followed by Bedford, which had also had her sails and rigging badly cut up. Three men were killed on Captain and nine wounded, two mortally. Bedford had seven killed and eighteen wounded.
Defence of the rear
By this time Ça Ira and Censeur had been heavily damaged and were almost defenceless. Martin now came about to go to the aid of his rear, aiming to pass along the isolated ships and defend them against and , which were approaching to replace Bedford and Captain. He intended that the 74-gun DuquesneFrench ship Duquesne (1787)
The Duquesne was a Téméraire class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.It directed in 1793, under captain Vence, an important convoy of Levant then escaped the hostile monitoring from a squadron Anglo-Spanish....
would lead the action, but the lack of wind meant that most of the ships were becalmed for long periods, and Duquesne struggled to come about. As she did so she came within range of the 32-gun , similarly becalmed and helpless, and opened fire on her. Captain Benjamin Hallowell
Benjamin Hallowell Carew
Admiral Sir Benjamin Hallowell Carew GCB, was a senior officer in the Royal Navy...
ordered his crew below decks, and after a period of time the Neapolitan frigate Minerva drifted near the Duquesne, attracting the attention of the French guns away from Lowestoffe, which did not suffer any casualties, though her sails and rigging were cut up. The Duquesne finally completed her turn, but then instead of obeying Martin's order to lead the line to leeward, she instead passed to windward.
The French line, led by Duquesne and followed by the 80-gun ships Victoire and Tonnant, came within range of Illustrious and Courageux at 8 am and the two sides commenced a heavy cannonade. After over an hour of fighting Illustrious had been hit a number of times in her hull, and had lost her foretopmast, mainmast and mizzenmast, and with her bowsprit and foremast wounded. Courageux had also lost her main and mizzenmasts. The three French ships eventually passed by, and were not followed by the rest of the fleet. The Duquesne, Victoire and Tonnant fired a few shots at the British ships astern of Illustrious and Courageux, and then sailed away, abandoning the Ça Ira and Censeur. Martin made no further attempt to come to their aid, taking advantage of a strengthening and favourable wind to resume heading northwards, while Hotham decided his van was too badly damaged to pursue, and contented himself with securing the two French ships, which surrendered promptly once it became clear the fleet had abandoned them. Hotham then made for Spezia Bay.
Sequel: The loss of Illustrious
Illustrious was being towed back to port by the frigate , when a strong gale blew up on the night of 17 March, causing the tow rope to part. Leaking and shipping water through broken gunports, Illustrious lost her jury-rigged mizzenmast and had her sails ripped to shreds. Sighting land ahead at daylight on 18 March, the two ships headed east. Meleager parted company at noon, and 1.30 pm Illustriouss situation worsened when a cannon accidentally went off, destroying the gunport lid and causing water to flood in. Illustrious wore round until the port could be secured, and attempted to head north, but made land to the east of the bay. Running into shoal water at 7.30pm that evening Illustriouss captain, Thomas Frederick, attempted to anchor, but the cables parted and she ran onshore. The wind increasing and changing direction, her rudder carried away. Attempts were made the following day to run a cable to shore, but without success, and in the evening Tarleton arrived, but no boats could be launched because of the heavy sea. Lowestoffe and Romulus arrived the following day, as did the launches from the main fleet, and the crew and most of the stores were taken off, after which the hull was burnt.Order of battle
| British-Neapolitan fleet (in order of sailing) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Navy | Commander | Casualties | Notes | ||||
| Killed | Wounded | Total | ||||||||
| Van (Vice-Admiral Goodall) | ||||||||||
| Third rate | 74 |  |
Captain Samuel Reeve | 3 | 17 | 20 | ||||
| Third rate | 74 | |
Captain Davidge Gould Davidge Gould Sir Davidge Gould GCB was an officer of the Royal Navy. He served during the American Revolutionary, French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars, eventually rising to the rank of Admiral... |
7 | 17 | 24 | ||||
| Tancredi | Third rate | 74 | .svg.png) |
Captain Chev. Francesco Caracciolo Francesco Caracciolo Prince Francesco Caracciolo was a Neapolitan admiral and revolutionist.-Early life and British service:Caracciolo was born in Naples to a noble family. He entered the navy and learned his seamanship under Rodney... |
1 | 5 | 6 | |||
| Second rate | 98 | |
Vice-Admiral Samuel Goodall Samuel Goodall Samuel Granston Goodall was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the Seven Years' War, the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary Wars in a career that spanned 50 years, rising to the rank of Admiral of the White.Goodall rose from obscure origins to the rank of... Captain John Purvis |
4 | 8 | 12 | ||||
| Third rate | 64 | |
Captain Horatio Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of... |
0 | 13 | 13 | ||||
| Minerva | Fifth rate | 32 | |
0 | 4 | 4 | ||||
| Pilade | |
0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Fifth rate | 32 | |
Captain Benjamin Hallowell Benjamin Hallowell Carew Admiral Sir Benjamin Hallowell Carew GCB, was a senior officer in the Royal Navy... |
0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Sixth rate | 26 | |
Commander Ralph Willett Miller Ralph Willett Miller Ralph Willett Miller was an officer of the Royal Navy. He served during the American Revolutionary and the French Revolutionary Wars, eventually rising to the rank of Captain... |
0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Brig Brig A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries... |
14 | |
Captain Charles Brisbane Charles Brisbane Sir Charles Brisbane KCB was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the American War of Independence, and with distinction under Lords Hood and Nelson.... |
0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Centre (Vice-Admiral Hotham) | ||||||||||
| Third rate | 74 | |
Captain Thomas Frederick | 20 | 69 | 89 | ||||
| Third rate | 74 | |
Captain Augustus Montgomery | 8 | 32 | 40 | ||||
| First rate | 100 | |
Vice Admiral William Hotham William Hotham, 1st Baron Hotham Admiral William Hotham, 1st Baron Hotham was an officer in the Royal Navy. He was the son of Sir Beaumont Hotham , a lineal descendant of Sir John Hotham.... Captain John Holloway |
1 | 18 | 19 | ||||
| Third rate | 74 | |
Captain John Sutton | 7 | 21 | 28 | ||||
| Second rate | 98 | |
Rear-Admiral Robert Linzee Robert Linzee Robert Linzee was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary War, and the Napoleonic War.... Captain John Gore |
6 | 30 | 36 | ||||
| Fifth rate | 36 | |
Captain Thomas Fremantle | 3 | 14 | 17 | ||||
| Fifth rate | 32 | |
Captain George Cockburn George Cockburn Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Cockburn, 10th Baronet GCB was a British naval commander of the late 18th through the mid-19th centuries. He held important commands during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 and eventually rose to become Admiral of the Fleet and First Sea Lord.-Naval... |
0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Rear (Vice-Admiral Parker) | ||||||||||
| Third rate | 64 | |
Captain Charles Tyler Charles Tyler Admiral Sir Charles Tyler, GCB was a British admiral who gained fame during the Napoleonic Wars as one of the Nelsonic Band of Brothers and a naval officer of great reputation and success who fought at the battles of Copenhagen and Trafalgar.-Early life:Tyler was born in 1760, the son of Captain... |
4 | 13 | 17 | ||||
| Second rate | 98 | |
Vice-Admiral Sir Hyde Parker Captain Thomas Foley |
4 | 13 | 17 | ||||
| Third rate | 74 | |
Captain George Campbell George Campbell (Royal Navy officer) Admiral Sir George Campbell GCB was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.-Naval career:... |
0 | 6 | 6 | ||||
| Third rate | 74 | |
Captain William Young William Young (1751–1821) Sir William Young GCB was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.... |
1 | 4 | 5 | ||||
| Fifth rate | 36 | |
Captain George Johnstone Hope George Johnstone Hope Rear-Admiral Sir George Johnstone Hope, KCB was a British naval officer, who served with distinction in the Royal Navy throughout the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, including service at the Battle of Trafalgar... |
0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Sloop Sloop A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter.... |
18 | |
Captain Charles Pater | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| cutter | |
Lieutenant John Gibson | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Casualties: 74 Killed, 284 Wounded, 358 Total | ||||||||||
| French fleet | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Navy | Commander | Casualties | Notes | ||||
| Killed | Wounded | Total | ||||||||
| Victoire French ship Languedoc (1766) The Languedoc was a ship of the line of the French Navy and flagship of Admiral d'Estaing. She was offered to King Louis XV by the Languedoc, as part of a national effort to rebuild the navy after the Seven Years' War. She was designed by the naval architect Joseph Coulomb.In 1776, France decided... |
Third rate | 80 |  |
- | - | - | ||||
| Mercure French ship Mercure (1783) The Mercure was a 74-gun Séduisant-class ship of the line of the French Navy.She took part in the Battle of the Nile under Captain Cambon. She fought against HMS Majestic and was captured by HMS Alexander. Damaged beyond repair and aground, she was burnt.-See also:*List of ships captured in the... |
Third rate | 74 | |
- | - | - | Left fleet on night of 12/13 March | |||
| Censeur French ship Censeur (1782) Censeur was a 74-gun Pégase-class ship of the line of the French Navy, launched in 1782. She served during the last months of the American War of Independence, and survived to see action in the French Revolutionary Wars. She was briefly captured by the British, but was retaken after a few months... |
Third rate | 74 | |
Captain Louis-Marie Coudé | - | - | - | Captured | ||
| Sans Culotte French ship Orient (1791) The Dauphin-Royal was an Océan class 118-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.During the French Revolution, she was renamed Sans-Culotte in September 1792, and eventually Orient in May 1795.... |
First rate | 120 | |
Rear-Admiral Pierre Martin Pierre Martin (French Navy officer) Admiral Pierre Martin was a French Navy officer and admiral.- Youth :Pierre Martin was born to a Canadian family of Louisbourg. In 1759, his family fled to Rochefort as his hometown was taken by the British during the Seven Years' War.Martin served as an apprentice on the fluit Saint Esprit... (after 13 March) |
- | - | - | Lost contact with the fleet on the night of 13/14 March | ||
| Duquesne French ship Duquesne (1787) The Duquesne was a Téméraire class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.It directed in 1793, under captain Vence, an important convoy of Levant then escaped the hostile monitoring from a squadron Anglo-Spanish.... |
Third rate | 74 | |
- | - | - | ||||
| Tonnant HMS Tonnant (1792) Tonnant was an 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy and lead ship of the Tonnant class. Admiral Nelson captured her at Aboukir Bay on 1 August 1798. The Royal Navy then took her into service... |
Third rate | 80 | |
- | - | - | ||||
| Alcide French ship Alcide (1782) The Alcide was a 74-gun Pégase class ship of the line of the French Navy, launched in 1782.In 1782, she took part in the American war of Independence in De Grasse's fleet.... |
Third rate | 74 | |
- | - | - | ||||
| Barra HMS Donegal (1798) The Barra was a Téméraire class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy. She was renamed Pégase in 1795, and Hoche in 1797. She was captured by the British on 12 October 1798 and recommissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Donegal.... |
Third rate | 74 | |
- | - | - | ||||
| Conquérant French ship Conquérant (1747) The Conquérant was a Citoyen class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.She took part in the Battle of the Nile, where she was armed with only 18- and 12-pounders, and crewed by a mere 400 men, under captain Dalbarade. Second ship in the vanguard of her line, Conquérant sustained fire from... |
Third rate | 74 | |
- | - | - | ||||
| Généreux French ship Généreux (1785) The Généreux was a French Téméraire class ship of the line.She was launched in 1785 at Rochefort. With the Guillaume Tell, she was one of only two ships to escape the British attack at the Battle of the Nile in August 1798.... |
Third rate | 74 | |
- | - | - | ||||
| Guerrier French ship Guerrier (1754) The Guerrier was a Magnifique class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.She took part in the Battle of Minorca and in the Battle of Lagos... |
Third rate | 74 | |
- | - | - | ||||
| Heureux French ship Heureux (1783) The Heureux was a Centaure class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.She cruised in the Mediterranean in 1794 and 1795.Under Captain Jean-Pierre Etienne, she took part in the Expedition to Egypt, and in the Battle of the Nile. The first ship to spot the British fleet on 1 August, Heureux... |
Third rate | 74 | |
- | - | - | ||||
| Peuple Souverain French ship Souverain (1757) The Souverain was a 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, lead ship of her class.She took part in the Battle of the Chesapeake, in 1781. In 1792, she was renamed Peuple Souverain .... |
Third rate | 74 | |
- | - | - | ||||
| Timoléon French ship Commerce de Bordeaux (1785) The Commerce de Bordeaux was a Téméraire class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.Renamed Timoléon in February 1794, she took part in the Battle of the Nile under captain Louis-Léonce Trullet. In the confusion of the battle, her rudder was damaged by misdirected fire from the neighbouring... |
Third rate | 74 | |
- | - | - | ||||
| Vestale French ship Vestale (1756) The Vestale was a Blonde class 30-gun frigate of the French Navy.She was captured by HMS Unicorn at the Battle of Quiberon Bay, 8 January 1761, and recommissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Flora... |
Frigate Frigate A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"... |
36 | |
- | - | - | ||||
| Minerve French frigate Minerve (1794) The Minerve was a 40-gun frigate of the French Navy. She was captured twice by the British and recaptured once by the French. She therefore served under four names:*Minerve, 1794–1795*HMS Minerve, 1795–1803*Canonnière, 1803–1810... |
Frigate Frigate A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"... |
40 | |
- | - | - | ||||
| Alceste French frigate Alceste (1780) The Alceste was a Magicienne class frigate of the French Navy, launched in 1780, seized by the British at the Siege of Toulon and transefered to the Kingdom of Sardinia, retaken by the French a year later, and eventually captured by the Royal Navy at the Action of 18 June 1799.At the outbreak of... |
Frigate Frigate A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"... |
32 | |
Captain Lejoille | - | - | - | |||
| Artémise French frigate Artémise (1794) The Artémise was a Magicienne class frigate of the French Navy.She was under construction as Aurore in Toulon when the British seized the city... |
Frigate Frigate A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"... |
32 | |
- | - | - | ||||
| Courageuse | Frigate Frigate A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"... |
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- | - | - | |||||
| Friponnee | Frigate Frigate A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"... |
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Rear-Admiral Pierre Martin Pierre Martin (French Navy officer) Admiral Pierre Martin was a French Navy officer and admiral.- Youth :Pierre Martin was born to a Canadian family of Louisbourg. In 1759, his family fled to Rochefort as his hometown was taken by the British during the Seven Years' War.Martin served as an apprentice on the fluit Saint Esprit... (after 13 March) |
- | - | - | ||||
| Brig-corvette | |
- | - | - | ||||||
| Brig-corvette | |
- | - | - | ||||||
| Casualties: c. 600 killed and 1,000 wounded | ||||||||||
| Sources: James, p. 261; Fremont-Barnes, p. 78 | ||||||||||