# Battle of the Hyères Islands order of battle

The Order of battle at the Battle of the Hyères Islands recounts the British Royal Navy and French Navy fleets which participated in a campaign off the Îles d'Hyères during the French Revolutionary Wars. The Battle of the Hyères Islands was an engagement fought for control of the Ligurian Sea, the waters off the Southern French and Northwestern Italian coasts, where British and French forces had clashed since the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars in 1793. The battle was an uneven contest, the French, led by Vice-admiral Pierre Martin unwilling to face the larger British fleet under Admiral William Hotham, but losing one ship of the line to British fire as they attempted to escape.
The British had been dominant in the Mediterranean since the destruction of half of the French Mediterranean Fleet at the conclusion of the Siege of Toulon in December 1793. As the French strove to repair and rebuilt their shattered fleet, the British turned to securing the island of Corsica, through an invasion in 1794. The only French naval operation of the year, a cruise by Martin in June, was forced to shelter in the anchorage at Gourjean Bay to avoid destruction. In March 1795 the French had enough serviceable ships to take to sea once more, sailing in the Gulf of Genoa and capturing the damaged HMS Berwick at the action of 8 March 1795. A few days later Hotham's fleet caught the French and Martin lost two ships at the ensuing Battle of Genoa. During the spring both fleets gained reinforcements from the Atlantic, and in June Martin sailed once more.
Hotham was not initially concerned by French movements, but on 7 July a squadron under Captain Horatio Nelson was chased by the French and Nelson led Martin directly to Hotham's anchorage at San Fiorenzo. Hotham delayed departure but eventually gave chase, pursuing Martin's smaller fleet across the Ligurian Sea. On 13 July off the Îles d'Hyères, the leading British ships caught the trailing French ships and a short battle followed during which the French ship of the line Alcide was isolated, captured and subsequently destroyed by fire. Martin retreated to Fréjus while Hotham, his flagship trailing 8 nautical miles (15 km) behind the action, ordered his ships to pull back. This decision was criticised by his officers at the time and by subsequent historians, and his failure to inflict a decisive defeat on the French at this engagement is often cited as crucial in the forced evacuation of the Mediterranean by all British forces the following year.

## Hotham's fleet

Note that as carronades were not traditionally taken into consideration when calculating a ship's rate, these ships may have been carrying more guns than indicated below.
* British Royal Navy
* Navy of the Kingdom of Naples
* Ships in this colour were destroyed or captured during the campaign
Admiral William Hotham's fleet :
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Fleet | Commander | Casualties | Casualties | Casualties | Notes |
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Fleet | Commander | Killed | Wounded | Total | Notes |
| HMS Britannia | First rate | 100 | | Admiral William Hotham Captain John Holloway | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| HMS Victory | First rate | 100 | | Rear-Admiral Robert Mann Captain John Knight | 5 | 15 | 20 | Heavy engaged. Damage to rigging and sails. |
| HMS Princess Royal | Second rate | 98 | | Vice-Admiral Samuel Goodall Captain John Child Purvis | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| HMS St George | Second rate | 98 | | Vice-Admiral Sir Hyde Parker Captain Thomas Foley | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| HMS Windsor Castle | Second rate | 98 | | Rear-Admiral Robert Linzee Captain John Gore | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| HMS Blenheim | Second rate | 98 | | Captain John Bazely | 2 | 2 | 4 | Lightly engaged. |
| HMS Gibraltar | Third rate | 80 | | Captain John Pakenham | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| HMS Captain | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Samuel Reeve | 1 | 0 | 1 | Lightly engaged. |
| HMS Fortitude | Third rate | 74 | | Captain William Young | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| HMS Bombay Castle | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Charles Chamberlayne | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| HMS Saturn | Third rate | 74 | | Captain James Douglas | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| HMS Cumberland | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Bartholomew Rowley | 0 | 0 | 0 | Heavily engaged. Damage to rigging and sails. |
| HMS Terrible | Third rate | 74 | | Captain George Campbell | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| HMS Defence | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Thomas Wells | 1 | 6 | 7 | Lightly engaged. |
| HMS Egmont | Third rate | 74 | | Captain John Sutton | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| HMS Culloden | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Thomas Troubridge | 2 | 5 | 7 | Heavily engaged. Damage to rigging and sails. |
| HMS Bedford | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Davidge Gould | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| HMS Courageux | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Benjamin Hallowell | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| HMS Audacious | Third rate | 74 | | Captain William Shield | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| Guiscardo | Third rate | 74 | | | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| Samnito | Third rate | 74 | | | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| HMS Agamemnon | Third rate | 64 | | Captain Horatio Nelson | 0 | 0 | 0 | Lightly engaged. |
| HMS Diadem | Third rate | 64 | | Captain Charles Tyler | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| HMS Meleager | Fifth rate | 32 | | Captain George Cockburn | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| HMS Cyclops | Fifth rate | 28 | | Captain William Hotham | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| HMS Ariadne | Sixth rate | 24 | | Captain Robert Plampin | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| HMS Comet | Brig | 14 | | | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| HMS Eclair | Brig | 20 | | | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| HMS Fleche | Brig | 14 | | Commander Thomas Boys | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| HMS Resolution | Cutter | 14 | | Lieutenant Edward H. Columbine | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not engaged. |
| Total casualties: 11 killed, 27 wounded |||||||||
| Sources: James, pp. 267–271. |||||||||

## Martin's fleet

Note that the number of guns refers to the official complement, traditionally taken into consideration when calculating a ship's rate, and that these ships may have been carrying more guns than indicated below, although obusiers were not carried on French ships in this battle. Officers killed in action are marked with a † symbol.
* Ships in this colour were destroyed during the campaign
Vice-amiral Martin's fleet :
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Fleet | Commander | Casualties | Casualties | Casualties | Notes |
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Fleet | Commander | Killed | Wounded | Total | Notes |
| Sans Culotte | First rate | 120 | | Vice-amiral Pierre Martin Captain Lapalisse Représentant Joseph Niou | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Tonnant | Third rate | 80 | | Contre-amiral Jean-Louis Delmotte [fr] Captain Julien Cosmao-Kerjulien | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Victoire | Third rate | 80 | | Captain Daniel Savary | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Généreux | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Louis | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Heavily engaged. |
| Heureux | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Charles Lacaille | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Barra | Third rate | 74 | | Captain André Maureau | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Guerrier | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Louis Infernet | None | None | None | Sent back to Toulon before the action. |
| Mercure | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Catteford | None | None | None | Sent back to Toulon before the action. |
| Alcide * | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Leblond Saint-Hylaire † | c. 300 killed | c. 300 killed | c. 300 killed | Heavily engaged, badly damaged and captured. Caught fire after the action with heavy loss of life. |
| Timoléon | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Charbonnier | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Duquesne | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Zacharie Allemand | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Peuple Souverain | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Lindet-Lalonde | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Berwick | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Dumanoir le Pelley | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Heavily engaged. |
| Jemmapes | Third rate | 74 | | Contre-amiral Jean François Renaudin Captain Laffon | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Tyrannicide | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Alain Joseph Dordelin | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Heavily engaged. |
| Jupiter | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Joseph de Richery | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Révolution | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Fay | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Aquilon | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Laterre | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Heavily engaged. |
| Républicain | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Honoré Ganteaume | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Junon | Frigate | 32 | | Lieutenant Amand Leduc | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Friponne | Frigate | 36 | | Lieutenant Villeneuve | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Alceste | Frigate | 32 | | Lieutenant Jean Joseph Hubert | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Sérieuse | Frigate | 32 | | Lieutenant Saunier | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Justice | Frigate | 40 | | Captain Jacques Dalbarade | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Embuscade | Frigate | 40 | | Lieutenant Maxime Émeriau | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Félicité | Frigate | 32 | | Lieutenant Lecour | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Brune | Corvette | 20 | | Ensign Louis Gabriel Deniéport | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Badine | Brig | 20 | | Lieutenant Testu | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Alerte | Brig | 10 | | Le Mèle | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Hazard | Brig | 18 | | Dumay | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Scout | Brig | 18 | | Dumeny | None | None | None | Not engaged. |
| Total casualties: c. 300 killed |||||||||||
| Sources: Troude, pp. 432–436. |||||||||||