# Battle of Genoa order of battle

The Order of battle at the Battle of Genoa recounts the British-Neapolitan and French fleets which participated in a short campaign in the Gulf of Genoa during the French Revolutionary Wars. The campaign featured the principal Battle of Genoa on 13–14 March 1795, and an earlier smaller battle off Cap Corse on 8 March. Losses were even: although the British succeeded in capturing two French ships in the main action, two British ships were also lost elsewhere during the campaign. The French foray into the Ligurian Sea was driven back to a safe harbour, resulting in a restoration of the British blockade of Toulon, and leading to a second battle later in the year.
The campaign began on 3 March when the French Mediterranean Fleet sailed from the naval base at Toulon for an operation in the Ligurian Sea. During the winter they had been under constant blockade from a British fleet based at San Fiorenzo on Corsica, which had been captured in a British invasion the previous year. In February the British fleet, under the command of Vice-Admiral William Hotham, had sailed from San Fiorenzo to Leghorn for repairs, leaving behind HMS Berwick, damaged in a January storm. When news of Hotham's withdrawal reached Toulon, Contre-amiral Pierre Martin sailed the French fleet out and caught Berwick off the northern coast of Corsica. The damaged ship was unable to outrun pursuit and surrendered at the action of 8 March 1795 after the captain was decapitated by French shot.
Hotham discovered Martin's movements and sailed to meet him, encountering the French near Cape Noli on 10 March. For several days both fleets lay becalmed, unable to come to action. On 13 March the wind increased and Hotham attacked, Martin falling back under pursuit. One of Martin's rearguard, Ça Ira, collided with another ship and fell back. Ça Ira was engaged by first the frigate HMS Inconstant and then HMS Agamemnon under Captain Horatio Nelson. Elsewhere there was scattered fighting between other British and French ships. Over night the French flagship accidentally detached from the fleet, and in the morning Hotham renewed the attack, overwhelming Ça Ira and the Censeur, sent to support it. A French counterattack was beaten off, although HMS Illustrious and HMS Courageux were badly damaged.
Hotham declined to renew the action due to concern for his damaged ships, to the frustration of his subordinates, particularly Nelson. The French withdrew to Gourjean Bay and then Toulon, and the British to the Gulf of La Spezia. There a storm drove the damaged Illustrious ashore, and the ship was destroyed. In the aftermath both fleets refitted and prepared for another engagement; in early July the French fleet was again attacked by the British, at the Battle of the Hyères Islands, and the rearmost ship Alcide was overrun and destroyed.

## 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. Officers killed in action are marked with a † symbol.
* British Royal Navy
* Navy of the Kingdom of Naples
* Ships in this colour were destroyed or captured during the campaign
Vice-Admiral William Hotham's fleet :
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Fleet | Commander | Casualties | Casualties | Casualties | Notes |
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Fleet | Commander | Killed | Wounded | Total | Notes |
| Van squadron |||||||||
| HMS Captain | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Samuel Reeve | 3 | 19 | 22 | Heavily engaged 13 March, damaged. |
| HMS Bedford | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Davidge Gould | 7 | 18 | 25 | Heavily engaged 13 March, badly damaged. |
| Tancredi | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Chevalier Francesco Caracciolo | 1 | 5 | 6 | |
| HMS Princess Royal | Second rate | 98 | | Vice-Admiral Samuel Goodall Captain John Child Purvis | 3 | 8 | 11 | Engaged 14 March. |
| HMS Agamemnon | Third rate | 64 | | Captain Horatio Nelson | 0 | 13 | 13 | Heavily engaged 13 and 14 March. |
| Minerva | Fifth rate | 32 | | | 0 | 4 | 4 | Heavily engaged 13 March. |
| Pilade | Fifth rate | | | | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| HMS Lowestoffe | Fifth rate | 32 | | Captain Benjamin Hallowell | 0 | 0 | 0 | Heavily engaged 14 March, damaged. |
| HMS Poulette | Sixth rate | 26 | | Commander Ralph Willett Miller | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| HMS Tarleton | Brig | 14 | | Commander Charles Brisbane | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Centre squadron |||||||||
| HMS Illustrious | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Thomas Frederick | 20 | 70 | 90 | Heavily engaged 14 March, badly damaged. Lost main and mizzenmasts. Wrecked on the Italian coast, 17 March. |
| HMS Courageux | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Augustus Montgomery | 15 | 33 | 48 | Heavily engaged 14 March, badly damaged. Lost main and mizzenmasts. |
| HMS Britannia | First rate | 100 | | Vice-Admiral William Hotham Captain John Holloway | 1 | 18 | 19 | |
| HMS Egmont | Third rate | 74 | | Captain John Sutton | 7 | 21 | 28 | Heavily engaged 13 March, damaged. |
| HMS Windsor Castle | Second rate | 98 | | Rear-Admiral Robert Linzee Captain John Gore | 6 | 31 | 37 | |
| HMS Inconstant | Fifth rate | 36 | | Captain Thomas Fremantle | 3 | 14 | 17 | Heavily engaged 13 March, damaged. |
| HMS Meleager | Fifth rate | 32 | | Captain George Cockburn | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Rear squadron |||||||||
| HMS Diadem | Third rate | 64 | | Captain Charles Tyler | 3 | 7 | 10 | |
| HMS St George | Second rate | 98 | | Vice-Admiral Sir Hyde Parker Captain Thomas Foley | 4 | 13 | 17 | |
| HMS Terrible | Third rate | 74 | | Captain George Campbell | 0 | 6 | 6 | |
| HMS Fortitude | Third rate | 74 | | Captain William Young | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| HMS Romulus | Fifth rate | 36 | | Captain George Hope | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| HMS Moselle | Brig | 18 | | Commander Charles Dudley Pater | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Fox | Cutter | 14 | | Lieutenant John Gibson | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total casualties: 74 killed, 254 wounded |||||||||
| Sources: James, p. 261; Clowes, p. 272. |||||||||
HMS Berwick :
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Fleet | Commander | Casualties | Casualties | Casualties | Notes |
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Fleet | Commander | Killed | Wounded | Total | Notes |
| HMS Berwick | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Adam Littlejohn † | 1 | 4 | 5 | Defeated and captured at Action of 8 March 1795 while sailing independently off Cap Corse. |
| Sources: James, p. 255. |||||||||

## 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 or captured during the campaign
Contre-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 | | Contre-amiral Pierre Martin Captain Lapalisse Représentant Letourneur | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Engaged 13 March. Martin and Letourneur transferred to frigate Friponne in evening. Ship subsequently detached from fleet and anchored at Genoa. |
| Duquesne | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Zacharie Allemand | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Heavily engaged 14 March. Damaged. |
| Victoire | Third rate | 80 | | Captain Daniel Savary | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Heavily engaged 13 March. Damaged. |
| Tonnant | Third rate | 80 | | Captain Julien Cosmao-Kerjulien | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Heavily engaged 14 March. Damaged. |
| Ça Ira | Third rate | 80 | | Captain Louis-Marie Coudé | c.400 | c.400 | c.400 | Heavily engaged 13 and 14 March. Badly damaged and captured. Later became HMS Ca Ira. |
| Mercure | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Catteford | 0 | 0 | 0 | Damaged in storm 12 March and detached from fleet. Did not participate in the battle. |
| Censeur | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Pierre Benoît | c.350 | c.350 | c.350 | Heavily engaged 14 March. Badly damaged and captured. Later became HMS Censeur. |
| Alcide | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Leblond Saint-Hylaire | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Barra | Third rate | 74 | | Captain André Maureau | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Engaged 13 March |
| Conquérant | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Lemancq | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Généreux | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Louis | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Guerrier | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Louis Infernet | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Heureux | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Charles Lacaille | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Peuple Souverain | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Charbonnier | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Timoléon | Third rate | 74 | | Captain Joseph Khrom [fr] | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Heavily engaged 14 March. Damaged |
| Vestale | Frigate | 36 | | Lieutenant Foucaud | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Engaged 13 March. |
| Minerve | Frigate | 40 | | Lieutenant Delorme | - | - | - | |
| Alceste | Frigate | 32 | | | - | - | - | Heavily engaged in action with Berwick on 8 March. Badly damaged and withdrew from fleet. |
| Artémise | Frigate | 32 | | Lieutenant Decasse | - | - | - | |
| Courageuse | Frigate | | | | - | - | - | |
| Friponne | Frigate | | | Captain Louis-Léonce Trullet Contre-amiral Pierre Martin (after 13 March) | - | - | - | |
| Alerte | Brig | 10 | | | - | - | - | |
| Hazard | Brig | 18 | | Lieutenant Amand Leduc | - | - | - | |
| Scout | Brig | 18 | | Ensign Charabot | - | - | - | |
| Total casualties: 400–750 |||||||||||
| Sources: Troude, p. 424; James, p. 261; Clowes, p. 272. |||||||||||