In February 1795 the French Mediterranean Fleet was again in suitable condition for offensive operations, 15 ships of the line sailing for an attack on Corsica. Under "Contre-amiral" Pierre Martin, this fleet successfully captured the British 74-gun ship of the line HMS "Berwick" at the action of 8 March 1795, but was defeated by Hotham's fleet at the Battle of Genoa on 14 March, losing two ships and retreating to the French coast. In the aftermath of the battle the British fleet was hit by a storm off La Spezia and the 74-gun ship of the line HMS "Illustrious" was wrecked, Hotham gathering his surviving ships first at San Fiorenzo and then Leghorn, before sailing to Menorca in early June to meet with a large squadron of reinforcements from the Channel Fleet under Rear-Admiral Robert Mann. Meanwhile, Martin reconstituted his scattered force in the shelter of the Hyères Islands. In April he was joined by a large squadron of reinforcements from the French Atlantic Fleet, but any immediate operations were postponed by a strike action by the sailors of his fleet in May. Once this had been resolved, Martin put to sea once more on 7 June.