Battle of Genoa ( 1795 ) 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 . Prelude . Capture of HMS " Berwick " . In early 1795 Vice - Admiral Hotham , the commander in chief of the Mediterranean Fleet , 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 , put to sea on 2 March 1795 under the command of Rear - Admiral Pierre Martin . Its objective was unclear : a fleet of transports had embarked 5 , 000 troops to invade Corsica and recapture it from the British , but these transports never departed Toulon . The report of the Committee of Public Safety to the National Convention states that the fleet was at sea to secure shipping lines in the Mediterranean . 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 " Berwick " s captain , William Smith , her first lieutenant , and her master from the ship . Hotham had then sailed with his fleet , ordering " Berwick " s 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 " Berwick " s 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 " Berwick " s lee bow . The " Minerve " and " Vestale " then hauled within range and took up position on " Berwick " s 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 " Berwick " s 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 " Mercure " 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 . Fremantle attacks . Captain Thomas Fremantle , aboard the 36 - gun seized the opportunity and ranging up on " Ça Ira " s larboard quarter , opened fire . The 36 - gun " Vestale " 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 Ira " s 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 Nelson , surged up and by 10 . 45 am was in range on " Ça Ira " s 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 " . Battle . " Ça Ira " and " Censeur " vs " Captain " and " Bedford " . The action ended for the day , with Martin transferring from his flagship , the 120 - gun " Sans - Culotte " , to the frigate " Friponne " , in application of the standing order of 12 June 1794 according to which general officers were to transfer their flag on frigates during battle . 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 " Duquesne " 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 . 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 " Illustrious " s 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 " Illustrious " s 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 .