Battle of Genoa

13–14 March 1795, Gulf of Genoa, off Cape Noli

British victory; two French ships of the line captured

The French Mediterranean fleet under Rear-Admiral Pierre Martin sailed from Toulon to retake Corsica, and Vice-Admiral William Hotham's fleet came out from Leghorn to meet it. On 13 March the 80-gun Ça Ira, which had collided with another French ship, fell behind; the frigate Inconstant engaged her, and then Nelson in Agamemnon spent hours raking her from astern while she could not bring her broadside to bear. The next morning Ça Ira, now under tow by Censeur, was cut off with her, and after a sharp action both struck. Hotham then broke off, to the fury of Nelson, who wrote that had they taken ten sail and allowed the eleventh to escape, he would never have called it well done.