Battle of the Hyères Islands

13 July 1795, Off the Îles d'Hyères

British victory; one French ship of the line blown up

Nelson in Agamemnon, scouting along the Riviera, was chased by the French fleet back to the British anchorage at San Fiorenzo in Corsica, and Hotham's fleet went after the French. It caught them off the Hyères Islands near Toulon in light, shifting winds. The leading British ships fell on the French rear and cut off Alcide, which struck and then caught fire and blew up. With the wind failing and the French close to the shore, Hotham called off the action, again leaving Nelson to complain that the chance of destroying the fleet had been thrown away. Hotham was replaced by Sir John Jervis later in the year.

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