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The Action of 8 March 1795 was a minor naval engagement of the French Revolutionary Wars, fought mostly between the British 74-gun and the French frigate ''Alceste'', with later the assistance of the frigate ''Vestale'' and the 74-gun ''Duquesne''. The 74-gun HMS ''Berwick'', equipped with the rigging of a frigate after an accident had destroyed her own, and mounting only 64 guns, met a French fleet bound for Corsica. Two French 74-guns and three frigates sailed to intercept ''Berwick'', but the frigate ''Alceste'' arrived first on the scene, and most of the action occurred between the partly disabled British 74-gun and the French frigate. ''Berwick'' suffered a further handicap when her captain was killed at the beginning of the battle. The arrival of a second frigate on the scene forced ''Berwick'' to surrender. ==Background== On 2 March 1795,〔Troude, p.424〕 the French squadron based in Toulon, under Rear-Admiral Martin, sailed for Corsica. It comprised fifteen ships of the line (one 120-gun, two 80-gun and the rest 74-guns), seven frigates and five smaller warships.〔Troude, p.425.〕 Political oversight was assured by Représentant en mission Letourneur.〔 The mission of the French fleet is unclear: the various theories suggest a landing in Corsica, mentioned in Letourneur's correspondence and suggested by numerous troopships in Toulon;〔 however, the troopships and ships of the line armed en flûte, loaded with troops and equipment, did not leave Toulon harbour. In ''Histoire de la revolution française'', Adolphe Thiers proposes that the objective was a demonstration of force on Rome following the lynching of Ambassador Bassville.〔Thiers, ''Histoire de la Révolution'', vol.7.〕 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.〔 Meanwhile, in San Fiorenzo Bay, Corsica, ''Berwick'' had been refitting, when her lower masts, stripped of rigging, rolled over the side and were lost.〔Gossett (1986), p.7.〕 A hasty 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. After fitting a jury rig, ''Berwick'', under Captain Adam Littlejohn, sailed to join the British fleet at Leghorn.〔 She carried only 64 of her maximum 82-gun armament, and had the rigging of a frigate.〔Troude, p.426〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Action of 8 March 1795」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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