George Johnstone Hope "Romulus", in which he saw action against French ships off Genoa in 1795. Following his appointment to HMS "Alcmene", Hope joined Nelson at Aboukir bay, 11 days after the battle of the Nile. On 19 August Nelson left for Naples but left Hood with three 3rd rates and three frigates, including "Alcmene", with which to blockade Alexandria, where the remaining French ships; two of the line, eight frigates and four corvettes, were sheltering. Hope obtained Nelson's good graces by capturing the French gunbrig "Légère" off Egypt, and seizing dispatches intended for Napoleon. The papers had been thrown overboard by the
Action of 17 August 1779 Action of 17 August 1779 The Action of 17 August 1779 was a naval battle between a French and a British squadron in the English Channel on 17 August 1779. In June 1779, Spain followed France declaring war on Britain and together formed a combined fleet aiming for British Isles' invasion. On 14 August, the fleet was off the Lizard and on 16 August it were off Plymouth with some of the enemy frigates anchored in the Cawsand Bay. In meantime, was re-commissioned under the command of Captain Phillip Boteler, and sailed from Plymouth on 14 August to join Sir