Knight of the Order of the Legion of Honour in February. He was promoted to Officer in June, and congratulated by Navy minister Decrès. Willaumez' raid in the Atlantic In August 1804, Willaumez was appointed to command the 74-gun Algésiras. Departing from Lorient in December bound for Rochefort, Algésiras suffered a gust of wind that broke her tops. Willaumez nevertheless pursued and safely reached Rochefort, despite a British division blockading Quiberon and another anchored at Basque Roads. In March 1805, Willaumez had been promoted to Rear-Admiral, and he took command of the light squadron of the Naval Army in Brest, under Vice-Admiral Ganteaume. Willaumez set is flag on the 74-gun Alexandre. During one sortie of the French fleet, Alexandre had a duel with the 110-gun . In late 1805, eleven ships were readied to set sail in two squadrons, one under Rear-Admiral Leissègues, and the other under Willaumez; the squadrons departed on 13 December and separated on 15. Willaumez' comprised the 80-gun flagship Foudroyant, the 74-gun Vétéran, Cassard, Impétueux, Éole and Patriote, and the 40-gun frigates Valeureuse and Volontaire. Its mission was to sail to the Cape of Good Hope, replenish its water and provisions, harass British interests wherever opportune, and return no later than 15 months after. In the first days of the cruise, the division captured a number of prizes, before making a two-day port call at the Canary Islands to replenish its food. Willaumez detached Volontaire to ferry his prisoners to Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Arrived at the Cape of Good Hope, Willaumez learnt from the captain of a captured ship that Cape Town had been seized by the British in the Battle of Blaauwberg, in January 1806. With food supplies now unavailable and many of his men suffering from scurvy, Willaumez set sail for Brazil, where he arrived in early April 1806. After a 17-day port call in São Salvador da Bahia, Willaumez set sail for Cayenne. There, he divided his squadron into three divisions, which he dispersed from Cayenne to the 9th parallel south; however, this tactic yielded disappointing results, and Willaumez regrouped his ships. He then decided to raid Barbados, and adverse winds and storms forced him to renounce and shelter in Martinique, where he arrived on 20 June. He replenished his water and food, and raided Montserrat. On 3 July his squadron captured a British schooner that the French took into service as