which included six smaller vessels, including hired armed lugger Cockchafer and Valiant, encountered a superior French force of two razees, three frigates, and a cutter. The French squadron outgunned the British by 192 guns to 92, but Saumarez succeeded in getting his frigates to safety by sailing between rocks on the west coast of Guernsey and around the island to the St Peter Port anchorage. The British luggers and cutters had returned to Plymouth before the start of the action. The British threat to any invasion force stayed intact. Battle of Cape St Vincent After being promoted in 1795, Saumarez was appointed to the 74-gun in the Channel fleet, where he took part in the defeat of the French fleet at the Battle of Groix off Lorient on 22 June. Orion was one of the ships sent to reinforce Sir John Jervis in February 1797, when Saumarez distinguished himself in the Battle of Cape St. Vincent. During the early stages he helped repel a sustained attack on the British line and covered the retreat of when she was forced to retire from the action. Colossus had sustained serious damage, her sails being virtually shot away and it looked as though she would be raked by Spanish warships, until Orion intervened. Later, when the engagement had turned to a general melee, Saumarez forced the Salvador del Mundo to surrender before attacking the Santissima Trinidad with the help of . Saumarez was certain he had forced her surrender too when the arrival of the remainder of the Spanish fleet forced Jervis to break off the engagement. Blockade of Cadiz and the Battle of the Nile Saumarez remained with Jervis's fleet and was present at the blockade of Cadiz from February 1797 to April 1798. In May 1798, the Orion joined the squadron under Nelson's command that was sent into the Mediterranean to seek and destroy the French. Saumarez was Nelson's second in command at the Battle of the Nile where he distinguished himself once more, forcing the surrender of the Peuple Souverain and the 80-gun Franklin. Battle of Algeciras and Gut of Gibraltar On his return from Egypt Saumarez received the command of , of 80 guns, with orders to watch the French fleet off Brest during the winters of 1799 and 1800. In 1801 he was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral of the Blue, was created a baronet, and received