Jean-Baptiste Perrée

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Jean-Baptiste Perrée (1761-1800) was a French contre-amiral. He was born in Saint-Valéry-sur-Somme in Picardy. His military career started in May 1794, in September 1795 as a captain de vaisseau was taken at the Nile. After liberation, he was promoted contre-amiral in command of Alexandria station in November 1798. In 1799, on June 18 he was taken again by the British fleet off Toulon-sur-Mer, however, he was later exchanged and hence met his fate in time.

Premier Consul Napoleon Bonaparte put his hands in the project to relieve the besieged French garrison in Valletta, Malta and appointed Perrée to the command. The squadron sailed from Toulon-sur-Mer on February 6, 1800 comprising Le Généreux, one of the two escapers from the Battle of the Nile, three corvettes armed as storeships, and one armed storeship, with 3,000 men, arms, food and ammunitions on board. The expedition ended in disaster - in the morning of February 18, English ships gave chase to the small French squadron off Lampedusa island, at 1.30 p.m. Le Généreux soon struck her colours and contre-amiral Perrée was killed at the start of the action.