[note 1] In September 1793, he was reported to be commanding a frigate squadron in the Western Mediterranean, fighting the inconclusive Action of 22 October 1793 against Captain Horatio Nelson.

[8] In September 1795, was given command of a four-frigate and two-corvette squadron to prey on British shipping off the West African coast and raid their trading posts; during the campaign, he captured 54 merchantmen.

[4] On 26 April 1796, Perrée departed with the Mediterranean squadron, commanding the brand-new frigate Diane and ferrying diplomats, supplies and ammunitions to Constantinople until 14 November.

[14] With the rank of captain, Perrée acted as a chief of division during the French expedition to Egypt: General Bonaparte appointed him to the Nile flotilla, where he commanded a squadron of shebeks and other light craft.

[14] When the French campaign in the Middle East turned to Syria, Perrée took command of a squadron of three frigates and two brigs, survivors of the Battle of the Nile, to ferry supplies and artillery for the Army past Ottoman and British blockades.

In spite of specific orders to land in Europe only if he could not possibly do otherwise,[19] Perrée conferred with his officers and decided that his low supplies made it necessary for him to return to Toulon, by way of Lampedusa, where he would replenish his water.

[3] The division was composed of the 74-gun Généreux (under Captain Cyprien Renaudin) as flagship, the 20-gun corvettes Badine and Fauvette, the 16-gun Sans Pareille and the fluyt Ville de Marseille (under Joseph Allemand).

[26] In the afternoon, Perrée spotted two further ships, HMS Audacious and Lion, in the North-North-West; he ordered his corvettes to adjust course, Sans-Pareille sustaining a broadsite from Alexander in the process, and gave liberty of maneuver to his captains.

Perrée had anchors, boats and forage supplies throwned overboard, but at 3:15, the frigate HMS Success audaciously intercepted and engaged the much more powerful Généreux, hoping to delay her enough for the British ships of the line to catch up.

Remaining on deck, he called to his crew "Ce n'est rien, mes amis, continuons notre besogne" ("It is nothing, my friends, continue with your work") and gave orders for the ship to be turned, when a cannonball from the second broadside from Success tore his right leg off at the thigh.