Other squadrons already at sea became Becoming embroiled in the campaign : a smaller squadron that had been raiding Attack the African coast under Commodore Jean-Marthe-Adrien L'Hermite since August 1805 provided Supply a diversion to the major campaign but failed Agree_or_refuse_to_act to draw Removing off significant British forces Military_operation , while the remnants of a French squadron under Contre-Admiral Charles-Alexandre Durand Linois that had been operating Being_in_operation in the Indian Ocean since 1803 was intercepted Preventing_or_letting and defeated Conquering by Warren in March , after a chance encounter on its journey back to France .

The French force consisted of one ship of the line and one frigate , all that remained of Contre-Admiral Charles-Alexandre Durand Linois ' squadron that had sailed Self_motion for the Indian Ocean in March 1803 during the Peace of Amiens .

Linois raided Attack British shipping lanes and harbours across the region , achieving Achieve limited success against undefended merchant ships but repeatedly withdrawing Escaping in the face of determined opposition , most notably at the Battle Hostile_encounter of Pulo Aura in February 1804 .

Linois had twice failed Agree_or_refuse_to_act to capture Conquering , or even seriously engage Hostile_encounter , large and valuable British merchant convoys on his cruise .

The battle Hostile_encounter marked Recording the end of Linois 's three-year campaign Military_operation against British trade and was the second British victory of the Atlantic campaign Military_operation , following the Battle Hostile_encounter of San Domingo the previous month .

Linois , despite the criticism levelled at him for his failures in the Indian Ocean , was considered to have fought Hostile_encounter hard and been unlucky to have encountered Hostile_encounter such an overwhelming force .

Made a prisoner of war , Linois was not exchanged by Napoleon , who criticised Judgment_communication his behaviour during the campaign Military_operation and refused Agree_or_refuse_to_act to employ Employment him at sea again .

By the evening one of the French ships had successfully escaped Escaping , but the other was still under pursuit Self_motion , Captain Charles Linois of `` Atalante '' attempting Hold a number of tactics to drive Motion off his opponent but without success .