"Desaix" took part in the First Battle of Algeciras in Algeciras Bay on the coast of Spain on 6 July 1801 as part of a French squadron under the command of Charles-Alexandre Léon Durand Linois, who formed his squadron into line of battle with his ships 500 yards (460 meters) apart and his flagship, the 80-gun ship of the line "Formidable", at the northern end, with "Desaix" behind her. As the ships of the British squadron under the command of Rear Admiral James Saumarez entered the bay, they were becalmed, and Linois ordered his ship′s crews to warp their vessels into shallow water. Meanwhile, the British 74-gun third rate ship of the line under Captain Samuel Hood, opened fire on "Desaix" at long range at 08:50. At 09:15, Saumarez′s flagship, the 74-gun third rate ship of the line , anchored in the bay and joined the action, also firing on "Desaix". When a light breeze began to blow in from the northwest, Linois ordered his ships to sever their anchor cables and maneuver into better defensive positions close inshore, but "Desaix" ran aground directly in front of Algeciras during the maneuver. "Desaix" was one of the more badly damaged of the French ships involved in the battle, which ended in a French victory.