"Providence" was placed out of commission shortly after her arrival in Britain, and Crawford reverted to his former rank of midshipman. He spent two months serving aboard the 100-gun , the flagship of Vice-Admiral George Darby, until April 1781 when Darby gave him command of an armed vessel, the 5-gun "Repulse". "Repulse" had been fitted with Spanish-made 26 pounders, and was based at Gibraltar during the great siege. The siege was intensified about this time, with the Spanish making determined efforts to oust the British. On 7 August 1781 he played an important role in the defence of the brig-rigged , which had been becalmed in the entrance of the Bay of Gibraltar. The Spanish sent 14 gunboats from Algeciras to attack her, against which the senior British officer, Roger Curtis, dispatched Crawford's "Repulse", and another armed vessel, the "Vanguard", to defend her. Despite the superior Spanish numbers, the three British vessels were able to fight off the gunboats and "Helena" was towed into harbour. After thirteen months commanding "Repulse", often closely engaged with Spanish gunboats, Crawford was appointed acting first lieutenant of the 32-gun .