Villeneuve and Napoleon's Battles in the Caribbean

Ville neuve's orders were not to engage in a major battle in the caribbian. According to napoleon's plan, the combined fleet was supposed to be on its way back to europe before the royal navy arrived in the area. In fact, villoneuve was headed to northern spain, to ferol, where he would try to break the british blockade and the spanish ships in the harbor. Then he hoped to free admiral gontome and his 21 ships of the line at brest.