Promoted lieutenant in March 1916, aide-de-camp to Admiral Fatou, superior commander of the Mediterranean patrol flotillas with a specialty in TSF, he participated very actively in the evacuation operations of the Serbian Army and became April 1917, commander of the trawler "Richelieu" and a division of patrol boats which earned him in September a new testimony of satisfaction and a quote for having saved and brought back to port the torpedoed steamer "Saint-Joseph" in the middle of four underwater attacks out of forty-six towing hours.