Battle of Cuddalore (1758)

Coordinates: 11°45′00″N 79°45′00″E / 11.7500°N 79.7500°E / 11.7500; 79.7500
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Battle of Cuddalore
Part of Seven Years' War

Drawing from the "King's troops, infantry French and foreign, 1757, Volume 1." Army Museum.
Date29 April 1758
Location
Off Cuddalore, India
Result French Victory[1]
Belligerents
British East India Company French East India Company
Commanders and leaders
George Pocock Comte d'Aché
Strength
7 ships of the line
1 frigate
1 storeship
8 ships of the line[a]
3 frigates
Casualties and losses
29 killed
89 wounded
99 killed
321 wounded

The naval Battle of Cuddalore took place on 29 April 1758 during the Seven Years' War near Cuddalore off the Carnatic coast of India and was an indecisive battle between a British squadron under Vice-Admiral George Pocock and French squadron under Comte d'Aché. British casualties were 29 killed and 89 wounded, while France lost 99 killed and 321 wounded.[3] Although the battle itself was indecisive, the French fleet was able to achieve its primary objective of delivering the reinforcements that the defenders of Pondicherry were awaiting.

The two squadrons met again on 3 August in the battle of Negapatam and again on 10 September 1759 in the battle of Pondicherry.

Ships involved[edit]

Britain (George Pocock)[edit]

Ships Guns Commander Notes Ref.
Tiger 60 Captain Thomas Latham [4]
Salisbury 50 Captain John Stukley Somerset
Elizabeth 64 Commodore Charles Steevens
Captain Richard Kempenfelt
Yarmouth 64 Vice-Admiral George Pocock
Captain John Harrison
Cumberland 56 Captain William Brereton
Newcastle 50 Captain George Legge
Weymouth 60 Captain Nicholas Vincent
Queenborough 24 Captain James Colville Not in line of battle
Protector Not in line of battle; storeship

France (d'Aché)[edit]

Ship Guns Commander Notes Ref.
Bien-Aimé 58 Captain Jean Baptiste Christy de La Pallière Wrecked 30 April [4]
Vengeur 54 Captain René Joseph Bouvet de Précourt
Condé 44 Captain François-Jacques Kerlero de Rosbo
Duc d'Orléans 56 Captain Jean-François de Surville
Zodiaque 74 Chef d'Escadre Anne Antoine, Comte d'Aché
Captain Jacques-Antoine de Gotho
Saint-Louis 50 Captain Louis de Joannis
Moras 44 Captain Louis-Toussaint de Becdelièvre-du Bouéxic
Sylphide 36 Captain Étienne Mahé
Duc de Bourgogne 60 Captain Jean-Baptiste d’Aprèt de Mannevillette
Comte de Provence 74 Captain Jean-Jacques de La Chaise Not in line of battle
Diligente 24 Captain Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne Not in line of battle

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ The 36-gun frigate Sylphide was added to the French line of battle despite not being a ship of the line.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Kronoskaf.com, Combat of Cuddalore, retrieved 21 May 2011
  2. ^ Clowes 1898, pp. 174–175
  3. ^ Archives Nationales, Série Colonies C4 « Résumé du combat du 29 avril 1758 fait par Monsieur le Comte d'Arché. » (Fr)
  4. ^ a b Clowes (1898), p. 174.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Clowes, William Laird (1898). The Royal Navy: A History From the Earliest Times to the Present. Vol. 3. London: Sampson, Low, Marston and Company. OCLC 645627800.


11°45′00″N 79°45′00″E / 11.7500°N 79.7500°E / 11.7500; 79.7500