Battle of Cuddalore (1758)

Battle of Cuddalore
	Part of Seven Years' War
	; A portrait of George Pocock
Date	29 April 1758
Location	Off Cuddalore, India
Result	Indecisive
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; 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 in 1758, and again on 10 September 1759 in the Battle of Pondicherry.

Ships involved

Britain (George Pocock)

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)

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

Notes

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

References

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

Bibliography

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

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

[1] Kronoskaf.com, Combat of Cuddalore, retrieved 21 May 2011

[Clowes-2] Clowes 1898, pp. 174–175

[4] Archives Nationales, Série Colonies C4 « Résumé du combat du 29 avril 1758 fait par Monsieur le Comte d'Arché. » (Fr)

[FOOTNOTEClowes1898174-5] Clowes (1898), p. 174.

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