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Battle of Negapatam (1782)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Negapatam was the third in the series of battles fought between a British
fleet under Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes
and a French fleet under the Bailli de Suffren off the coast of India
during the American Revolutionary War
. The battle was fought on 6 July 1782.
in 1778, and Britain declared war on the Dutch Republic
in late 1780 after the Dutch refused to stop trading in military supplies with the French and the Americans. The British had rapidly gained control over most French and Dutch outposts in India when news of these events reached India, spawning the Second Anglo-Mysore War
in the process.
The French admiral the Bailli de Suffren was dispatched on a mission to provide military assistance to French colonies in India
. He arrived in February 1782, and immediately engaged the British fleet of Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes
in the inconclusive Battle of Sadras
. After both fleets spent time in port repairing, refitting, and revictualing, they met again in the April Battle of Providien
, south of the Ceylonese port of Trincomalee
that was ended by a storm and then nightfall. Hughes put into Trincomalee, a formerly Dutch
port the British had captured
in January, for repairs, while Suffren went to the Dutch-controlled port of Batticaloa
.
While at Batticaloa, Suffren received dispatches from the Île de France
ordering him to return there to escort additional French troops to India. He chose not to do so, citing the parity between the two fleets, and the need to defend French troops already on the ground in India against the movements of the British fleet.
The French ground troops, about 2,000 effective troops under the command of Comte du Chemin, had captured Cuddalore
on 6 May. Hyder Ali
, the ruler of Mysore
, originally wanted the French to take the more important port of Negapatam. The French joined with Hyder's army of 60,000 to lay siege to the British at Vandavasi
. When the British sent an army of 12,000 toward Vandivasa to relieve the siege, du Chemin, again against the wishes of Hyder, refused to engage in a battle that the French-Mysorean force would probably have won, significantly reducing the British military presence in India. Instead, Hyder lifted the siege and retreated to the vicinity of Pondicherry.
There he learned of Suffren's actions in the first two battles with Hughes, and sent a message to Suffren to arrange a meeting. Suffren had in the meantime sailed from Batticaloa to do the job that du Chemin would not: capture Negapatam. He stopped at Cuddalore on 20 June to take on troops and supplies for the attack, which he hoped to do by surprise. When he was ready to sail he learned that Hughes had sailed past, apparently also en route to Negapatam. As his fleet had grown by captured prizes and arrivals from Île de France (it was now twelve ships of the line and four frigates), Suffren gave chase and caught up with Hughes, who had anchored off Negapatam, on 5 July.
Suffren was in the process of forming his battle line around 3 pm when a squall took down the main and mizzen top masts of Ajax, forcing her to drop out of his line. When the squall calmed down the breeze was to Hughes' advantage so he sailed out of the harbour. The two fleets spent the night anchored two cannonshots apart.
The next morning Suffren was infuriated to learn that repairs had not been made to Ajax, and that her captain wanted to retreat for repairs. Given that battle was imminent, Suffren refused. He then ordered his line to bear down on the British line for close action. As they began to move, Ajax stood away and did not join the action. At 9:30 on 6 July, the fleets closed and opened fire on each other, first at long range. Flamand engaged Hero and Exeter, Annibal engaged Isis, Sévère faced Barford, and Brilliant opposed Sultan while the two flagships, Héros and Superb, did battle with each other. The remainder of the British line was not able to directly line up against the French, resulting in an angle in their line where Sphinx and Monarca battled that minimized the action between the ships at the end of the line. Flamand took significant damage, but was able to return the favor to its opponents. Brillant began to suffer under the fire of Sultan, but Suffren managed to detach Héros to come to her rescue.
The battle proceeded with vigour until about 1 pm, when the wind suddenly changed, throwing both lines into confusion. With occasional meetings between two ships, Hughes attempted to reform his line around 2, but neither fleet was in a state to adopt battle positions easily, so Suffren decided to draw away toward Cuddalore. One British observer noted that "our fleet was utterly incapable or preventing or pursuing them".
during one of the post-squall engagements, but his subordinates prevented the act. Suffren then sailed for Cuddalore to effect repairs.
Hughes spent the next two weeks at sea, only returning to Madras for repairs on 20 July.
Negapatam would remain in British hands till the end of the war. At the Treaty of Paris (1783)
the Dutch Republic would cede Negapatam to Britain.
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
fleet under Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes
Edward Hughes (admiral)
Sir Edward Hughes RN was an admiral of the British Royal Navy.Hughes joined the Royal Navy in 1735, and four years later, was present at the capture of Portobelo, Panama. In 1740, he was promoted to lieutenant and served in the Cartagena expedition of 1741, and at the indecisive Battle of Toulon...
and a French fleet under the Bailli de Suffren off the coast of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. The battle was fought on 6 July 1782.
Background
France had entered the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
in 1778, and Britain declared war on the Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
in late 1780 after the Dutch refused to stop trading in military supplies with the French and the Americans. The British had rapidly gained control over most French and Dutch outposts in India when news of these events reached India, spawning the Second Anglo-Mysore War
Second Anglo-Mysore War
The Second Anglo-Mysore War was a conflict in Mughal India between the Sultanate of Mysore and the British East India Company. At the time, Mysore was a key French ally in India, and the Franco-British conflict raging on account of the American Revolutionary War helped spark Anglo-Mysorean...
in the process.
The French admiral the Bailli de Suffren was dispatched on a mission to provide military assistance to French colonies in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He arrived in February 1782, and immediately engaged the British fleet of Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes
Edward Hughes (admiral)
Sir Edward Hughes RN was an admiral of the British Royal Navy.Hughes joined the Royal Navy in 1735, and four years later, was present at the capture of Portobelo, Panama. In 1740, he was promoted to lieutenant and served in the Cartagena expedition of 1741, and at the indecisive Battle of Toulon...
in the inconclusive Battle of Sadras
Battle of Sadras
The Battle of Sadras was the first of five largely indecisive naval battles fought between a British fleet under Admiral Sir Edward Hughes and French fleet under the Bailli de Suffren off the east coast of India during the American War of Independence...
. After both fleets spent time in port repairing, refitting, and revictualing, they met again in the April Battle of Providien
Battle of Providien
The Battle of Providien was the second in a series of naval battles fought between a British fleet under Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes and a French fleet under the Bailli de Suffren near India during the American Revolutionary War...
, south of the Ceylonese port of Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
that was ended by a storm and then nightfall. Hughes put into Trincomalee, a formerly Dutch
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
port the British had captured
Capture of Trincomalee
The Capture of Trincomalee on 11 January 1782 was the second major engagement between Great Britain and the Dutch East India Company in the East Indies after outbreak of the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War...
in January, for repairs, while Suffren went to the Dutch-controlled port of Batticaloa
Batticaloa
Batticaloa is a city in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka. It is the seat of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka. It is on the east coast, south by south east of Trincomalee, and is situated on an island.-Etymology:...
.
While at Batticaloa, Suffren received dispatches from the Île de France
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
ordering him to return there to escort additional French troops to India. He chose not to do so, citing the parity between the two fleets, and the need to defend French troops already on the ground in India against the movements of the British fleet.
The French ground troops, about 2,000 effective troops under the command of Comte du Chemin, had captured Cuddalore
Cuddalore
Cuddalore is a fast growing industrial city and headquarter of Cuddalore district in the Tamil Nadu state of southern India. Located south of Pondicherry on the coast of Bay of Bengal, Cuddalore has a large number of industries which employ a great deal of the city's population.Cuddalore is known...
on 6 May. Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers...
, the ruler of Mysore
Kingdom of Mysore
The Kingdom of Mysore was a kingdom of southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. The kingdom, which was ruled by the Wodeyar family, initially served as a vassal state of the Vijayanagara Empire...
, originally wanted the French to take the more important port of Negapatam. The French joined with Hyder's army of 60,000 to lay siege to the British at Vandavasi
Vandavasi
Vandavasi or Wandiwash is a city and a municipality in Tiruvanamalai district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.Vandavasi was the scene of a decisive battle in the 18th-century war between France and the United Kingdom for the control of South Asia. The Battle of Wandiwash was a watershed in...
. When the British sent an army of 12,000 toward Vandivasa to relieve the siege, du Chemin, again against the wishes of Hyder, refused to engage in a battle that the French-Mysorean force would probably have won, significantly reducing the British military presence in India. Instead, Hyder lifted the siege and retreated to the vicinity of Pondicherry.
There he learned of Suffren's actions in the first two battles with Hughes, and sent a message to Suffren to arrange a meeting. Suffren had in the meantime sailed from Batticaloa to do the job that du Chemin would not: capture Negapatam. He stopped at Cuddalore on 20 June to take on troops and supplies for the attack, which he hoped to do by surprise. When he was ready to sail he learned that Hughes had sailed past, apparently also en route to Negapatam. As his fleet had grown by captured prizes and arrivals from Île de France (it was now twelve ships of the line and four frigates), Suffren gave chase and caught up with Hughes, who had anchored off Negapatam, on 5 July.
Battle
The next morning Suffren was infuriated to learn that repairs had not been made to Ajax, and that her captain wanted to retreat for repairs. Given that battle was imminent, Suffren refused. He then ordered his line to bear down on the British line for close action. As they began to move, Ajax stood away and did not join the action. At 9:30 on 6 July, the fleets closed and opened fire on each other, first at long range. Flamand engaged Hero and Exeter, Annibal engaged Isis, Sévère faced Barford, and Brilliant opposed Sultan while the two flagships, Héros and Superb, did battle with each other. The remainder of the British line was not able to directly line up against the French, resulting in an angle in their line where Sphinx and Monarca battled that minimized the action between the ships at the end of the line. Flamand took significant damage, but was able to return the favor to its opponents. Brillant began to suffer under the fire of Sultan, but Suffren managed to detach Héros to come to her rescue.
The battle proceeded with vigour until about 1 pm, when the wind suddenly changed, throwing both lines into confusion. With occasional meetings between two ships, Hughes attempted to reform his line around 2, but neither fleet was in a state to adopt battle positions easily, so Suffren decided to draw away toward Cuddalore. One British observer noted that "our fleet was utterly incapable or preventing or pursuing them".
Aftermath
Following the battle, Suffren stripped M. Bouvet, the captain of Ajax, of his command, and arrested three others for a variety of transgressions in this battle and the previous two. One of those arrested, M. de Cillart, commander of Sévère, had started to strike his coloursStriking the colors
Striking the colors is the universally recognized indication of surrender, particularly for ships at sea. Surrender is dated from the time the ensign is struck.-In international law:# "Colors. A national flag . The colors . ....
during one of the post-squall engagements, but his subordinates prevented the act. Suffren then sailed for Cuddalore to effect repairs.
Hughes spent the next two weeks at sea, only returning to Madras for repairs on 20 July.
Negapatam would remain in British hands till the end of the war. At the Treaty of Paris (1783)
Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...
the Dutch Republic would cede Negapatam to Britain.
France
- HérosFrench ship Héros (1778)The Héros was a 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, known mostly for being the flagship of Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez during the American war of independence....
, 74 - Annibal, 74
- OrientFrench ship Orient (1756)Orient was a 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.Originally built for the French East India Company, she was purchased for the French Navy in May 1759.In 1778, she was reduced to a 74-gun second rate ....
, 74 - ArtésienFrench ship ArtésienThe Artésien was a 64-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, lead ship of her class.She was built in 1765 as a part of a series of 12 ships of the line began by Choiseul to compensate for the losses endured by the French Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War...
, 64 - Brillant, 64
- Bizarre, 64
- Sévère, 64
- Sphinx, 64
- VengeurFrench ship Vengeur (1765)The Vengeur was a 64-gun ship of the line of the French Navy. She saw action with Bailli de Suffren during the American War of Independence....
, 64 - Flamand, 50
- AnnibalHMS Hannibal (1779)HMS Hannibal was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Adams of Bucklers Hard and launched on 26 December 1779. She was subsequently captured by the French ship Héros off Sumatra, on 21 January 1782....
, 50