Battle of Sadras
Part of the American Revolutionary War

Hindostan or India, from the best authorities, author unknown
Date17 February 1782
Location
Off Kalpakkam, Bay of Bengal
12°31′24.23″N 80°10′36.66″E / 12.5233972°N 80.1768500°E / 12.5233972; 80.1768500
Result Tactically indecisive
Strategic French victory[1][2][3]
Belligerents
 France  Great Britain
Commanders and leaders
Pierre Suffren Edward Hughes
Strength
11 ships of the line 9 ships of the line
Casualties and losses
30 killed
100 wounded		 32 killed
83 wounded

The Battle of Sadras was the first of five largely indecisive naval battles fought between a British fleet (under Admiral Sir Edward Hughes) and a French fleet (under Admiral Pierre Suffren) off the east coast of India during the Anglo-French War. Fought on 17 February 1782 near present-day Kalpakkam, the battle was tactically indecisive, but the British fleet suffered the most damage. Under Suffren's protection, French troop transports were able to land at Porto Novo, present-day Parangipettai.

Background

France had entered the American Revolutionary War in 1778, and Britain had declared war on the Dutch Republic in late 1780 after the Dutch refused to stop trading 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 Bailli de Suffren was dispatched for military assistance to French colonies in India, leading a fleet of five ships of the line, seven transports, and a corvette to escort transports from Brest in March 1781. Suffren was involved in a happenstance battle with a British fleet at Porto Praya in the Cape Verde Islands in April. In October, he left reinforcement troops at the Dutch-controlled Cape of Good Hope to assist with colonial defense. Suffren added some ships to his fleet and sailed on to the Île de France (present-day Mauritius), arriving at Port Louis in December.

After further additions at Port Louis, Suffren's fleet sailed for India under the command of the elderly Navy Brigadier General Thomas d'Orves, accompanying transports carrying nearly 3,000 men under the command of the Comte du Chemin. D'Orves died in February 1782, shortly before the fleet arrived off the Indian coast, and Suffren once again took command.

Suffren first sailed for Madras, hoping to surprise the British stronghold there. Encountering Hughes's fleet anchored in Madras on 15 February 1782, Suffren turned south. He intended to land troops at Porto Novo, march up the coast and recapture French and Dutch holdings on the way. Hughes raised anchor and sailed after Suffren.

Battle

French Admiral the Bailli de Suffren

Suffren was hampered with protecting his troop convoys from Hughes, whose goal he presumed was to prevent the troops from landing. Detaching one corvette to protect the convoy and detailing another to watch the British fleet, Suffren attempted to draw Hughes away. However, under cover of night Hughes managed to slip between Suffren's squadron and the convoys. The signal was raised on the morning of 17 February, and Suffren gave chase to force battle.

When the fleets closed for action around 15:30, some of Suffren's ships had not properly formed the line of battle. Only five of the French ships engaged at first. Of the remaining six, only two joined the action later, with the other four apparently violating Suffren's orders and hanging back. Suffren, leading in Héros, exchanged a broadside with Exeter before targeting Hughes's flagship Superb. The battle lasted for over three hours, with Exeter sustaining the most damage. She was nearly sunk, but two French ships were recalled (for reasons unknown) before they could inflict enough damage to cause her to sink. Superb also suffered significant damage. The battle came to end with the onset of night.

Aftermath

Suffren summoned his captains for council and chastised those who had chosen to stay out of the battle before following the troop convoy to Porto Novo. There the French army had landed, and Suffren met with the Mysorean ruler Hyder Ali to plan strategy. After making repairs, Suffren set off to find Hughes again. The French and Mysorean forces captured Cuddalore, just north of Porto Novo, on 4 April. Hughes sailed for Trincomalee, where he made repairs.

Order of battle

Captain Suffren's squadron [4]
Ship Rate Guns Navy Commander Casualties Notes
Killed Wounded Total
Bizarre Third rate 64 Ensign of the French Royal Navy Captain Chevalier de la Landelle-Roscanvec
Orient Third rate 74 Ensign of the French Royal Navy Captain Jean Baptiste Christy de La Pallière
Sphinx Third rate 64 Ensign of the French Royal Navy Captain Charles Louis du Chilleau de La Roche
Vengeur Third rate 64 Ensign of the French Royal Navy Captain Charles Gaspard Hyacinthe de Forbin La Barben
Héros Third rate 74 Ensign of the French Royal Navy Chef d'Escadre Pierre André de Suffren
Captain Félix d'Hesmivy de Moissac
Hannibal Fourth rate 50 Ensign of the French Royal Navy Captain Justin Bonaventure Morard de Galles
Annibal Third rate 74 Ensign of the French Royal Navy Captain Bernard Boudin de Tromelin
Sévère Third rate 64 Ensign of the French Royal Navy Captain Chevalier de Villeneuve-Cillart
Artésien Third rate 64 Ensign of the French Royal Navy Captain François-Joseph-Hippolyte Bidé de Maurville
Ajax Third rate 64 Ensign of the French Royal Navy Captain René Joseph Bouvet de Précourt
Brillant Third rate 64 Ensign of the French Royal Navy Captain Armand de Saint-Félix
Flamand Fourth rate 50 Ensign of the French Royal Navy Captain Louis-Hyacinte de Cavelier de Cuverville
British squadron
Ship Rate Guns Navy Commander Casualties Notes
Killed Wounded Total
HMS Eagle Fourth rate 64 Ensign of the British Royal Navy Captain Ambrose Reddall
HMS Monmouth Fourth rate 64 Ensign of the British Royal Navy Captain James Alms
HMS Worcester Fourth rate 64 Ensign of the British Royal Navy Captain George Talbot
HMS Burford Fourth rate 64 Ensign of the British Royal Navy Captain Peter Rainier
HMS Superb Third rate 74 Ensign of the British Royal Navy Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes
Captain William Stevens
HMS Hero Third rate 74 Ensign of the British Royal Navy Captain Charles Wood
HMS Isis Fourth rate 50 Ensign of the British Royal Navy Captain Thomas Charles Lumley
HMS Monarca Third rate 68 Ensign of the British Royal Navy Captain John Gell
HMS Exeter Fourth rate 64 Ensign of the British Royal Navy Commodore Richard King
Captain Henry Reynolds

Notes

    Citations

    1. ↑ Malleson, p. 24
    2. ↑ de Meuron (1982), p. 53
    3. ↑ Castex (2004), pp. 340–44
    4. ↑ Cunat (1852), p. 111.

    References

    • Castex, Jean-Claude (2004). Dictionnaire des batailles navales franco-anglaises. Presses Université Laval. ISBN 978-2-7637-8061-0.
    • Cunat, Charles (1852). Histoire du Bailli de Suffren. Rennes: A. Marteville et Lefas. p. 447.
    • de Meuron, Guy (1982). Le Régiment Meuron, 1781–1816. Editions d'En bas. ISBN 978-2-8290-0028-7.
    • Killion, Howard R (1972), The Suffren Expedition: French Operations in India during the War of American Independence [Duke U. Ph.D. dissertation]
    • Malleson, George Bruce (1884). Final French Struggles in India and on the Indian Seas. W.H. Allen.
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