Battle of Negapatam (1782) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Negapatam |
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| Part of the American Revolutionary War | |||||||
 Battle of Negapatam, 6 July 1782, Dominic Serres |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Great Britain |
 FranceSupported by:  Sultanate of Mysore |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Edward Hughes |
 Pierre Suffren |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 11 ships of the line 1 frigate |
12 ships of the line 1 frigate 2 corvettes 1 fireship |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 77 killed 233 wounded |
178 killed 601 wounded |
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The Battle of Negapatam was an important naval battle that happened on July 6, 1782. It was fought off the coast of India during the American Revolutionary War. This battle was the third big fight between the British navy, led by Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes, and the French navy, led by the Bailli de Suffren.
Even though neither side won a clear victory, the British stopped the French from reaching their goal. The French ships, under Suffren, had to leave and go to Cuddalore. The British kept control of the important port of Negapatam.
Contents
Why Did the Battle of Negapatam Happen?
War in India: A Global Conflict
The American Revolutionary War wasn't just fought in America. It was a global conflict. In 1778, France joined the war to help the Americans. Then, in late 1780, Britain declared war on the Dutch Republic. This was because the Dutch were trading military supplies with France and America.
When news of these wars reached India, things quickly changed. The British took control of most French and Dutch outposts there. This also started another war called the Second Anglo-Mysore War. An important port called Negapatam was captured by the British in November 1781.
French Help Arrives in India
The French admiral, Bailli de Suffren, was sent to India to help the French colonies. He arrived in February 1782. Right away, he fought the British fleet led by Sir Edward Hughes. This first battle, called the Battle of Sadras, didn't have a clear winner.
Both fleets then spent time repairing their ships and getting more supplies. They met again in April for the Battle of Providien. This battle, south of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), ended because of a storm and nightfall. Hughes went to Trincomalee for repairs. The British had captured this port from the Dutch in January. Suffren went to Batticaloa, which was still controlled by the Dutch.
Suffren's Difficult Choices
While at Batticaloa, Suffren got new orders. He was told to go back to Mauritius to pick up more French troops for India. But Suffren decided not to go. He felt that his fleet was strong enough to face the British. He also believed it was more important to protect the French troops already fighting in India.
Meanwhile, French troops had captured Cuddalore on May 6. Hyder Ali, the ruler of Mysore, wanted the French to capture Negapatam instead. The French and Hyder's large army then tried to capture the British at Vandavasi. When the British sent an army to help Vandavasi, the French commander refused to fight them. This made Hyder Ali unhappy, and he stopped the attack.
The Race to Negapatam
Hyder Ali heard about Suffren's actions in the earlier naval battles. He sent a message to Suffren to arrange a meeting. Suffren, however, had a different plan. He sailed from Batticaloa to do what the French army commander wouldn't: capture Negapatam.
On June 20, he stopped at Cuddalore to get troops and supplies for his attack. He hoped to surprise the British. But as he was getting ready to sail, he learned that Hughes's fleet had already passed by. It seemed Hughes was also heading for Negapatam. Suffren's fleet had grown bigger with captured ships and new arrivals. He now had twelve large warships and four smaller ones. So, Suffren chased Hughes and caught up with him on July 5. Hughes's fleet was anchored near Negapatam.
How the Battle Unfolded
Preparing for Battle
On July 5, around 3:00 PM, Suffren was getting his ships ready for battle. Suddenly, a strong wind hit. It broke the main and mizzen masts of the French ship Ajax. This forced Ajax to leave the battle line.
When the wind calmed down, the breeze was in Hughes's favor. So, he sailed his ships away from their anchorage at Negapatam harbor. The two fleets spent the night anchored close to each other, about two cannon shots apart.
The Fight Begins
The next morning, July 6, Suffren was very angry. He found out that Ajax had not been repaired. Its captain wanted to retreat, but Suffren refused because battle was about to start. He then ordered his ships to move closer to the British line for a direct fight. But Ajax sailed away and did not join the battle.
At 9:30 AM, the ships started firing at each other. At first, they were far apart. Some key matchups included Flamand against Hero and Exeter, and Annibal against Isis. The two main ships, Suffren's Héros and Hughes's Superb, fought each other directly. Some British ships couldn't line up perfectly, which meant less fighting for ships at the end of their line. The Flamand took a lot of damage but also hit its opponents hard. The Brillant was struggling, but Suffren left Héros for a moment to help it.
A Sudden Change in Wind
The battle continued strongly until about 1:00 PM. Then, the wind suddenly changed direction. This caused a lot of confusion for both fleets. With the wind blowing directly at the ships, some turned one way and some turned the other. Most ships turned away from the fight.
However, six ships – four British and two French – turned towards each other. The British ships were Burford, Sultan, Worcester, and Eagle. The French ships were Sévère and Brillant. The Brillant had already lost its masts by this point. The Sévère was attacked by Sultan and two other ships. It managed to escape when Suffren's flagship arrived. The Brillant was fired upon by Worcester and Eagle. Suffren's ship also came to its rescue, but not before Brillant lost many sailors.
After the Wind Change
After some small clashes between individual ships, Hughes tried to get his line back in order around 2:00 PM. But neither fleet was in a good position to fight easily. So, Suffren decided to sail away with the wind, heading north towards Cuddalore. A British observer noted that their fleet "was utterly incapable of preventing or pursuing them."
What Happened Next?
Suffren had failed to capture Negapatam. He was so angry that he removed M. Bouvet, the captain of Ajax, from his command. He also arrested three other captains for their actions in this battle and the previous ones. One of them, M. de Cillart, commander of Sévère, had tried to surrender during the battle, but his officers stopped him.
Suffren then sailed to Cuddalore to repair his ships. Hughes stayed at sea for two weeks before returning to Madras for repairs on July 20. Negapatam remained under British control until the end of the war. In the Treaty of Paris (1783), the Dutch Republic officially gave Negapatam to Britain.
Images for kids
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Detail of a 1794 map of south India and Ceylon. Batticaloa is north of the southeastern point of Ceylon
