Battle of Tellicherry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Tellicherry
Part of the Third Anglo-Mysore War
Location of the capture of Résolue
Date 18 November 1791 Location Off Tellicherry, India Result British victory
Belligerents
Great Britain	France
Commanders and leaders
Richard Strachan	Unknown
Strength
2 frigates	1 frigate
Casualties and losses
17 killed and wounded	65 killed and wounded 1 frigate captured

The Battle of Tellicherry was a naval fight that happened on November 18, 1791. It took place near the Indian port of Tellicherry. This battle was between British and French warships. Even though Britain and France were not officially at war, France was helping the Kingdom of Mysore. Mysore was fighting against the British East India Company.

Because of this help, the British Royal Navy started stopping French ships. They searched vessels heading to the Mysorean port of Mangalore. In November 1791, a French group of ships sailed past Tellicherry. British Commodore William Cornwallis sent his ships to stop them. The French frigate Résolue fired first. A short battle followed. The British, led by Captain Sir Richard Strachan, forced the French ship to give up. Both sides had damage and injuries. The British searched all French ships. They then sent them back to Mahé. French leaders were very angry, saying their neutral position was ignored.

Why the Battle Happened

In December 1789, a war started again in Southern India. Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore, fought against the British East India Company. For two years, the British pushed Mysore's armies back. Both sides needed supplies by sea. The British got supplies from their ports like Bombay and Madras. They also had forces at Tellicherry. Mysore got supplies from Mangalore through French ships.

France had been an ally of Tipu Sultan's father. Even though France was having its own problems with the French Revolution, they still sent supplies to Mysore. To stop these supplies, Commodore William Cornwallis sent British warships to Tellicherry. This port was perfect for blocking Mangalore. His ships included HMS Minerva, HMS Phoenix, and HMS Perseverance.

The French also had warships nearby. Commodore Saint-Félix led two frigates from Mahé. This port was only about 7 miles (11 km) south of Tellicherry. The French told the British they would not let their ships be searched. But the British commanders, Strachan and Cornwallis, said they would enforce the blockade. They would stop ships going to Mangalore no matter what.

The Fight at Sea

In November 1791, a French group of ships left Mahé. They were going on a short trip to Mangalore. This group included two merchant ships and the warship Résolue. The Résolue was a frigate with 36 guns. Its captain was named Callamand. As they sailed past Tellicherry, Commodore Cornwallis sent Captain Strachan to stop them. Strachan took Phoenix and Perseverance with him. Their job was to check the French ships for military supplies.

Captain Smith stopped the merchant ships and sent small boats to search them. Strachan did the same with Résolue. He called out to the French captain and sent an officer in a small boat to board the frigate. The French captain was very angry. He felt this was a violation of his country's neutral position. He responded by opening fire. British reports say he first aimed at the small boat. However, the Phoenix was the ship that got hit right away.

Strachan was not surprised by the French attack. He fired back immediately. The ships were very close, so they could not move much. The fight lasted only twenty minutes. The French captain lowered his flag, showing he was giving up. His ship was badly damaged. More than 60 of his men were wounded or dead. The French ship had weaker cannons than the British ships. The Résolue had 6- and 12-pounder guns. The British ships had 9- and 18-pounder guns. Also, Résolue was greatly outnumbered. There were no other French warships nearby. The British had three large frigates in sight. The French lost 25 men killed and 60 wounded. Strachan's side had only six killed and 11 wounded.

What Happened Next

After the French ship surrendered, Strachan ordered a full search. But they found no illegal goods. So, he gave control of the ship back to the French commander. However, the French officer refused. He said he and his ship should be treated as prisoners of war. Cornwallis then ordered the merchant ships to be released. They were allowed to continue their journey. The frigate was towed back to Mahé. It was anchored there with its sails and topmasts removed. Strachan later arranged care for the wounded French sailors at Mahé.

Soon after, Commodore Saint-Félix arrived at Mahé in his frigate, Cybèle. He was furious to find that one of his neutral ships had been attacked and captured. Cornwallis insisted that his ships were following orders. Saint-Félix then promised to strike back if any of his ships were attacked again. He left later that day with both Cybèle and Résolue. The British ships Minerva and Phoenix followed them. One story says Saint-Félix even ordered his crew to fire on Cornwallis, but they refused. The British followed the French for several days. They openly stopped and searched French merchant ships. But Saint-Félix did not respond. Eventually, Résolue and Phoenix left their groups. Cornwallis and Saint-Félix stayed in contact for a few more days before finally separating.

News of the battle reached France. But France was in a very chaotic time because of the French Revolution. So, little attention was paid to what happened in India. Historians like William James say that in normal times, this battle would have caused bigger problems. Edward Pelham Brenton even claims the French ignored the report on purpose. They were afraid of making Britain angry. In Britain, the Admiralty (the navy's leaders) approved of Cornwallis' actions. They thought the French were secretly helping Mysore against Britain.

This battle did not change the war in India much. The war was now focused on the city of Seringapatam. In February 1792, British forces were closing in on the city. Tipu Sultan started peace talks. The Treaty of Seringapatam ended the war. Mysore had to give up land to the British and their Indian allies.

See also

• Mysore invasion of Kerala