The Battle of Pondicherry was a naval battle between a British squadron under Vice-Admiral George Pocock and French squadron under Comte d'Aché on 10 September 1759 off the Carnatic coast of India near Pondicherry during the Seven Years' War.Heritage History - List of Battles , retrieved 30 September 2008 Pocock attempted to intercept d'Aché, whose squadron was carrying reinforcements and money for the French forces in Pondicherry. The battle was indecisive, but d'Aché successfully completed his mission when his fleet arrived in Pondicherry on 15 September. However, these forces were insufficient to reverse the declining French situation in the Carnatic.Kronoskaf.com - Battle of Pondichéry, retrieved 21 May 2011
Aftermath Although the battle was indecisive, d'Aché's squadron survived the engagement without losing any ships and continued on to Pondicherry, reaching the city on 15 September. The battle could therefore be considered a tactical French victory, as the French squadron managed to achieve its objective of resupplying the French successfully. However, although the convoy had delivered a large amount of money to fund the French war effort, the number of troops that the squadron brought were not enough to effectively challenge Britain's growing pre-eminence on the subcontinent. This was compounded by the French governor-general Comte de Lally's strong antipathy towards the Indian people, and his refusal to use sepoys to augment his forces as the British had.
By 1759, the war in India had shifted in Britain's favour but the outcome of the war was by no means decided. However, as the war continued, Britain's strength on the subcontinent grew thanks to the arrival of significant numbers of reinforcements coupled with the recruitment of local sepoys. From 1760 onwards, Britain would begin to reconquer territories that had been lost in the Carnatic earlier in the war, and laid siege to Pondicherry by March. Despite a lengthy and brave defence, the city fell on 15 January 1761 and remained under British control until the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763, when the city was returned to France.
Order of battle British ShipGunsCommanderNotesRef.HMS Elizabeth64Captain Richard TiddemanHMS Newcastle50Captain Colin MichieHMS Tiger60Captain William BreretonHMS Grafton68Rear-Admiral Charles SteevensCaptain Richard KempenfeltHMS Yarmouth66Vice-Admiral George PocockCaptain John HarrisonHMS Cumberland58Captain John Stukley SomersetReduced from 66 guns to ease herHMS Salisbury50Captain Digby DentHMS Sunderland60Captain James ColvilleHMS Weymouth60Captain Sir William BairdHMS Queenborough24Captain Robert KirkNot in line of battle
French ShipGunsCommanderNotesRef.Actif64Captain Minotaure74Captain Anne Marie Charles de la BourdonnayeDuc d'Orlèans60Captain Jean-François de SurvilleSaint Louis60Vengeur64Captain Jean Baptiste Christy de La PallièreZodiaque74Lieutenant-General Anne Antoine, Comte d'AchéCaptain Jacques-Antoine de GothoComte de Provence74Captain Jean-Jacques de La ChaiseDuc de Bourgogne80Captain René Joseph Bouvet de PrécourtIllustre64Captain Jacques de Ruis-EmbitoFortune64Centaure70Captain Robert René Louis de SurvilleSylphide36Captain François-Aymar de MonteilNot in line of battleDiligente24Captain Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne
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