| Conflict: | Battle of Pondicherry |
| Partof: | the Seven Years' War |
| Date: | 10 September 1759 |
| Place: | Off Pondicherry (Puducherry), Indian Ocean |
| Result: | Indecisive |
| Commander1: | George Pocock |
| Commander2: | Comte d'Aché |
| Strength1: | 9 ships of the line 1 frigate |
| Strength2: | 11 ships of the line 2 frigates |
| Casualties1: | 184 killed 385 wounded |
| Casualties2: | 1,500 killed or wounded |
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. [1] 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.[2]
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.
| Ship | Guns | Commander | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Elizabeth | 64 | Captain Richard Tiddeman | ||
| HMS Newcastle | 50 | Captain Colin Michie | ||
| HMS Tiger | 60 | Captain William Brereton | ||
| HMS Grafton | 68 | Rear-Admiral Charles Steevens Captain Richard Kempenfelt | ||
| HMS Yarmouth | 66 | Vice-Admiral George Pocock Captain John Harrison | ||
| HMS Cumberland | 58 | Captain John Stukley Somerset | Reduced from 66 guns to ease her | |
| HMS Salisbury | 50 | Captain Digby Dent | ||
| HMS Sunderland | 60 | Captain James Colville | ||
| HMS Weymouth | 60 | Captain Sir William Baird | ||
| HMS Queenborough | 24 | Captain Robert Kirk | Not in line of battle |
| Ship | Guns | Commander | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actif | 64 | Captain | ||
| Minotaure | 74 | Captain Anne Marie Charles de la Bourdonnaye | ||
| Duc d'Orlèans | 60 | Captain Jean-François de Surville | ||
| Saint Louis | 60 | |||
| Vengeur | 64 | Captain Jean Baptiste Christy de La Pallière | ||
| Zodiaque | 74 | Lieutenant-General Anne Antoine, Comte d'Aché Captain Jacques-Antoine de Gotho | ||
| Comte de Provence | 74 | Captain Jean-Jacques de La Chaise | ||
| Duc de Bourgogne | 60 | Captain René Joseph Bouvet de Précourt | ||
| Illustre | 64 | Captain Jacques de Ruis-Embito | ||
| Fortune | 64 | |||
| Centaure | 70 | Captain Robert René Louis de Surville | ||
| Sylphide | 36 | Captain François-Aymar de Monteil | Not in line of battle | |
| Diligente | 24 | Captain Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne |