The Battle of Negapatam (1758)

The battle of Negapatam is a naval battle between the French and British fleets as part of the Seven Years War on August 3, 1758 off the Karnat coast near Negapatam .

On July 27, 1758, the seven battleships of George Pocock approached Pondicherry , where 9 battleships of Admiral d'Ache, anchored by the flagship Zodiac (74 guns), were anchored. The French immediately left the harbor and maneuvered for several days to take advantage of the wind. Ashe, as in the previous battle at Kuddalor , had more ships than his rival, but almost all of them, except the flagship, were armed merchant ships of the East India Company, and therefore were less effective than the warships of the British Navy.

Both squadrons collided on August 3 in the vicinity of Negapatam . The fight was short, but intense. Ashe lost the advantage of the wind and fell under English fire, causing significant damage to his ships. The battleship Comte de Provence (74 guns), destroyed in a fire, barely escaped capture. The zodiac (74) caught fire and could explode. Ashe was forced to give an order to retreat. The British, who were also seriously injured in the battle, could not organize the persecution.

The battle did not lead to significant consequences: not a single ship was sunk or burned, but human casualties on both sides were significant. Ashe was again seriously injured and was soon sent for treatment in Ile de France for the winter. Both squadrons met for the third and last time a little over a year later, on September 10, 1759 , at the Battle of Pondicherry .