Annibal was a 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, lead ship of her class. She was designed by Jacques-Noël Sané, and was one of the earliest of his works. She was built at Brest in 1778.
Bellone was an Iphigénie-class 32-gun frigate of the French Navy on plans by Léon-Michel Guignace. She took part in the American Revolutionary War in the Indian Ocean with the squadron under Suffren, and later in the French Revolutionary Wars. She was present at the Glorious First of June.
The Illustre was a 74-gun Magnanime class ship of the line of the French Navy. She took part in the War of American Independence and in the French Revolutionary Wars. Damaged beyond repairs during the Expédition d'Irlande, she was scuttled on 30 December 1796.
Admiral comte Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez, bailli de Suffren, Château de Saint-Cannat) was a French Navy officer and admiral. Beginning his career during the War of the Austrian Succession, he fought in the Seven Years' War, where he was taken prisoner at the Battle of Lagos. Promoted to captain in 1772, he was one of the aids of Admiral d'Estaing during the Naval battles of the American Revolutionary War, notably taking part in the Siege of Savannah.
The Pourvoyeuse was a 40-gun frigate of the French Navy, lead ship of her class. She is notable as one of the earliest attempts at building a frigate armed with 24-pounders on the artillery deck, rather than the 18-pounders typical of the day.
Ajax was a 64-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.
Saint Michel was a 64-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, lead ship of her class.
Jean-Baptiste Barthélémy Thomas, comte d’Orves was a French Navy officer, who rose to have flag officer rank.
Fine was a Sybille class 32-gun, copper-hulled, frigate of the French Navy.
Salomon was merchantman built in Nantes that the French Royal Navy purchased and commissioned as a fluyt. In 1781, she was reclassified as a fireship and renamed Pulvérisateur, and served in the Indian Ocean in Suffren's squadron under capitaine de brûlot Villaret de Joyeuse.
Étienne-François de Cillart de Villeneuve was a French aristocrat and Navy officer, brother to Armand-François Cillart de Surville and Jean-Marie de Villeneuve Cillart.
Armand de Saint-Félix was a French Navy officer and admiral.
Louis-Hyacinte de Cavelier, chevalier de Cuverville was a French Navy officer.
Jacques Marie Boudin de Tromelin, Chevalier de La Nuguy was a French Navy officer. He served in the Indian Ocean under Suffren during the War of American Independence. Tromelin Island is named after him.
Bernard-Marie Boudin de Tromelin was a French Navy officer.
The action of 12 August 1782 was a minor single-ship action that opposed the French 32-gun frigate Bellone to the British 28-gun HMS Coventry in the run-up to the Battle of Trincomalee. Although both ships were frigates, Bellone belonged to the Iphigénie class and was a comparatively large frigate for her time, carrying a battery of 18-pounder long guns, while Coventry was a sixth-rate armed only with 9-pounder long guns. Furthermore, Bellone had the advantage of the wind. The nominal crew of Coventry was about tho thirds of that of Bellone, but in the occasion it was reinforced by the troops she was carrying. In spite of these overwhelming odds, Coventry managed to inflict heavy casualties on Bellone, and most decisively to shoot most of the senior staff. The resulting confusion on Bellone allowed Coventry to escape to Madras.
René Joseph Bouvet de Précourt was a French Navy officer. He was captain of the 64-gun Ajax in Suffren's squadron in the Indian Ocean during the War of American Independence, and fought at the Battle of Sadras on 17 February 1782.
Louis-Esprit d'Aymar was a French Navy officer. He fought in the Indian Ocean under Suffren during the War of American Independence, captaining the 64-gun Saint Michel at the Battle of Trincomalee from 25 August to 3 September 1782, and the 74-gun Annibal at the Battle of Cuddalore on 20 June 1783.
Péan de la Villehunault was a French Navy officer. He fought in the War of American Independence, and taking part in the French operations in the Indian Ocean under Suffren.
François-Josué de la Corne de Chapt (1750–1800) was a Canadian who served as an officer in the French Navy. He served in the War of American Independence.
France