The Battle of Negapatam was the third in a series of battles fought between a British fleet, under Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes, and a French fleet, under the Bailli de Suffren, off the coast of India during the American Revolutionary War. The battle was fought on 6 July 1782. Though the battle was indecisive, Suffren was stopped in his goal by Hughes and withdrew to Cuddalore, while the British remained in control of Negapatam.
The Fantasque was a Lion-class 64-gun ship of the line of the French Navy. She is famous for being captained by the French commander Pierre-André de Suffren during the American Revolutionary War.
Artésien ('Artesian') was a 64-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, lead ship of her class. She was funded by a don des vaisseaux donation from the Estates of Artois.
Orient was an 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, built by Antoine Groignard.
Vice-Admiral Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez, bailli de Suffren was a French naval officer and nobleman. Beginning his career during the War of the Austrian Succession, he briefly served in the Maltese Navy before fighting in the Seven Years' War, where Suffren was taken prisoner by the British at the Battle of Lagos. Promoted to captain in 1772, he served under Charles Henri Hector, Count of Estaing during the naval battles of the American Revolutionary War, taking part in the siege of Savannah in 1779.
Pierre Servan René Bouvet de Maisonneuve was a French naval officer. He served in several notable battles, notably the action of 17 June 1778, and the battles conducted by Suffren in the Indian Ocean. He was wounded at the Battle of Porto Praya. He was the father of Pierre François Étienne Bouvet de Maisonneuve.
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.
Sévère was a 64-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.
Bizarre was a 64-gun ship of the line of the French Navy. She was present at two major battles, and was wrecked in 1782.
Flamand was a 56-gun Bordelois-class ship of the line of the French Navy. She was funded by a don des vaisseaux donation from the Estates of Flanders, and built by engineer Léon Guignace on a design by Antoine Groignard. She took part in Suffren's campaign during the American Revolutionary War.
HMS Fortune was a British 14-gun sloop launched in 1778 that the French captured in April 1780. She then served with the French navy under the same name.
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 Jérôme Antoine Trublet de Villejégu 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.
Charles Louis du Chilleau de La Roche was a French Navy officer.
Charles Gaspard Hyacinthe de Forbin La Barben was a French Navy officer. He fought in the Indian Ocean under Suffren during the War of American Independence, captaining the 64-gun Vengeur at the Battle of Porto Praya on 16 April 1781, the Battle of Sadras on 17 February 1782, the Battle of Providien on 12 April 1782, the Battle of Negapatam on 6 July 1782, and the Battle of Trincomalee from 25 August to 3 September 1782. He was one of the officers that Suffren dismissed in the wake of the Battle of Trincomalee.
Naïade was a 20-gun Coquette-class corvette. She took part in the Indian theatre of the Anglo-French War with the squadron under Suffren. The British Royal Navy captured her in 1783 but never commissioned her; it sold her in 1784.
Singe was a Renard-class xebec of the French Navy, launched in 1762. She served in the Mediterranean against the Barbary pirates, and is notable for a number of important officers who served aboard, notably Flotte, Raimondis and Suffren.
France
