The action of 6 July 1746 was an inconclusive naval engagement between the British and French fleets during the War of the Austrian Succession.
Battle
The English fleet, first under the command of Commodore Curtis Barnett and then Edward Peyton, and a French fleet under Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais, engaged each other early in the First Carnatic War. Both fleets were damaged, with La Bourdonnais putting in at Pondicherry for repairs, and Peyton at Trincomalee. La Bourdonnais acquired additional guns at Pondicherry, and when the fleets met again in August 1746, Peyton refused battle and retreated to Bengal. La Bourdonnais then proceeded to lead the successful French attack on Madras in September.[1]
Order of Battle
| Ship | Guns | Commander | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medway | 60 | Commodore Edward Peyton Captain Henry Rosewell |
[2] |
| Preston | 50 | Captain Lord Northesk | |
| Winchester | 50 | Captain Lord Thomas Bertie | |
| Harwich | 50 | Captain Philip Carteret | |
| Medway Prize | 40 | Captain Thomas Griffin | |
| Lively | 20 | Captain Nathaniel Stephens |
France
| Ship | Guns | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Achille | 60 | [2] |
| Duc d'Orléans | 26 | |
| Bourbon | 36 | |
| Neptune | 34 | |
| Phénix | 34 | |
| Saint Louis | 30 | |
| Lys | 34 | |
| Insulaire | 28 |
Citations
- ^ Naravane, M.S. (2014). Battles of the Honorourable East India Company. A.P.H. Publishing Corporation. p. 152. ISBN 9788131300343.
- ^ a b Clowes (1898), p. 120.
References
- Clowes, William Laird (1898). The Royal Navy, a History from the Earliest Times to the Present. Vol. 3. London: Sampson Low, Marston and Company.
- Dodwell, Dupleix and Clive
- The Navy in the War of 1739–1748
10°46′00″N 79°50′00″E / 10.7667°N 79.8333°E