Battle of Port Praya (bataille de la Praya)

Apr 16th 1781

French Ships

French East India Ships (troops transport) Not participating to the battle

French army troops

Commanded by Monsieur de Castries

Pondicherry regiment (2 battalions)

Austrasie regiment (detachment)

At about 3000 mens

British Ships

British East India Ships (troops transport) (4)

British army troops

Commanded by General Meadows

98th infantry regiment

100th infantry regiment

At about 2000 mens

Losses

Notes

(1) Monsieur de Suffren is Commander of the Order of Malta

(2) Tremignon, captain of the 74 Annibal, was badly wounded at the very beginning of the action(he died soon after) and replaced by Lieutenant de vaisseau Morard de Galles, the one who will become admiral during the revolution period and will command the expeditionary fleet of Irland, in 1796.

(3) Darby is the nephew of Vice Adm. D'Arby, commanding the channel fleet at the same period. It served as lieutenant, in his flagship, the Britannia, of 100 guns a few month before. Latter Admiral, sir H D'Esterre.

(4) In his journal, Suffren estimated to 35 to 40 the total account of vessels of the english convoy. William Laird Clowes claims 10 East indiamen.

(5) Clowes gives British Royal Navy losses as 9 killed and 47 wounded, loses on the convoy bring the totals to 36 killend and 130 wounded. Clowes gives Frnech losses as 105 killed and 204 wounded, all but 19 on the Heros and Annibal.

Sources

English data source: The new annual register of general repository for the year 1781, London, J&J Robinson – 1793 (Johnstone report to the Earl of Hillborough 8th june 1781, page 72)

Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain, Robert Beatson, J. Strachan, Peter Hill (page 314 and followwings)

The Annual Register, Or, A View of the History, Politics, and Literature for the year 1782De Edmund Burke, John Davis, London, Dodsley, 1791