Background
Following the death of French ally Hyder Ali, the ruler of Mysore, in December 1782, British commanders at Madras decided to attempt the recapture of Cuddalore, which Hyder Ali had captured in April of that year. The army marched south from Madras, and, circling around the city, encamped to its south. The British fleet, the 18 ships of the line under Admiral Sir Edward Hughes, anchored advantageously to the south Cuddalore in order to protect the army and its supply ships. By early June 1783 the siege was under way.
French Admiral the Bailli de Suffren was ordered on 10 June to sail with his inferior fleet of 15 ships from Trincomalee in support of the besieged city. When he arrived on 13 June, Hughes, seeking to avoid battle, moved away from the city and again anchored. After five days of adverse winds, Suffren was able to anchor near the city, where he made contact with the city's commander Sayed Sahib of Mysore. Since it appeared that the success of the siege would be decided by naval action, 1,200 troops were embarked onto Suffren's ships to increase his gunnery complement. His fleet weighed anchor on 18 June, and the two fleets began maneuvering for advantage.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Cuddalore (1783)
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