East and West Indies
Alms had little interest and unable to get another position, took up the command of the former East Indiaman Hardwick, and spent three or four years trading between Bombay and China. The Hardwick was requisitioned by the government to carry stores in the Carnatic Wars, and was present with his old commander, now Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Watson, at the capture of Gheria on 12–13 February 1756. In 1758, after the outbreak of the Seven Years' War, Alms returned overland to England and offered his services. He was appointed lieutenant of the 74-gun HMS Mars under Captain James Young, and was present at the Battle of Quiberon Bay on 20 November 1759. Alms continued in Mars for a further two years, and was promoted to master and commander in June 1761. He was made commander of HMS Flamborough's Prize on 10 July 1761, and in November became acting-captain of the 32-gun HMS Alarm, which he sailed to the West Indies with Admiral Sir George Pocock's fleet in February 1762, arriving in time to take part in the capture of Martinique.
While cruising in Caribbean waters he captured two armed sloops, one of 18 guns and one of 12 guns. He had further success on 3 June, when while sailing to Havana with the rest of the fleet, he came up on and captured two Spanish vessels, one of 22 guns, and one of 18 guns. The two ships put up a fierce resistance, and in the ensuing engagement several musket balls passed through Alms' hat, and he was wounded in the knee. On arriving at Havana he handed Alarm over to the captain appointed to her, and took up a post as commander of the sloop HMS Ferret, moving to command HMS Cygnet in November that year.
He was subsequently heavily involved in the operations to capture Havana, and was on several occasions entrusted with important tasks. Admiral Augustus Keppel said of him that he was an ‘alert, forceful man’, and he was given the task of carrying the dispatches home, with Keppel's recommendation that he be promoted. However he was not promoted to post-captain until 20 June 1765, after the end of the Seven Years' War.
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