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876:(local Indian troops), and a city whose fortifications were in some disrepair. Pondicherry, as was the case with a number of other European colonial outposts in India, changed hands due to military action several times in the colonial period. Attempts to significantly improve its defences after the last round of battles in the
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emptied. On 19 September a
British cannonball killed the commander of the French artillery. By 24 September breaches were beginning to show in the bastions under attack, and by 6 October the British trenches had reached the inner ditches, with additional gun batteries doing significant damage along the entire French works.
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The
British troops were not noticeably active in their siege operations until September. Bellecombe used the remaining time to further strengthen the defences, constructing more dikes and iron-cladding the powder magazine. He also repeatedly had to stop the ineffective fire of cannon at the distant
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in the harbour due to damage sustained in the first engagement, and was thus at a disadvantage. The next day, Tronjoli sailed the rest of the fleet south. Sources disagree on whether or not battle was offered or attempted on either side, but apparently no battle took place, and
Tronjoli continued
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Between 6 and 13 October, the
British siege operations continued, but heavy rains hampered them. The British succeeded in draining the northern ditch, which the French unsuccessfully attempted again to flood. On 14 October the walls of the two bastions the British had targeted lay in ruins, and
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to destroy the southern battery. The effort was abandoned when secrecy was lost (a sentry was disarmed but not killed, so he was able to raise the alarm) and when the company lost its way. A second sortie on 4 October was a little more successful. The southwest gun battery was reached while its
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The
British siege operation proceeded throughout September, often under heavy fire. British batteries moved progressively closer to the walls, inflicting heavy damage within the city. The hospital had to be evacuated, and the powder magazine (a particular target of the British guns) was also
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The French force of less than 1,500 had withstood a siege of nearly eighty days by a
British force that numbered 20,000. The defenders' losses were high: more than 300 French and nearly 150 sepoy casualties, along with more than 200 civilian casualties. The British suffered more than 900
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crew was asleep; the guns were spiked (albeit poorly enough that they were soon back in service), and some of the crew were slaughtered. Bellecombe also received a minor injury after a musket ball struck him on 4 October, but was able to continue leading the defence.
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Pondicherry was the capital of French India and the largest of France's possessions on the subcontinent. The
British would capture all of the other possessions without resistance in 1778; only Pondicherry was actively defended. The French governor, General
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The first noteworthy exchange between the forces was a naval encounter. Admiral Edward Vernon's fleet also consisted of five ships, carrying slightly less firepower than the French fleet. Vernon commanded the 60-gun ship of the line
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placed
General Hector Munro in command of an army of nearly 20,000 men, which began arriving within a few miles of Pondicherry on 8 August. By 20 August the full army had arrived, the city was surrounded, and siege operations began.
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were constructed along the shore, and anything that might give cover to the
British on their advance on the defences was removed or destroyed. Bellecombe also received additional troops before the British arrived. The garrison from
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were frustrated by political infighting in the French colonial administration. In 1778 the outer works of the city were largely incomplete, with significant elements unfinished and parts of the city exposed to direct attack.
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In a largely inconsequential two-hour engagement in which
Tronjoli was wounded, the French fleet drove Vernon away on 10 August. On 14 August French ships spotted two unknown sails; they were transport ships of the
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was captured when she strayed too close to the British squadron on 25 August. The loss of parity between the navies was partially made up by the arrival at Pondicherry of the 26-gun frigate
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Bellecombe was also running out of ammunition. After holding a war council on 15 October, he sent a truce flag to Munro the next day. He signed the terms of capitulation on 18 October.
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had recalled their ambassadors, a sign that war was imminent. The British colonies had already received orders to seize the French possessions in India and begun military preparations.
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On the night of 1 September the British advanced a force of about 300 as cover for engineers to begin siege operations. Two positions were identified for attack; the northwest
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an attack on the southern battery. This drew nearly 3,000 British troops within reach of the French guns, which inflicted significant damage with only a single French death.
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Bellecombe immediately set about improving the defences, working as quickly as possible in anticipation of British movements. Key gates were blocked,
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was a merchant vessel of about 650–700 tons and twenty 8-pounder guns that the French requisitioned in July 1778 for the defense of Pondicherry.
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999:. Their captains, apparently unaware of the hostilities, sailed before Pondicherry with British flags flying. Two of the French fleet,
897:(which the British occupied on 10 August) add about 100 sepoys to the defence, and some of Pondicherry's inhabitants also took up arms.
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casualties. The French defenders were allowed to march out with full colours, and were eventually returned to France.
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On 20 August, the British fleet, now six ships, appeared again. The French fleet, although it had been augmented by
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A small French navy was assembled to counteract the small British navy. Admiral Tronjoli took command of the 64-gun
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south. Bellecombe was surprised and dismayed to learn on 2 September that Tronjoli had sailed for
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but again requisitioned in December 1781. the British captured her in February 1782.
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the French defences. Bellecombe's response was to send out a few hundred men to
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817:. A British force besieged the French-controlled port of Pondicherry (now
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American Revolution: The Definitive Encyclopedia and Document Collection
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La Marine de Louis XVI: Nomenclature des Navires Français de 1774 à 1792
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Siege of Pondicherry by the British troops painted by Henri Dupray
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1190:. Vernon had sent her off to carry dispatches after the battle.
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821:) in August 1778, which capitulated after ten weeks of siege.
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lazily gave chase. The British merchant ships escaped, but
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mentions the four Royal Navy vessels but does not mention
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decided to declare war on Great Britain as an ally to the
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The Military History of the Madras Engineers and Pioneers
1206:. In 1779 she was reported to be an armed transport at
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All three were merchant vessels, pressed into service.
1307:. Translated by Roche, Charles Émile. Harper Brothers.
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Memoirs of Barras, member of the directorate, Volume 1
872:, had at his disposal about 700 French troops and 400
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1078:On 25 September the French attempted a nighttime
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227:François-Jean-Baptiste l'Ollivier de Tronjoli
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1182:. The prize money notice for the capture of
1452:Sieges of the Anglo-French War (1778–1783)
1301:Barras, Paul (1895). Duruy, George (ed.).
1136:was armed with twenty-six 8-pounder guns.
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69:Learn how and when to remove this message
32:This article includes a list of general
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946:The British colonial administration in
239:9,000 or more company troops and sepoys
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105:French map depicting the siege, c. 1778
16:Part of the American Revolutionary War
801:was the first military action on the
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1092:preparations began for an assault.
338:Siege of Pondicherry (1778) (India)
38:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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1256:Demerliac (1996), p. 151, #1298.
1247:Demerliac (1996), p. 151, #1297.
1238:Demerliac (1996), p. 151, #1296.
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1288:Demerliac (1996), p.151, #1295.
1437:Sieges involving Great Britain
1432:Battles involving French India
1355:The history of India, Volume 1
1278:. 17 January 1786. p. 22.
1:
1352:Marshman, John Clark (1867).
1316:(in French). Éditions Ancre.
855:in July 1778 that France and
1447:18th century in French India
831:Anglo-French War (1778–1783)
237:1,500 British army regulars
117:21 August – 19 October 1778
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997:British East India Company
847:. Word first reached the
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815:American Revolutionary War
386:American Revolutionary War
310:Location within Puducherry
191:British East India Company
93:American Revolutionary War
1312:Demerliac, Alain (2004).
915:and three smaller ships,
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153:11.9340361°N 79.8338694°E
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1331:Tucker, Spencer (2018).
618:Demerara & Essequibo
401:Europe and Mediterranean
266:193 British army wounded
1422:Sieges involving France
870:Guillaume de Bellecombe
835:Following the colonial
268:53 British navy wounded
217:Guillaume de Bellecombe
53:more precise citations.
1386:The Universal Magazine
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1022:, was forced to leave
962:, and was assisted by
313:Show map of Puducherry
262:11 British navy killed
260:77 British army killed
202:Commanders and leaders
158:11.9340361; 79.8338694
1457:History of Puducherry
1229:Tucker (2018), p. 771
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255:Casualties and losses
1404:Bellecombe's account
1169:into service as the
1165:The Royal Navy took
799:siege of Pondicherry
307:class=notpageimage|
130:), French colony in
86:Siege of Pondicherry
1043:British positions.
837:victory at Saratoga
803:Indian subcontinent
149: /
1407:(in French). 1905.
1368:Mahe capture 1781.
1275:The London Gazette
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985:East India Company
277:191 French wounded
270:684 sepoys wounded
1427:Conflicts in 1778
1109:Second Mysore War
839:in October 1777,
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422:11 September 1778
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341:Show map of India
279:94 sepoys wounded
264:155 sepoys killed
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126:Pondicherry (now
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878:Seven Years' War
648:15 February 1783
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454:Flamborough Head
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1337:. ABC-CLIO.
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514:Cape Spartel
464:15 June 1780
407:17 June 1778
208:Hector Munro
181:Belligerents
144:79°50′1.93″E
141:11°56′2.53″N
91:Part of the
65:
56:
37:
1270:"No. 12718"
1204:swivel guns
1001:Pourvoyeuse
912:Pourvoyeuse
853:Pondicherry
774:Trincomalee
744:Pondicherry
738:East Indies
690:Cape Breton
628:The Saintes
613:Frigate Bay
578:2nd Grenada
573:1st Grenada
541:Porto Praya
509:Île-de-Batz
432:13 May 1779
242:700 French
156: /
59:August 2012
51:introducing
1416:Categories
1295:References
1171:fifth-rate
1087:Siege ends
1031:, leaving
1024:Le Brisson
983:, and the
851:colony of
825:Background
819:Puducherry
764:Batticaloa
717:Hudson Bay
705:Chesapeake
685:Cape Henry
653:Grand Turk
623:Montserrat
598:Fort Royal
588:Guadeloupe
504:3rd Ushant
499:2nd Ushant
489:2nd Jersey
427:1st Jersey
412:1st Ushant
128:Puducherry
34:references
1218:Citations
1200:Elizabeth
1188:Valentine
1177:HMS
1146:L'Oriston
1142:Lawriston
1138:Lauriston
1115:Footnotes
1099:Aftermath
1033:Elizabeth
1020:Elizabeth
1013:Elizabeth
989:Valentine
980:Cormorant
978:HMS
971:HMS
964:HMS
957:HMS
937:The siege
924:Lawriston
886:stockades
759:Negapatam
754:Providien
547:Caribbean
449:Gibraltar
391:1778–1783
1364:41875959
1065:enfilade
1039:behind.
987:'s ship
973:Seahorse
966:Coventry
906:Brillant
710:Yorktown
700:Yorktown
695:Cape Ann
675:Savannah
553:Dominica
525:Atlantic
442:Plymouth
247:400–600
244:regulars
232:Strength
122:Location
1389:. 1779.
1379:. 1881.
1184:Sartine
1179:Sartine
1174:frigate
1167:Sartine
1154:Brisson
1134:Sartine
1061:bastion
1009:Sartine
1005:Sartine
930:Brisson
927:, and
918:Sartine
895:Karikal
857:Britain
813:in the
536:Bermuda
531:Madeira
494:Minorca
219: (
47:improve
1362:
1341:
1320:
1080:sortie
959:Rippon
948:Madras
874:sepoys
841:France
811:France
769:Pisang
749:Sadras
603:Tobago
519:Ferrol
249:sepoys
196:France
169:Result
36:, but
1208:Brest
1120:Notes
1069:feint
484:Brest
132:India
1360:OCLC
1339:ISBN
1318:ISBN
1140:(or
1035:and
1003:and
888:and
809:and
797:The
114:Date
1144:or
222:POW
1418::
1366:.
1272:.
1261:^
1111:.
991:.
976:,
969:,
933:.
921:,
1347:.
1326:.
1210:.
375:e
368:t
361:v
225:)
72:)
66:(
61:)
57:(
43:.
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