The action of 12 August 1782 was a minor single-ship action that opposed the French 32-gun frigate "Bellone" to the British 28-gun HMS "Coventry" in the run-up to the Battle of Trincomalee. Although both ships were frigates, "Bellone" belonged to the "Iphigénie" class and was a comparatively large frigate for her time, carrying a battery of 18-pounder long guns, while "Coventry" was a sixth-rate armed only with 9-pounder long guns. Furthermore, "Bellone" had the advantage of the wind. The nominal crew of "Coventry" was about tho thirds of that of "Bellone", but in the occasion it was reinforced by the troops she was carrying. In spite of these overwhelming odds, "Coventry" managed to inflict heavy casualties on "Bellone", and most decisively to shoot most of the senior staff. The resulting confusion on "Bellone" allowed "Coventry" to escape to Madras.