Battle of Cuddalore ( 1783 ) The Battle of Cuddalore was a battle between a British fleet under Admiral Sir Edward Hughes and a slightly smaller French fleet under the Bailli de Suffren off the coast of India near Cuddalore during the American Revolutionary War , which in 1780 had sparked the Second Mysore War in India . The battle took place on 20 June 1783 , after peace had been signed in Europe but before the news had reached India . It was the final battle of the American Revolutionary War . On the death of French ally Hyder Ali , the British decided to retake Cuddalore , and marched some troops from Madras , and began preparing for a siege . The French fleet under Suffren appeared off the port on 13 June . A week of fickle winds prevented either side from engaging , but on 20 June Suffren attacked . No ships were seriously damaged , though casualties were high with both sides losing about 100 men dead and 400 wounded . The British fleet retreated to Madras after the action , preventing the landing of transports carrying additional troops to reinforce the siege . A sortie from the town weakened the British forces , which were likely to have raised the siege if word had not arrived on 29 June that a preliminary peace had been agreed between France and Britain . 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 . Battle . Both fleets were at first frustrated by light and changeable winds . When a consistent west wind appeared on 20 June , Hughes lined up for battle on a northward - trending port tack and awaited Suffren ' s action . Lining up in a similar formation , Suffren gave to the order to attack , and battle was engaged shortly after 4 pm . The action lasted until about 7 pm , and there was no major damage done to ships in either fleet , even though all ships were engaged . Aftermath . Suffren ' s fleet anchored about 25 miles north of Cuddalore after the battle , while Hughes anchored near the city . On 22 June he sighted the French fleet there while he was en route back to Madras . A number of his ships had been disabled , and he reported that many men were suffering from scurvy and that he was short of water . Suffren returned to Cuddalore on 23 June , forcing the British supply fleet to withdraw . In addition to returning the 1 , 200 troops he had borrowed from the city ' s garrison , he landed an additional 2 , 400 men to support the defense . A sortie from the city was repelled but weakened the besieging British , and on 29 June a British ship flying under a truce flag brought news of a preliminary peace agreement between the two nations , resulting in a mutually - agreed suspension of hostilities on 2 July . Order of Battle . Britain . " Superb " , 74 , < br > " Gibraltar " , 80 , < br > " Cumberland " , 74 , < br > " Defence " , 74 , < br > " Hero " , 74 , < br > , 74 , < br > , 70 , < br > , 70 , < br > " Africa " , 64 , < br > , 64 , < br > " Exeter " , 64 , < br > , 64 , < br > , 64 , < br > " Monmouth " , 64 , < br > " Sceptre " , 64 , < br > , 64 , < br > " Bristol " , 50 , < br > " Isis " , 50 . France . " Héros " , 74 , < br > " Annibal " , 74 , < br > " Argonaute " , 74 , < br > " Fendant " , 74 , < br > " Illustre " , 74 , < br > " Artésien " , 64 , < br > " Ajax " , 64 , < br > " Brillant " , 64 , < br > " Hardi " , 64 , < br > " Sévère " , 64 , < br > " Sphinx " , 64 , < br > " Vengeur " , 64 , < br > " Saint Michel " , 60 , < br > " Flamand " , 50 , < br > " Hannibal " , 50 . < br >