Battle of Providien

12 April 1782, Off the islet of Providien, south of Trincomalee, Ceylon

Indecisive

Fought on the same day as the Saintes, half a world away. Hughes was taking reinforcements to Trincomalee when Suffren caught him off the coast of Ceylon. Suffren brought his centre down hard on the British centre, and Héros, Orient and Brillant pounded the Monmouth until she lost her main and mizzen masts and fell out of the line; Héros was so badly hit that Suffren shifted his flag to Ajax. Casualties were the heaviest of the five battles, about 130 killed on each side. Both fleets then anchored within sight of each other for a week to repair, and parted without fighting again.

Royal Navy

12 ships, none lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
HMS Superb Hughes's flagship	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Damaged
HMS Monmouth Lost her main and mizzen masts	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Damaged
HMS Exeter	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS Sultan	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Eagle	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS Burford	Ship of the line Third rate, 70 guns	Survived
HMS Monarca	Ship of the line Third rate, 68 guns	Survived
HMS Magnanime	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS Isis Collided with the frigate Fine	Ship of the line Fourth rate, 50 guns	Survived
HMS Hero	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Worcester	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS Hannibal Also known as Petit Annibal	Ship of the line Fourth rate, 50 guns	Survived

French Navy

13 ships, none lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
Héros Suffren's flagship, until he moved to Ajax	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Damaged
Orient	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Damaged
Brillant	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
Ajax Suffren's flagship after Héros was disabled	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
Vengeur	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
Artésien	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
Sphinx	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
Sévère	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
Annibal	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Flamand	Ship of the line Fourth rate, 56 guns	Survived
Bizarre	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived

Flotillas and other craft	Number	Lost
Frigates Fine and Pourvoyeuse.	2	0

Flotillas and other craft

Number

Lost

Frigates

Fine and Pourvoyeuse.

Fleet Ledger

Battle of Providien

Royal Navy

French Navy

Map