The loss of Preneuse ended meaningful French naval resistance in the Indian Ocean during the Revolutionary Wars.
Key Facts
- Date
- 11 December 1799
- French frigate guns
- 40 guns
- HMS Tremendous guns
- 74 guns
- HMS Adamant guns
- 50 guns
- Preneuse fate
- Driven ashore and burned
- Original French squadron size
- 6 frigates (from 1796)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The French frigate Preneuse, the last significant French warship in the Indian Ocean after the 1796 Sercey squadron dispersed, completed a three-month raiding cruise in the Mozambique Channel and attempted to return to the safety of Port Louis on Île de France in December 1799.
As Preneuse approached Port Louis, a British blockade squadron comprising the 74-gun HMS Tremendous and 50-gun HMS Adamant intercepted her. Unable to reach harbor, Captain l'Hermite beached the frigate at the mouth of the Tombeau River, exchanged brief fire, and surrendered. British boarding parties removed survivors and burned the wreck.
The destruction of Preneuse eliminated the last meaningful French naval presence in the Indian Ocean, ending French commerce raiding in the region. Contre-amiral Sercey, who witnessed the burning of the frigate from shore, subsequently retired from military service.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Captain Jean-Marthe-Adrien l'Hermite.
Side B
1 belligerent
John Osborn (HMS Tremendous), William Hotham (HMS Adamant).