Royal Navy Today

September 18th, 1804.

On September 18th, the HMS Centurion, fifty. Captain J. Lind, was lying at anchor in Vizagapatam Road, waiting to convoy two Indiamen to Madras, when a line of battle ship and two frigates, came in sight in the south west, with all sail set. They were the Marengo, seventy-four, Rear- Admiral Linois; the Atalante, forty, and Semillante, thirty-six, which steered directly for the road without showing any colours. Captain Lind being on shore, the first lieutenant, J. E. Phillips, took command of the HMS Centurion signalled to the Indiamen to provide for their own safety, cut his cable and prepared for action. One of the Indiamen ran on shore and was lost in the surf, and the other, though mounting twenty-four twelve-pounders, struck her colours without firing a shot, and was taken possession of by the Semillante. Shortly after ten a.m., all three ships hoisted French colours, and the HMS Centurion opened fire on the Atalante. An engagement of an hour followed, the Marengo and one frigate being on the starboard, and the other frigate on the larboard quarter of the HMS Centurion. A battery of three guns on shore, under the command of Col. Campbell of the 74th Regiment, gave some assistance to the HMS Centurion but the range was too great for its fire to have much, effect. At eleven o'clock the Marengo tacked and stood out to sea, followed by the frigates, and about the same time Captain Lind with great difficulty got on board his ship. The rigging and sails of the HMS Centurion were so much cut to pieces as to make her unmanageable, so Captain Lind anchored at the back of the surf, about a mile and a half to the north east of the town, and prepared to resist another attack. The French ships again stood in, and renewed the action, the Marengo anchoring abreast of the HMS Centurion and the Atalante under sail on her quarter. The Semillante was employed in taking possession of the Indiaman. After an action of about two hours, the lower deck guns of HMS Centurion being the only ones that would reach the enemy, the Marengo cut her cable, and with the frigates and her prize, made sail away. The masts, sails, and rigging of the HMS Centurion were much damaged, and she had received several shot in her hull between wind and water; but her loss was only one man mortally, and nine slightly wounded. For this gallant defence. Captain Lind received the honour of knighthood, and Lieutenant Phillips was promoted to the rank of commander.

Eleven medals were claimed by the survivors of this action.