Battle of Wandiwash, 22 January 1760 (India)
Decisive victory that ended French dominance in southern India, weakening their position in the Seven Years War. A French force of 2,000 men was besieging Wandiwash, when a similarly sized British army led by Colonel Eyre Coote arrived to relieve the fort. Lally opened with an artillery bombardment, followed by a cavalry charge which he expected to meet little resistance, but that was met by determined musketry. Lally responded by moving his infantry into the battle. A lucky shot from the British artillery destroyed the French powder store, which caused great damage to the French left flank. Eyre Coote pressed home an attack on the beleaguered French left, which led the the collapse of the entire French line, at which point Lally retreated to Pondicherry, the main French base, leaving many of his troops and officers to be captured, and the British free to besiege Pondicherry.
How to cite this article: Rickard, J. (31 October 2000), Battle of Wandiwash, 22 January 1760, http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_wandiwash.html