The Battle of Fatshan Creek (佛山水道之戰) was a naval engagement fought between the United Kingdom's Royal Navy and the Cantonese fleet of Qing China on 1 June 1857. Rear-Admiral Sir Michael Seymour sought out and destroyed the Chinese fleet before advancing to the city of Canton (modern-day Foshan) for its capture.[1]
| Battle of Fatshan Creek | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Second Opium War | |||||||
 Advance of British boats during the naval battle at Fatshan Creek, by Oswald Walters Brierly | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Kingdom |
 Qing China | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Sir Michael Seymour |
Unknown | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
1,900+ marines & sailors 1 screw sloop 1 paddle steamer 7 gunboats |
1 fort 25 guns 100 war-junks | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
13 killed (3 officers) 44 wounded (4 officers) 1 launch destroyed 1 gunboat damaged |
1 fort captured 25 guns captured 2 war-junks destroyed 70-80 war-junks captured | ||||||
British order of battle
edit| Ship | Commander | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Coromandel | Rear-Admiral Sir Michael Seymour Lieutenant Sholto Douglas |
[2] |
| Hong Kong | Commodore Henry Keppel Lieutenant James Graham Goodenough | |
| Haughty | Commodore Charles Elliot Lieutenant Richard Vesey Hamilton | |
| Plover | Lieutenant Keith Stewart | |
| Opossum | Lieutenant Colin Andrew Campbell | |
| Bustard | Lieutenant Tathwell Collinson | |
| Forester | Lieutenant Arthur Innes | |
| Starling | Lieutenant Arthur Villiers | |
| Staunch | Lieutenant Leveson Wildman | |
| Boats from Calcutta, Nankin, Raleigh, Tribune, Highflyer, Inflexible, Niger, Sybille, Hornet, Fury, Elk, Acorn, and Cruizer | ||
Gallery
edit-
Plan of the battle -
Naval action, Fatshan Creek -
British rowboats
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Second Anglo-Chinese War ("Opium war") of 1856 - 1860". William Loney. Archived from the original on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
- ^ Clowes (1966), p. 106.
External links
edit
Media related to Battle of Fatshan Creek at Wikimedia Commons
Sources
edit- Carter, Thomas; Long, W. (2010). Medals of the British Army: And How They Were Won. Lancer International Incorporated. ISBN 9781935501275.
- Clowes, William Laird (1966) [1903]. The Royal Navy, a History from the Earliest Times to the Death of Queen Victoria. Vol. 7. New York: AMS Press.
- Jaques, Tony (2007). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: F-O. Greenwood Press. ISBN 9780313335389.
- Jameson, William (2004). The Fleet that Jack Built: Nine Men who Made a Navy. Periscope Publishing. ISBN 9781904381280.