Battle of Fatshan Creek

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
Date1 June 1857
Location23°01′44″N 113°07′08″E / 23.029°N 113.119°E / 23.029; 113.119
Result British victory
Belligerents
 United Kingdom Qing China
Commanders and leaders
United Kingdom 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

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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
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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Second Anglo-Chinese War ("Opium war") of 1856 - 1860". William Loney. Archived from the original on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  2. ^ Clowes (1966), p. 106.
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Sources

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  • 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.