Battle of Rach Gam–Xoai Mut

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Part of Tay Son-Siam War

Date	January 19, 1785
Location	Tien Giang , Vietnam
Result	Decisive Tay Son Victory

Combatants

Tay Son (Vietnamese) forces

Siamese Army
Siamese Navy

Commanders

Nguyen Hue

Unknown

Strength

20,000

50,000

Casualties

Unknown

Near annihilation

The Battle of Rach Gam–Xoai Mut was fought between Annamese (Vietnamese) and Siamese forces in present-day Tien Giang Province on January 19, 1785. It went down as one of the greatest victories in Vietnamese history.

In 1776 when Tay Son forces captured Gia Dinh they executed the entire Nguyen royal family and much of the local population. Nguyen Anh, the only member of the Nguyen family still alive, managed to escape across the river to Siam. While in exile Nguyen Anh wished to retake Gia Dinh and push the Annamese invaders out. He convinced the peaceful King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke of Siam to provide him with support troops and a small invasion force.

In mid-1784 Nguyen Anh, with 50,000 Siamese troops and 300 ships, moved through Cambodia, then East of Tonle Sap (Toh Lay Sap in Thai) and penetrated the recently annexed provinces of Annam. 20,000 Siamese troops reached Kien Giang and another 30,000 landed in Chap Lap, as the Siamese advanced towards Can Tho. Later that year the Siamese captured the former Cambodian province of Gia Dinh where, it was claimed, they committed atrocities against the resettled Annamese population.

[edit] Battle

Nguyen Hue anticipating a move from the Siamese, had secretly positioned his infantry along the Mekong River (Mae Nam Kohng), and on some islands in the middle, facing other troops on the northern banks with naval reinforcements on both sides of the infantry positions.

On the morning of January 19 Nguyen Hue sent a small naval force, under a banner of truce, to lure the Siamese into his trap. After so many victories, the Siamese army and naval forces were confident of a surrender. So, they went to the parley, unaware of the trap. Nguyen Hue's troops dashed into the Siamese formation, slaughtered the unarmed emissaries and turned on the unprepared troops. The battle ended with a near annihilation of the Siamese force. All the ships of the Siamese navy were destroyed and only 1,000 of the original expedition survived to escape back across the river into Siam.