Battle of Amoy

The 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot storming the Amoy forts

Date	26 August 1841
Location	Amoy, China
Result	British victory

Belligerents

United Kingdom

British East India Company

Qing Dynasty

Commanders and leaders

Hugh Gough,
William Parker

Strength

15 ships,^[1]
2,500 troops^[2]

5,600–10,000 troops^[3]

Casualties and losses

2 killed,^[4]
15 wounded^[5]

Heavy casualties,^[6]
500 ordnances captured^[7]

First Opium War

Kowloon 1st Chuenpee 1st Chusan Barrier 2nd Chuenpee Bogue First Bar Whampoa Broadway 1st Canton 2nd Canton Amoy 2nd Chusan Chinhai Ningpo Tsekee Chapoo Woosung Chinkiang

The Battle of Amoy was fought between British and Chinese forces in Amoy, China, on 26 August 1841, during the First Opium War. The British captured the forts in Amoy and Gulangyu Island.

Description of the Battle

The Qing forces had prepared defenses along the shore of Amoy as well as built batteries on the island of Ku-lang-su. The British forces began the battle by bombarding the island batteries for 2 to 4 hours(sources very), with little effect. The land forces were then landed and took the batteries with little resistance from the Chinese forces. The day was noted as being very hot and fatiguing to the men. The Qing forces withdrew and the city was taken the next day. A garrison force of 550 men, mostly from the 18th and 3 ships: The Druid, Pylades, and the Algerine was left on Ku-lang-su to defend Amoy.^[8]

British Forces Order of Battle

	Officers	Enlisted men
Artillery	9	240
18th	30	648
26th	8	153
49th	24	460
55th	26	731
Madras Sappers	6	184
total	103	2416

Ships: Wellesley, 74 ; Blenheim, 74 ; Blonde, 4:4 Druid, 44; Modeste, 18; Cruiser, 18; Pylades, 18; Columhine, 16 Bintinch, 10 ; Algerine, 10 ; Sesostris, 4 ; Phlegethon, 4 ; Nemesis, 4 Queen, 4^[9]

Gallery

Notes

^ MacPherson 1843, p. 350
^ Hall & Bernard 1846, p. 230
^ MacPherson 1843, p. 342
^ MacPherson 1843, p. 347
^ MacPherson 1843, pp. 338, 347
^ MacPherson 1843, p. 336
^ MacPherson 1843, p. 338
^ Frontier and Overseas Expeditions From India, Vol IV Expeditions Overseas. Calcutta: Superintendent Government Printing.(1911)
^ Frontier and Overseas Expeditions From India,(382)

References

Hall, William Hutcheon; Bernard, William Dallas (1846). The Nemesis in China (3rd ed.). Henry Colburn.
MacPherson, Duncan (1843). Two Years in China (2nd ed.). Saunders and Otley.
Frontier and Overseas Expeditions From India, Vol IV Expeditions Overseas. Calcutta: Superintendent Government Printing,1911.(382)