Battle of Tamsui

Battle of Tamsui
Part of Sino-French War
French warships bombard Tamsui, 2 October 1884
Date 2–8 October 1884 Location northern coast of Taiwan Result Chinese victory
Belligerents
France Far East Squadron	China
Commanders and leaders
Sébastien Lespès	Sun Kaihua Zhang Gaoyuan Liu Chaoyou Tio Li-xieng
Strength
six warships 600 fusiliers-marins	1,000 infantry with supporting cannon
Casualties and losses
17 dead, 49 wounded	80 dead, around 200 wounded

Battle of Tamsui
Captain Garnot's chart of the Battle of Tamsui
Chinese
Literal meaning	Tamsui Campaign
French name
French	combat de Tamsui
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Dànshuǐ zhī Yì
Battle of Hobe
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese
Literal meaning	Hobe Campaign
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Hùwěi zhī Yì

Tamsui Campaign

The Battle of Tamsui, Danshui, or Hobe (2–8 October 1884) was a significant French defeat by the Qing Empire at Tamsui on Taiwan during the Keelung Campaign of the Sino-French War.

The battle of Tamsui was part of the Keelung Campaign (August 1884–April 1885). Following the outbreak of the Sino-French War on 23 August 1884, the French decided to put pressure on China by landing an expeditionary corps in northern Formosa to seize Keelung and Tamsui. On 1 October Lieutenant-Colonel Bertaux-Levillain landed at Keelung with a force of 1,800 marine infantry, forcing the Chinese to withdraw to strong defensive positions which had been prepared in the surrounding hills. Meanwhile, a second French force under the command of Rear Admiral Sébastien Lespès prepared to attack Tamsui.

Liu Mingchuan took measures to reinforce Tamsui, in the river nine torpedo mines were planted and the entrance was blocked with ballast boats filled with stone which were sunk on September 3, matchlock armed "Hakka hill people" were used to reinforce the mainland Chinese battalion, and around the British Consulate and Customs House at the Red Fort hilltop, Shanghai Arsenal manufactured Krupp guns were used to form an additional battery.

At Tamsui, the entrance of the river had been closed by laying down six torpedoes in the shape of a semi-circle on the inside of the bar. The Douglas steamers Fokien and Hailoong running to the port, as well as the German steamer Welle, were, whenever necessary, piloted over the torpedoes by the Chinese who had laid them down. The mandarins engaged in planting the guns that had been brought to the island by the latter steamer.