Paknam crisis

Paknam Incident

French warships bombarding the Siamese fort at Paknam by Joseph Nash

Date	13 July 1893
Location	Paknam, Siam, Chao Phraya River
Result	French victory, French complete objective.

Belligerents

French Republic

Kingdom of Siam

Commanders and leaders

Edgar Humann

Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu

Strength

1 aviso
1 gunboat
1 steamer

Land:
7 artillery pieces
1 fort
Sea:
5 gunboats

Casualties and losses

3 killed
2 wounded
1 steamer grounded
1 aviso damaged
1 gunboat damaged

~10 killed
~12 wounded
1 gunboat sunk
1 gunboat damaged

The French steamer was captured by Siamese forces the day after the battle without resistance.

The Paknam Incident was a military engagement fought during the Franco-Siamese War in July 1893. While sailing off Paknam through Siam's Chao Phraya River, three French ships were fired on by a Siamese fort and force of gunboats. In the ensuing battle, France won and proceeded to blockade Bangkok which ended the war.

Conflict arose when the French Navy aviso Inconstant and the gunboat Comete arrived at Paknam and requested permission to cross the bar into the Chao Phraya. The French were on their way to Bangkok, further up the river, for negotiations. When the Siamese refused, the French commander, Rear Admiral Edgar Humann, disregarded the Siamese demands and instructions from his own government. Before the action Humann had been ordered not to cross the bar because the Siamese were well-prepared for battle. Siamese forces included seven 6-inch disappearing guns of the recently built Chulachomklao Fort. The Siamese also sunk several junks and a cargo ship in the river, creating only one narrow passage which the French had to traverse.

Five gunboats were anchored just beyond the sunken junks. They were the Siamese gunboats Makut Ratchakuman, Narubent Butri, Thun Kramon, Muratha Wisitsawat, and Han Hak. Two were modern warships while the others were older gunboats or converted river steamers. A sea mine field of sixteen explosives was also laid. Many Europeans served in the Siamese military at this time: a Dutch admiral commanded the fort, and the gunboats were commanded by a Danish Vice Admiral granted the royal title of Phraya Chonlayutyothin.

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Wikipedia