Battle of Elmina (1781) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Elmina (1781)
Part of the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
Elmina in 1704
Date 18-20 February, 1781 Location Elmina Castle, present day Elmina Result Dutch victory
Belligerents
Great Britain	Dutch Republic
Commanders and leaders
Adam Mackenzie Thomas Shirley	Jan Pranger
Strength
4 Warships 500-600 Soldiers	Garrison of 1500 (including slave soldiers)
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The Battle of Elmina was an important fight during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War. In this battle, British forces tried to capture the strong Elmina Fort. However, they did not succeed. The Dutch defenders managed to protect their fort.

Why Did the Battle Happen?

During the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, Great Britain and the Dutch Republic were at war. The British wanted to take over Dutch forts along the Gold Coast. This area is now part of modern-day Ghana.

A British group led by Thomas Shirley set out to capture these forts. Their first target was Elmina, a very important location on the Gold Coast.

The Battle Begins

On February 18, 1781, Captain Mackenzie and his British forces prepared to attack Elmina. Captain Mackenzie fired one of his ship's cannons. Then, he raised the British flag on his ship. This was the signal to start the attack.

The battle began with cannons firing at the fort. This cannon fire lasted for about 20 minutes. It caused some damage and disturbance. The Dutch defenders inside the fort fired back.

Fighting at Elmina

After a short break, the fighting started again around 5:45 PM. It continued until 8:00 PM. The British faced strong resistance from the Dutch defenders. People living in the area also helped defend the fort.

The Dutch forts were very strong. They fired many cannons at the British ships and soldiers. This heavy fire caused a lot of trouble and damage for the British. Because of this, the British forces decided to pull back quickly.

British Retreat

By 11:30 AM, both sides agreed to stop fighting. The British forces could not keep up their attack any longer. Their equipment, used for attacking forts, had been destroyed. This made it impossible for them to continue trying to capture the fort. The British had to give up their attempt to take Elmina.