Battle of the Leotung facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of the Leotung |
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| Part of Piracy in Asia | |||||||
 An 1890 map of the Pearl River Delta, Leotung is at the center right. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Kingdom |
Chinese Pirates | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Charles Turner Edward W. Vansittart |
unknown | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 1 brig 1 steamer |
2 lorchas ~37 war-junks |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| none 1 brig damaged 1 steamer damaged |
~300 killed or wounded 2 lorchas sunk 6 war-junks sunk ~5 war-junks damaged |
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The Battle of the Leotung was an important naval battle. It happened in 1855 when the Royal Navy fought against a large group of Chinese pirate ships. The British won this battle. It was part of bigger efforts by the Royal Navy to stop piracy in the Gulf of Leotung area. Many battles took place, and pirate groups faced significant losses.
What Led to the Battle?
Pirates in Southern China
In the 1850s, many different pirate groups operated along the southern coast of China. One famous pirate leader was Eli Boggs. These pirate ships, called war-junks, were well-armed. They carried cannons of various sizes. Each ship usually had at least fifty crew members. Sometimes, sailors from Europe and America even joined these pirate crews.
Pirate Ships and Their Weapons
The war-junks in the Leotung battle were quite large. Most weighed between 90 and 200 tons. They carried six to over eighteen cannons each. There were also larger, better-armed ships called lorchas. These pirate fleets often gathered in the Pearl River Delta. This area became a target for the British navy.
The British Expedition
In mid-1855, the British launched an operation to stop these pirates. Captain Charles Turner led one group of British ships. This group included one brig and two hired steamers. The brig was HMS Bittern. It had twelve cannons and 125 officers, crew, and marines. Commander Edward W. Vansittart was in charge of the Bittern.
One steamer, the Confucius, had Chinese sailors. It was armed with cannons from the frigate USS Macedonian. However, it ran out of coal early and left the mission. The other steamer, Pavushan (also called Paoushan), was not armed. Captain Turner used it to pull the Bittern through shallow waters.
The Battle of Leotung
Spotting the Pirate Fleet
On August 18, the Pavushan and the Bittern were sailing in the Gulf of Leotung. They saw a large pirate fleet of about 37 to 40 ships. This included two lorchas. The pirate ships were near the mouth of a river leading to Fuchan. Commander Vansittart later said that heavy rain and thick mist made it hard to count the ships accurately. The British ships moved closer, stopping about two miles from the pirates for the night.
The Fight Begins
The next morning, the pirates started the battle. They formed two groups and moved towards the British ships. When they were close enough, the pirates began firing their cannons. The British ships fired back. The pirates' cannons, mostly 18-pounders, could shoot farther. So, for about ten minutes, only the Chinese ships could hit their targets.
The Bittern was the main target. It was hit a few times. However, most of the pirate shots went over or through the sails and ropes of the British ships.
British Counterattack and Pirate Retreat
As the pirates came closer, the Bittern's cannons became more accurate. Its broadsides (firing all cannons from one side) hit several pirate ships hard. This forced the pirates to regroup and try to escape. They tried to trick the British by fleeing through an area with many reefs and sandbars. They hoped the British ships would get stuck.
But the trick did not work. The Bittern skillfully moved through the tricky waters. It kept firing its powerful cannons. Both of the lorchas, which had fired the most accurate shots, were sunk. Six other pirate junks were also sunk.
Aftermath of the Battle
The remaining thirty or so pirate ships escaped. They towed away at least five damaged junks. About 300 pirates were either killed or wounded. No pirates were captured. Some of the pirates were believed to be European. The Bittern and Pavushan did not suffer much damage. No British sailors were hurt in this battle, which lasted about an hour.
What Happened Next?
Pirates Demand Ransom
After the battle, the pirate fleet sailed north to New Chang. There, they captured several merchant ships. They threatened to kill the hostages and attack the port if they didn't receive $100,000. They killed one Chinese sailor and sent his body ashore. After this, Chinese officials paid the ransom. Before letting the merchant ships go, the pirates also forced their crews to pay $1,200 for each ship. Those who could not pay were killed, and their ships were burned. The pirates then split into smaller groups and hid in the many streams of the Pearl River.
Continued British Operations
On August 20, the morning after the battle, the Bittern was towed by the Pavushan. They headed north to free captured merchant ships in the area. In the western Mid-Tao Strait, they found thirteen more pirate ships. After another battle, one pirate ship was captured and given to the Chinese government. Ten others were sunk by gunfire or burned and then sunk.
The Bittern and Pavushan sank another junk on August 30, north of Staunton Island. Later in September, they fought the Battle of Sheipoo against Eli Boggs' pirate fleet. Captain Charles Turner was killed in that battle. Commander Vansittart took command and led the British to another clear victory. Vansittart later became a vice admiral in the Royal Navy.
See also
