Atlas of Battles

battle, nineteenth century

Battle of Taku Forts

Battle of Taku Forts was a battle fought in 1859 at Taku Forts, in what is now People's Republic of China. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at Taku Forts. It was part of Second Opium War, which ran from 1856 to 1860. The recorded result: Qing victory. Recorded strength: Britain: 1,160 (on land); 11 gunboats; 4 steam ships against 4,000; 60 guns; 6 forts.

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Fought1859
WhereTaku Forts, People's Republic of China38.977N, 117.705E, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomeQing victory
BelligerentsUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; Second French Empire; United StatesagainstQing dynasty
Part ofSecond Opium War1856 to 1860

Where it sits in Second Opium War

Battle of Canton, 1856Capture of the French Folly Fort, 1856Battle of the Bogue, 1856Battle of the Pearl River Forts, 1856Battle of Macao Fort, 1857Battle of Escape Creek, 1857Battle of Fatshan Creek, 1857Battle of Canton, 1857Battle of Taku Forts, 1858Battle of Taku Forts, 1859Battle of Taku Forts, 1860Battle of Zhangjiawan, 1860Battle of Palikao, 186018561860Battle of Taku Forts, 1859
13 placed engagements of Second Opium War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1859 (year precision)
to 1859
PlaceTaku Forts, People's Republic of China
38.977N, 117.705E
KindBattle, nineteenth century
StrengthBritain: 1,160 (on land); 11 gunboats; 4 steam ships4,000; 60 guns; 6 forts
Casualties and lossesBritain: 3 gunboats sunk; 3 gunboats grounded; 81–519 killed; 345–456 wounded; France: 12 killed; 23 wounded; United States: 1 killed; 1 wounded; 1 launch damaged32 killed or wounded
Commanders
  • Josiah Tattnall III
  • Sengge Rinchen
Battle of Taku FortsBattle of Taku FortsBattle of Taku FortsBattle of Taku FortsBattle of PalikaoBattle of Gaoliang RiverBattle of PekingBattle of Taku FortsBattle of PalikaoBattle of PekingTianjinTangshanQinhuangdaoLangfangCangzhouZhuozhouHangu100 km38.977N, 117.705E
Placed at Taku Forts; the exact site is not recorded. with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1859

Battle of Taku Forts is one of 3,507 engagements of the 19th century in the atlas and one of 339 in present-day People's Republic of China.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q1061404, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Taku Forts (1859), revision 1383526635, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.