Battle of Ningbo
Contemporary British lithograph from the publication by contemporary witness John Ouchterlony ( The Chinese War. London, 1844). The picture shows a stylized representation of the defense against the Chinese attack in the city
| date | March 10, 1842 |
|---|---|
| place | Ningbo |
| output | British victory |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
|
|
|
| Troop strength | |
| 900 | 5000 |
| losses | |
|
1 dead |
500–600 dead, |
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At the Battle of Ningbo , Chinese forces attempted to retake the British-occupied city of Ningbo in Zhejiang Province . The attack failed on March 10, 1842 with heavy losses for the Chinese military. The battle was part of the only counter-offensive by Chinese forces in the First Opium War .
background
In 1841 the commander of the British expedition fleet, Henry Pottinger, ordered an offensive in southern China. By conquering the port cities of Xiamen , Ningbo and Dinghai , the British forces were to be brought into a dominant position which would force the Qing government under Emperor Daoguang to conclude peace. On October 13, 1841, four British warships and four transport ships appeared under the command of Admiral William Parker . After the defenders escaped under Yu Buyun , they were able to occupy the city without a fight.
After the occupation of the city, the British could count on the support of parts of the population. Local residents supplied the British troops with provisions and supplies for a fee. Likewise, the former missionary and person responsible for the city administration, Karl Gützlaff, was able to set up a spy network, which siphoned off information about the situation and intentions of the Qing from the local population. In the course of the occupation, however, there were also attacks on and kidnapping of British soldiers. During the winter of 1841/42, around 42 British military personnel were victims of attacks by civilians, some of them with fatal results.
On behalf of Emperor Daoguang, General Yijing , experienced in fighting rebels, prepared a counteroffensive against the British in southern China from the spring of 1842. He planned a simultaneous attack on the cities occupied by the British. Thanks to their successful intelligence activities, the British were always informed of the plans and troop movements in Yijing.
course
Yihing deployed around 3,000 soldiers under the command of regional commander Duan Yongfu for the attack . The attack was carried out by 900 soldiers from Sichuan Province as well as 300 yong and 400 yong from Hebei Province excavated locally . This force was to be supported by several groups of Yong who were supposed to infiltrate the city camouflaged as civilians before the attack. However, the British had been warned about their spies and were able to intercept some of the infiltrators.
The Chinese troops opened the attack on the night of March 10 with an attack on ships moored in the port of the city, but it was unsuccessful. A fire boat attack a few hours later also had no effect. The regular soldiers from Sichuan managed to fight their way into the city with the help of the remaining covert Yong . However, the British forces managed to avoid losing close combat and took the Chinese attackers under fire with their artillery at close range. The Chinese did not use any artillery in the battle. The Chinese attack against Zhenhai at the same time was also militarily unsuccessful.
consequences
The Qing military lost around 500 to 600 soldiers in the hours of fighting. The information about the British losses assume a maximum of one death. The Chinese commander in chief, who concentrated 60% of the troops for his protection, withdrew to the supposedly safe Hangzhou . Yiqing himself sent the emperor fake reports with unsubstantiated reports of victory to cover up his failure. He blamed an alleged traitor for the defeat in Ningbo, who lured his troops into a trap in the city. After the end of the war, he was initially sentenced to death but pardoned by Daoguang for exile in Xinjiang .
In the aftermath of the battle, the British conducted an expedition north. In order to make another Chinese attack on Ningbo impossible, British ground troops under Hugh Gough attacked Ciqi , which served the Qing troops as a base of operations. The troops gathered there under the command of Yu Buyun fled before the approach of the Europeans.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Julia Lovell: The Opium War. 2nd edition, London 2012, pp. 190 f.
- ^ A b Julia Lovell: The Opium War. 2nd edition, London 2012, pp. 198-202
- ↑ Julia Lovell: The Opium War. 2nd edition, London 2012, p. 202 f.
- ↑ a b c d Mao Haijian: The Qing Empire and the Opium War - The Collapse of the Heavenly Dynasty. Cambridge 2016, pp. 331-336
- ↑ Julia Lovell: The Opium War. 2nd edition, London 2012, p. 202
- ↑ Julia Lovell: The Opium War. 2nd edition, London 2012, pp. 206 f.