Battle of Escape Creek

The Battle of Escape Creek was a naval engagement fought between the United Kingdom's Royal Navy and the Qing Chinese naval force on 25–27 May 1857 during the Second Opium War. Commodore Charles Elliot's squadron chased the war-junks at Escape Creek (present-day East River) and then, once the British ships were grounded as the river narrowed, they chased them in the ships' boats until all the junks had been overhauled.[4]

Battle of Escape Creek
Part of the Second Opium War

Commodore Elliot leading gunboats to attack the Mandarin junks
Date25–27 May 1857
Location
Escape Creek, Guangdong, China
23.038°N 113.522°E / 23.038; 113.522
Result British victory
Belligerents
 United Kingdom Qing China
Commanders and leaders
United Kingdom Charles Elliot Admiral Sonhay[1]
Strength
13 gunboats
7 cutters & gigs[2]		 41 war-junks
Casualties and losses
31 wounded[3] 27 junks captured or destroyed[1]
  • Map of Canton area showing Escape Creek near the top
    Map of Canton area showing Escape Creek near the top
  • Map of the engagements
    Map of the engagements
  • Attack on the junks
    Attack on the junks
  • Burning of 27 captured junks
    Burning of 27 captured junks

References
  1. Behan 1859, p. 1251
  2. Behan 1859, p. 1256
  3. Behan 1859, p. 1259
  4. "Second Anglo-Chinese War ("Opium war") of 1856 – 1860". William Loney. Archived from the original on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2015.

Bibliography

Further reading
  • Cooke, George Wingrove (1861). China and Lower Bengal (5th ed.). London: Routledge, Warne, & Routledge. pp. 15–18.
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