Seymour Expedition: Difference between revisions

First intervention, Seymour Expedition, China 1900
	Part of the Boxer Rebellion
	; Admiral Seymour returning to Tianjin with his wounded men, on 26 June.
Date	June 18, 1900
Location	Tienstin, China
Result	Failure of Relief Attempt
Belligerents
Eight-Nation Alliance	Qing Dynasty; Righteous Harmony Society
Commanders and leaders
Edward Hobart Seymour ; Nikolai Linevich	Dong Fuxiang; Colonel Yao Wang; Ma Fuxiang; Ma Fulu; Ma Haiyan; Ma Qi; Ma Lin (warlord); Nie Shicheng; Ni Zanqing;
Strength
2,000	5,000 Han chinese troops; Kansu Braves; Boxers
Casualties and losses
	300

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit Next edit →

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Revision as of 02:08, 12 December 2010

Template:FixBunching

The Seymour Expedition was the attempted relief of the international legations under siege by the Boxers in the Chinese capital Beijing. The expedition was composed of various forces from the eight allied nations under Admiral British Vice-Admiral Edward Seymour. The force was repulsed and forced to retreat.

Background

As the situation worsened a second international force of over 2,000 sailors and marines under the command of the British Vice-Admiral Edward Seymour, the largest contingent being British, was dispatched from Takou to Beijing on 10 June. The troops were transported by train from Takou to Tianjin with the agreement of the Chinese government, but the railway between Tianjin and Beijing had been severed. Seymour resolved to move forward and repair the rail or such as the train, or progress on foot as necessary, keeping in mind that the distance between Tianjin and Beijing was only 120 km.

After Tianjin the convoy was surrounded, the railway behind and in front of them was destroyed, and they were attacked from all parts by Chinese irregulars and even Chinese Imperial troops. News arrived on 18 June regarding attacks on foreign legations. Seymour decided to continue advancing, this time along the Pei-Ho river, toward Tong-Tcheou, 25 km from Beijing. By the 19th, they had to abandon their efforts due to progressively stiffening resistance and started to retreat southward along the river with over 200 wounded. Commandeering four civilian Chinese junks along the river, they loaded all their wounded and remaining supplies onto them and pulled them along with ropes from the riverbanks. By this point they were very low on food, ammunition and medical supplies. Luckily, they then happened upon The Great Hsi-Ku Arsenal, a hidden Qing munitions cache that the Western Powers had no knowledge of until then. They immediately captured and occupied it, discovering not only German Krupp-made field guns, but rifles with millions of rounds in ammunition, along with millions of pounds of rice and ample medical supplies.

There they dug in and awaited rescue. A Chinese servant was able to infiltrate through the Boxer and Qing lines, informing the Eight Powers of their predicament. Surrounded and attacked nearly around the clock by Qing troops and Boxers, they were at the point of being overrun. On 25 June a regiment composed of 1800 men, (900 Russian troops from Port-Arthur, 500 British seamen, with an ad hoc mix of other assorted western troops) finally arrived. Spiking the mounted field guns and setting fire to any munitions that they could not take (an estimate £3-million worth), they departed the Hsi-Ku Arsenal in the early morning of 26 June, with the loss of 62 killed and 228 wounded.^[1]

References

Notes

^ Account of the Seymour column in "The Boxer Rebellion", pgs 100-104, Diane Preston.

Books

Harrington, Peter. Peking 1900: The Boxer Rebellion. Oxford: Osprey, 2001. ISBN 1-84176-181-8

[1] Account of the Seymour column in "The Boxer Rebellion", pgs 100-104, Diane Preston.

[1]

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 | date        = June 18, 1900
 | place       = Tienstin, [[China]]
+| result      = Failure of Relief Attempt
-| result      = Chinese Victory,<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=ky4_whmgIZcC&pg=PA49&lpg=PA49&dq=sugiyama+akira+dong+fuxiang&source=bl&ots=DJ_eyI4SkK&sig=ZNU7_UaWGErXr28OtdKkxtUw4SA&hl=en&ei=q0-QTMu9AsOC8gbSk_ydDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CC0Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=dong%20fuxiang%20major%20victory%20seymour%20tianjin&f=false|title=History in three keys: the boxers as event, experience, and myth|author=Paul A. Cohen|year=1997|publisher=Columbia University Press|location=|page=49|isbn=0231106513|pages=428|accessdate=2010-06-28}}</ref> Failure of Relief Attempt
 | combatant1  = [[Eight-Nation Alliance]]
 | combatant2  = {{flagicon|Qing Dynasty}} [[Qing Dynasty]]<br>{{flagicon image|Yihetuan flag.png}} [[Righteous Harmony Society]]
@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 | commander2  ={{flagicon|Qing Dynasty}} [[Dong Fuxiang]]<br/>{{flagicon|Qing Dynasty}} [[Colonel]] [[Yao Wang]]<br/>{{flagicon|Qing Dynasty}} [[Ma Fuxiang]]<br/>{{flagicon|Qing Dynasty}} [[Ma Fulu]]<br/>{{flagicon|Qing Dynasty}} [[Ma Haiyan]]<br/>{{flagicon|Qing Dynasty}} [[Ma Qi]]<br/>{{flagicon|Qing Dynasty}} [[Ma Lin (warlord)]]<br/>{{flagicon|Qing Dynasty}} [[Nie Shicheng]]<br/>{{flagicon image|Yihetuan flag.png}} [[Ni Zanqing]]<br/>
 | strength1   = 2,000
-| strength2   = Unknown amount of Han chinese troops<br>5,000 [[Kansu Braves]]<br> Thousands of Boxers
+| strength2   = 5,000 Han chinese troops<br>[[Kansu Braves]]<br>Boxers
 | casualties1 = 300
 | casualties2 =
@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 There they dug in and awaited rescue. A Chinese servant was able to infiltrate through the Boxer and Qing lines, informing the Eight Powers of their predicament. Surrounded and attacked nearly around the clock by Qing troops and Boxers, they were at the point of being overrun. On 25 June a regiment composed of 1800 men, (900 Russian troops from [[Lüshunkou|Port-Arthur]], 500 British seamen, with an ad hoc mix of other assorted western troops) finally arrived. Spiking the mounted field guns and setting fire to any munitions that they could not take (an estimate £3-million worth), they departed the Hsi-Ku Arsenal in the early morning of 26 June, with the loss of 62 killed and 228 wounded.<ref>Account of the Seymour column in "The Boxer Rebellion", pgs 100-104, Diane Preston.</ref>
-==Summary of July Engagements==
-In a series of battles where Chinese Muslim [[Kansu Braves]] of the Imperial army under General [[Dong Fuxiang]], and Boxer insurgents attacked and defeated the invading Western [[Eight-Nation Alliance]] army under the British Admiral Seymour. Admiral Seymour's force left [[Tianjin]], composed of British, Americans, Russians, Germans, Japanese, Italians, and French troops; in total about 2,000 men. Acting without the Chinese Imperial court's permission, they and had, in effect, launched an invasion. The Chinese Muslim response was decisive.
-Han Chinese General Nie let Seymour's army slip pass in trains, because Ronglu deliberately issued contradicting orders, which left Nie confused.<ref>{{cite  web|url=http://www.jhuapl.edu/ourwork/nsa/papers/China%20ReliefSm.pdf|title=The China Relief Expedition Joint Coalition Warfare in China Summer 1900|last=Leonhard|first=Robert R.|date=|page=12|publisher=The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory|accessdate=31 October 2010}}</ref> However, the muslim forces were not "confused", and immediately set out attacking the foreigners.
-General Dong Fuxiang, along with his Chinese Muslim Braves prepared to ambush the invading western army. Generals [[Ma Fuxiang]] and [[Ma Fulu]] personally planned and led the attack, with a pincer movement around the European force.<ref>[http://www.chinalxnet.com/content/2009-03/15/content_4778_2.htm 马福祥]</ref> On June 18, Dong Fuxiang's troops stationed at Hunting park in southern Beijing, attacked at multiple points including LangFang. The forces included cavalry at 5,000 men, armed with modern magazine rifles.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/?id=WmAuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA452-IA1&dq=tung+fu-hsiang+japanese+bodyguard&q=tung%20fu%20hsiang%20regular%20troops%20rifles|title=China in convulsion, Volume 2|author=Arthur Henderson Smith|year=1901|publisher=F. H. Revell Co.|location=|page=441|isbn=|pages=770|accessdate=2010-06-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=sZdCAAAAYAAJ&q=of+Dong+Fuxiang+attacked+Langfang+station,+encircling+Admiral+Seymour's+detachment.+The+ensuing+battle,+in+which+some+2000+Boxers+and+Dong's+soldiers+were+engaged,+lasted+for+over+two+hours.+Together+with+a+Boxer+attack+on+Yangcun&dq=of+Dong+Fuxiang+attacked+Langfang+station,+encircling+Admiral+Seymour's+detachment.+The+ensuing+battle,+in+which+some+2000+Boxers+and+Dong's+soldiers+were+engaged,+lasted+for+over+two+hours.+Together+with+a+Boxer+attack+on+Yangcun&hl=en&ei=rQe2TPa-CcKC8gbX64yJDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAA|title=Модерн хисторий оф Чина|author=Сергей Леонидович Тихвинский|year=1983|publisher=Progress Publishers|location=|page=397|isbn=|pages=|accessdate=2010-06-28}}</ref> The Muslim General [[Ma Haiyan]], and his sons [[Ma Qi]] and [[Ma Lin (warlord)]] also took part in the fighting.
-During one of the battles at Langfang, Boxers armed with swords and spears charged the British and Americans, who were armed with guns. At point blank range, one British had to empty four bullets into a Boxer before he stopped, and the American Captain Bowman McCalla reported that single rifle shots were not enought, multiple rifle shots were needed to halt a Boxer.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=wkHyjjbv-yEC&pg=PA70&dq=sugiyama+akira&hl=en&ei=h_3_TLrBCIP88Aar4rnzBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDUQ6AEwBDgK#v=onepage&q=boxers%20large%20swords%20spears%20hard%20to%20stop%20pistol&f=false|title=Warriors of the rising sun: a history of the Japanese military|author=Robert B. Edgerton|year=1997|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company|location=|page=72|isbn=0393040852|pages=|accessdate=2010-11-28}}</ref>
-The Muslim troops led by Dong Fuxiang defeated Seymour. The westerners decided to abandon the railway, and withdraw to Tianjin. The Chinese Muslim Cavalry continued to open fire on the western army, using artillery, and Chinese resistance continued throughout villages along the way. The Chinese Muslims put up stubborn resistance, and poured rifle fire at the western forces. They began bombarding the westerners with shells on June 17.
-The other Han Chinese forces then began to attack the Allied force after their initial uncertainty. The westerners struggled to locate the Chinese guns, which were superior to the Allied artillery. Their accuracy was excellent, and Chinese shells tore straight through the western military headquarters, and through a dinning hall when officers were eating. Chinese snipers shot at any foreigner who showed himself on the streets, rifle fire poured out of loopholes constantly, the westerners found that they could not dislodge the Chinese snipers.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=WmAuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA452-IA1&dq=tung+fu-hsiang+japanese+bodyguard&q=tung+fu+hsiang+regular+troops+rifles&hl=en#v=snippet&q=artillery%20inferior&f=false|title=China in convulsion, Volume 2|author=Arthur Henderson Smith|year=1901|publisher=F. H. Revell Co.|location=|page=446|isbn=|pages=770|accessdate=2010-06-28}}</ref>
-The ''London Times'' noted that "10,000 European troops were held in check by 15,000 Chinese braves". Chinese artillery fire caused a steady stream of casualties upon the western soldiers. During an engagement on the 11th, heavy casualties were inflicted on the French and Japanese, the British and Russians lost some men.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=WmAuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA452-IA1&dq=tung+fu-hsiang+japanese+bodyguard&q=tung+fu+hsiang+regular+troops+rifles&hl=en#v=snippet&q=braves%20check&f=false|title=China in convulsion, Volume 2|author=Arthur Henderson Smith|year=1901|publisher=F. H. Revell Co.|location=|page=448|isbn=|pages=770|accessdate=2010-06-28}}</ref> The Chinese won a major victory, and forced Seymour to retreat back to Tianjin by June 26, and Seymour's western army suffered heavy casualties.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=ky4_whmgIZcC&pg=PA49&lpg=PA49&dq=sugiyama+akira+dong+fuxiang&source=bl&ots=DJ_eyI4SkK&sig=ZNU7_UaWGErXr28OtdKkxtUw4SA&hl=en&ei=q0-QTMu9AsOC8gbSk_ydDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CC0Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=dong%20fuxiang%20major%20victory%20seymour%20tianjin&f=false|title=History in three keys: the boxers as event, experience, and myth|author=Paul A. Cohen|year=1997|publisher=Columbia University Press|location=|page=49|isbn=0231106513|pages=428|accessdate=2010-06-28}}</ref>
-Casualty estimates for the Allied force at the original engagement on June 18 varies. One source puts it at 374.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=oJwRAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA31&dq=admiral+seymour+chinese+obliged+him+to+turn&hl=en&ei=LESyTLmcMoGC8gbWn92dCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=admiral%20seymour%20chinese%20obliged%20him%20to%20turn&f=false|title=The standard dictionary of facts: history, language, literature, biography, geography, travel, art, government, politics, industry, invention, commerce, science, education, natural history, statistics and miscellany|author=Henry Woldmar Ruoff|year=1908|publisher=The Frontier Press Co.|location=|page=31|isbn=|pages=|accessdate=2010-06-28}}</ref> This estimate does not include losses at the other engagements on later days.
-The Chinese military victories shattered the western claim that a foreign army could occupy China without opposition from the Chinese.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=WmAuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA452-IA1&dq=tung+fu-hsiang+japanese+bodyguard&q=tung+fu+hsiang+regular+troops+rifles&hl=en#v=onepage&q=disposed%20favourite%20proposition%20advanced%20a%20small&f=false|title=China in convulsion, Volume 2|author=Arthur Henderson Smith|year=1901|publisher=F. H. Revell Co.|location=|page=443|isbn=|pages=770|accessdate=2010-06-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=WmAuAAAAYAAJ&dq=tung+fu-hsiang+japanese+bodyguard&q=forieng+march+end#v=onepage&q=forieng%20march%20end&f=false|title=China in convulsion, Volume 2|author=Arthur Henderson Smith|year=1901|publisher=F. H. Revell Co.|location=|page=444|isbn=|pages=770|accessdate=2010-06-28}}</ref>
 ==References==