Martin Antonenko
A Fixture
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2008
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The Fight for the Taku Forts...
On June 17, 1900 - during the so-called "Boxer Rebellion" - the Chinese so-called "Taku forts", three blocking fortifications at the mouth of the Pei-ho River near the city of Tientsin, are taken by troops of the powers allied against China ... :
Two of the forts are south of the river and a third is north.
They are manned by a total of 2,000 Chinese soldiers who, however, are only equipped with outdated fortress artillery ...:
However, there are two ultra-modern destroyers - built in Germany for the Chinese Navy - in the dock of one of the fort whose modern artillery could have been dangerous for the allied attackers!
Inexplicably, the Chinese do not allow both ships to go into the water - they remain docked and - protected against overturning with beams - cannot shoot back.
The commander of the allied naval formation gathered in front of the Pei-ho estuary, the Russian Vice-Admiral Jakob Apollonowitsch Gildebrandt ...
... orders a bombardment of the forts by ship artillery after the Chinese let an ultimatum to surrender pass.
The other admirals of the allies - Germans, Japanese, British, Italians, French and Austria-Hungarians - are taking part. The only laudable exception is US Rear Admiral Louis Kempff ...
... of his colleagues - and rightly so! - indicates that this is an act of war and that you are fighting the "boxers", but you are not at war with China - and stay out of the following actions!
The other commanders ignore it - and the bombardment begins at 00:45!
The Russian light cruisers "Korejets" ...
...and "Giljak" take on it...
... the German gunboat SMS "Iltis" ...
... the British destroyers HMS "Whiting" ...
... HMS "Glory"...
...and HMS "Lion" take also part....:
Heavy ships cannot be used because the water is too shallow for their depth!
The bombardment (here SMS "Iltis" in action) ...
... is a disaster!
"Korejets", "Giljak" and "Whiting" are damaged, "Giljak" runs aground directly under the Chinese guns and is badly fouled: 13 Russians are killed, 65 wounded!
"Polecat" and "Lion" are also stranded - but can free themselves again by using rowers in their dinghies.
The attacked forts are damaged, but only slightly - and by no means knocked down!
Now the allied troops land:
200 Russians and Austrians, Italians and British, a total of 380 men and 300 Japanese storm the two southern forts, whereby it is precisely stated that the Japanese soldiers are the first in one fort and the British in the other.
The first picture below shows soldiers of the German naval battalion from Tsingtau and the China Expeditionary Corps in the storm - but neither unit was there, or was still on the high seas on the way to China!
The allies are very lucky because just during the storm attack the powder magazine of one of the forts is blown up for an unexplained cause.
Then the Allies put troops across the river on boats - and the British and Italians storm the third fort together!
The way inland to Beijing is free!
The following two pictures show the forts after ingestion.
The British (right) and French (left) flags are clearly visible above one of the bastions ...:
The allies lose a total of 172 deaths - the Chinese losses are unknown.
In 2006 the Chinese restored one of the bastions - today it serves as a destination for tourists and a vivid example of a time when foreign powers could do whatever they wanted in a feudal, divided and weak China ...:
On June 17, 1900 - during the so-called "Boxer Rebellion" - the Chinese so-called "Taku forts", three blocking fortifications at the mouth of the Pei-ho River near the city of Tientsin, are taken by troops of the powers allied against China ... :
Two of the forts are south of the river and a third is north.
They are manned by a total of 2,000 Chinese soldiers who, however, are only equipped with outdated fortress artillery ...:
However, there are two ultra-modern destroyers - built in Germany for the Chinese Navy - in the dock of one of the fort whose modern artillery could have been dangerous for the allied attackers!
Inexplicably, the Chinese do not allow both ships to go into the water - they remain docked and - protected against overturning with beams - cannot shoot back.
The commander of the allied naval formation gathered in front of the Pei-ho estuary, the Russian Vice-Admiral Jakob Apollonowitsch Gildebrandt ...
... orders a bombardment of the forts by ship artillery after the Chinese let an ultimatum to surrender pass.
The other admirals of the allies - Germans, Japanese, British, Italians, French and Austria-Hungarians - are taking part. The only laudable exception is US Rear Admiral Louis Kempff ...
... of his colleagues - and rightly so! - indicates that this is an act of war and that you are fighting the "boxers", but you are not at war with China - and stay out of the following actions!
The other commanders ignore it - and the bombardment begins at 00:45!
The Russian light cruisers "Korejets" ...
...and "Giljak" take on it...
... the German gunboat SMS "Iltis" ...
... the British destroyers HMS "Whiting" ...
... HMS "Glory"...
...and HMS "Lion" take also part....:
Heavy ships cannot be used because the water is too shallow for their depth!
The bombardment (here SMS "Iltis" in action) ...
... is a disaster!
"Korejets", "Giljak" and "Whiting" are damaged, "Giljak" runs aground directly under the Chinese guns and is badly fouled: 13 Russians are killed, 65 wounded!
"Polecat" and "Lion" are also stranded - but can free themselves again by using rowers in their dinghies.
The attacked forts are damaged, but only slightly - and by no means knocked down!
Now the allied troops land:
200 Russians and Austrians, Italians and British, a total of 380 men and 300 Japanese storm the two southern forts, whereby it is precisely stated that the Japanese soldiers are the first in one fort and the British in the other.
The first picture below shows soldiers of the German naval battalion from Tsingtau and the China Expeditionary Corps in the storm - but neither unit was there, or was still on the high seas on the way to China!
The allies are very lucky because just during the storm attack the powder magazine of one of the forts is blown up for an unexplained cause.
Then the Allies put troops across the river on boats - and the British and Italians storm the third fort together!
The way inland to Beijing is free!
The following two pictures show the forts after ingestion.
The British (right) and French (left) flags are clearly visible above one of the bastions ...:
The allies lose a total of 172 deaths - the Chinese losses are unknown.
In 2006 the Chinese restored one of the bastions - today it serves as a destination for tourists and a vivid example of a time when foreign powers could do whatever they wanted in a feudal, divided and weak China ...:
