Template:Campaignbox Piracy in the 19th century
The Battle of the Leotung was a significant British victory against an overwhelming fleet of Chinese pirate ships. In 1855 the Royal Navy launched a series of operations into the Gulf of Leotung and surrounding area to supress piracy, several battles were fought and hundreds of pirates were killed.
Background
In the 1850's the southern China coast was base for several different pirate groups, Eli Boggs' being the most famous. Pirate vessels used by the Chinese pirates were armed with guns ranging from thirty-two pounders and down, had crews on average of fifty or more. European and American sailors often were among the pirate crews. The junks carried six to over sixteen guns each and all displaced ninety to 200 tons with the exception of the commonly used lorchas that were larger. Several pirate fleets operated in the Pearl River Delta which was the target of a British counter-piracy operations in mid to late 1855. One expedition of one brig and two chartered steamers was under the command of Captain Charles Harris.
The brig was HMS Bittern carried twelve guns and 125 officers, crew and marines, she was under Commander Edward W. Vansittart. The steamer Confucius was crewed by Chinese sailors and armed by guns from the USS Macedonian but she did engage in battle as she ran low on coal and was forced to leave the expedition not long after it began. The other steamer Pavushan or Paoushan was not armed but was commanded by Captain Harris and used to tow the Bittern through shallow water.
Battle
On August 18th while sailing in the Gulf of Leotung, the Pavushan and the Bittern came within sight of thirty-seven to forty vessels including two lorchas and the remaining were junks. They were posistioned near the mouth of the river which led to Fuchan. Later Commander Vansittart reported that because of the heavy rain and thick mist he could not get an accurate count of the pirate ships he spotted. The two British ships advanced until just over two miles away from the pirate fleet and anchored for the night. The following morning the pirates initiated the battle after forming two divisions and began an advance towrds the Bittern and Pavushan. When within range the pirates opened fire followed by the British. The pirates armament mostly included long 18-pounders which gave them a further range so for about ten minutes the two sides dueled but only the Chinese were capable of hitting their target.
Bittern was the main target for Chinese fire and was hit a few times before striking her first hit though most of the pirate's fire reportedly passed over and through the sails and rigging of the Royal Navy vessels. When the pirates came within range of the Bittern her broadsides became more accurate and she hit several vessels and apparently damaged them severely, forcing them to regroup into one force and retreat. Attempting to trick the British into running aground; the pirates fled through a mess of reef and sandbars. The trick failed and the Bittern was able to maneuver through the treacherous waters and keep up her heavy fire. Both of the lorchas were sunk which were said to have fired the most well aimed Chinese fire. six junks were sunk either while resisting or after their crew abandoned ship.
The remaining thirty or so vessels escaped and towed at least five damaged junks away. An estimated 300 pirates became casualties and none were captured, most of them were actually Chinese but some were thought to be European. Bittern and Pavushan did not recieve too much damage and none of the British service men were harmed in an action that lasted around an hour.
Aftermath
The pirate fleet headed north for the port of New Chang where they siezed several merchant ships and threatened to kill several hostages and attack the port if 100,000 dollars was not paid to them. They killed one Chinese sailor and sent his body ashore ina a basket and afterwards the Chinese officials gave into the demands and the ransom was paid. Before freeing the merchant men they forced the crews to pay them 1,200 dollars for each ship. Those who could not afford to pay were killed and their ships burned. The pirates then split into several smaller groups and hid themselves among the Pearl River's several streams and tributaries. On August 20th, the morning after the battle, Bittern was under tow by Pavushan and headed north to begin freeing the dozens of captured merchantmen all over the delta.
In western Mid-Tao Strait they encountered thirteen of the pirate craft and after another battle, one was captured and turned over to the Chinese government and ten others were sunk by gun fire or first burned and then sunk. Bittern and Pavushan sunk another junk on August 30th, north of Staunton Island and later in September, they fought the Battle of Sheipoo against Eli Boggs' fleet. Captain Carles Turner was killed in the battle and Commander Vansittart took command and finished the action with a British victory. Vansittart later became a vice admiral in the Royal Navy.
United Kingdom
Charles Turner