ORDER OF BATTLE // August 26, 1841
Battle of Amoy
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 8,100–12,500 estimated
United Kingdom
2,500
Medium-confidence figure
Qing China
5,600–10,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Amoy gave British forces control of Xiamen Island and the adjacent Gulangyu Island, securing a strategically positioned port on the Fujian coast during the First Opium War. The engagement demonstrated the ability of a British force of roughly 2,500 to overcome Qing defenders numbering between 5,600 and 10,000, inflicting approximately 500 Qing casualties in the process. Capture of the Amoy forts extended British naval reach along the Chinese coastline and maintained the momentum of offensive operations that would ultimately compel Qing concessions by 1842.
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