Capture of Chusan

Overview

The First Capture of Chusan by British forces in China occurred on 5–6 July 1840 during the First Opium War. The British captured Chusan (Zhoushan), the largest island of an archipelago of that name.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The capture of Chusan marked one of the opening offensive actions of the First Opium War, with British forces seizing the largest island of the Chusan archipelago. The operation demonstrated British ability to project naval and land power along the Chinese coast early in the conflict, establishing a forward position that could threaten Qing supply and communication lines in the region. The Qing garrison of approximately 1,540 men was present on the island at the time of the British assault under commanders Bremer, Burrell, and Bethune.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (3)