Battle of Liaoluo Bay
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| Battle of Liaoluo Bay | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Ming Dynasty China | Dutch East India Company Chinese pirates |
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| Commanders | |||||||
| Zheng Zhilong | Hans Putmans Liu Xiang |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 200 little ships | 60 ships | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 3 damaged, 80 KIA, 150 WIA | 4 HMS Galleon sank, 1 HMS Galleon lost power (damaged and unable to sail), 50 ships damaged, 150 drowned, 250 KIA, 800 WIA and prisoners of war | ||||||
The Battle of Liaoluo Bay (料羅灣海戰) took place in 1633 off the coasts of Fujian and Kinmen. It involved the Dutch East India Company and the Chinese Ming dynasty's navies, and was the largest naval engagement of the 17th century.[citation needed] Kinmen is a little island off the Chinese coast in the southern Fujian sea, though the battle was actually fought at the gulf of this island's north coast, in the Taiwan strait. A Dutch fleet under Admiral Hans Putmans attempted to control the taxation of Taiwan strait while the southern Fujian sea traffic and trade was protected by a fleet under Brigadier General Zheng Zhilong.
The engagement continued for 3 months, and while it was not the first of pre-dreadnought technology on a wide scale, there were significant lessons for naval observers to consider.
[edit] Background
The Ming Dynasty's last Emperor, Chongzhen Emperor, needed a large sum of money to pay his army, just raised to war on Manchuria and deal with an internal rebellion. At this time, the Dutch East India Company combined with the pirates in the South China Sea and the East China Sea were disrupting trade in this area, which reduced the Emperor's tax base.
Quanzhou, on the southern Fujian sea, was a rich town, as it was the eastern end of the Silk Road and therefore needed a great deal of protection from the Ming naval fleet and the Dutch East India company.
[edit] Ming Dynasty victory
Dutch East India Company's galleons were commanded by Jach Brouckerhaven, Stootodijck and Weiringen but the Ming navy won the battle.
The Prime Minister talked to the Chongzhen Emperor second day in Beijing emotionally.
The Chongzhen Emperor was so happy at this victory that he promoted Zheng Zilong to Brigadier General on the spot. In 1640, Zheng Zhilong helped increase the Chongzen tax revenue, and promoted him to the navy marshal, Admiral of the fleet and Governor of Fujian province.
