Bombardment of Qui Nhơn

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Bombardment of Qui Nhơn
Part of the
Qui Nhơn, Vietnam
Result

American victory;

  • Vietnamese-held fort silenced
Belligerents  United States
Đại Nam under the Nguyễn dynasty
Commanders and leaders United States James F. Schenck
United States Frederick K. Engle UnknownStrength 1 sloop-of-war ~1
fort
Casualties and losses None Unknown
1 fort destroyed

The bombardment of Qui Nhơn in 1861 was an attack by a United States Navy warship upon a

conquest of southern Vietnam.[1]

Bombardment

An 1886 map of Asia, Qui Nhơn is along the central coast of Vietnam.

Flag Officer Frederick K. Engle ordered Schenck to search the area. The Saginaw was armed with one 50-pounder (23 kg), one 32-pounder (15 kg) and two 24-pound rifled guns. She had a complement of fifty officers and enlisted men. Commander Schenck arrived off Qui Nhơn of July 30 and prepared to enter the harbor the following day at 1:00 am. He wanted to ask the Vietnamese if they had seen the missing sailors. When the Saginaw was entering the harbor of Qui Nhơn on July 31, the nearby fort to the north, mounting a few guns, opened fire at a range of 600 yards.[2]

USS Saginaw's crew was just putting the anchor down when the first shot burst in the water next to the ship. Surprised, the Americans first raised a white flag to show their friendly intentions but then a second shot was fired along with a third. Trying to get up steam, the Saginaw turned around and withdrew slowly to 900 yards, by which time her crew were at station and ready for action. The American gunners returned fire with one of their 32-pounders and after only about twenty minutes the Vietnamese guns were silenced. A secondary explosion was observed and it was suspected that either the powder magazine of the fort, or one of the guns, blew up and killed their operators. After the explosion no further shots were fired from the fort. However, the Saginaw's gunners continued their bombardment for another half-hour unopposed until the fort was in ruins. American forces suffered no damage or casualties and after the action, communicating with the Vietnamese proved fruitless so the Saginaw steamed back to Hong Kong.[3]

The men of Saginaw ultimately did not find the missing American sailors. Commander Schenck went on to serve with distinction at the battles for Fort Fisher during the American Civil War.[4][5][6]

See also

  • Bombardment of San Juan del Norte

References

  1. ^ Schenck, pg. 90–91.
  2. ^ Schenck, pg. 90–91.
  3. ^ Schenck, pg. 90–91.
  4. ^ Schenck, pg. 90–91.
  5. ^ Michael Schroeder (October 13, 2011). "Apocalypse 1861". Geni.com. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  6. ISBN 978-1-59884-530-3
    .

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

  • Schenck, Alexander (1883). The Rev. William Schenck, his ancestry and his descendants ... R.H. Darby Publishing.

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