Battle of Canton (March 1841)

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First Battle of Canton
Part of First Opium War
Map of the naval operations at Canton, 18 March 1841
Date 18 March 1841 Location Canton, Guangdong, China 23°06′37″N 113°14′38″E / 23.1104°N 113.2438°E / 23.1104; 113.2438 Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom British East India Company	Qing China
Commanders and leaders
Charles Elliot Gordon Bremer Thomas Herbert	Qishan Yang Fang
Strength
9 ships[1]	5 forts
Casualties and losses
7 killed[2]	400 casualties[1] 123 guns captured[2]
The official Chinese commander was Yishan, as a substitute for Qishan, but he had not reached Canton even by the time the battle ended.[3]

The First Battle of Canton (Chinese: 第一次廣州之戰) was fought between British and Chinese forces in Canton, Guangdong Province, China, on 18 March 1841 during the First Opium War. The capture led to the hoisting of the Union Jack on the British factory in Canton and the resumption of trade between the British and the Chinese.^[4]