Battle of the Bogue The Battle of the Bogue was fought between British and Chinese forces at the Bocca Tigris , China , on 23 – 26 February 1841 during the First Opium War . The British captured the forts on the islands of Anunghoy and North Wangtong . Background . After the Second Battle of Chuenpee on 7 January 1841 , British Plenipotentiary Charles Elliot and Chinese Imperial Commissioner Qishan negotiated a treaty in the Convention of Chuenpee on 20 January . A term of the treaty was that the port of Canton was to be opened for trade on 2 February . By that date , the proclamation for the opening of the port did not appear . On 11 – 12 February , Elliot and Qishan met again at the Bocca Tigris . Elliot acceded to a further delay ( not exceeding 10 days ) for the treaty to be fairly prepared . Commodore James Bremer , commander - in - chief of the British forces , wrote in his dispatch : Suspecting warlike intentions , Bremer sailed to Macao Roads on 13 February to confer with Elliot . Bremer found that the treaty between Elliot and Qishan was sent by the " Nemesis " up the Bocca Tigris to Canton , with orders to await an answer until the night of 18 February . On the morning of 19 February , the " Nemesis " returned without any reply , and all doubt towards the hostile intentions of the Chinese ended when a shot from North Wangtong was fired on the ship . Bremer detached the " Calliope " , " Samarang " , " Herald " , " Alligator " , " Modeste " , and " Sulphur " ships under Captain Thomas Herbert to prevent further defensive preparations . In a proclamation from Lieutenant - Governor of Canton , Eleang , $ 30 , 000 was offered for the heads of Bremer or Elliot , and $ 50 , 000 for anyone who could seize them alive , among other rewards . Battle . 23 February . On 23 February , Captain Thomas Herbert , who was accompanied by Charles Elliot , sailed to the back passage of Anunghoy Island on board the " Nemesis " , with the " Calliope " , " Samarang " , " Herald " , and " Alligator " . They unexpectedly reached a masked battery , which immediately opened fire on the British ships . Herbert reported that 30 small Chinese junks and boats were " making off in the greatest confusion ; our return fire was rapid and so energetically followed up by landing and pushing on to the attack , that the fort . . . was immediately in our possession . " The Chinese fled after a slight resistance . Their magazines , a few junks , and some boats were burned . The British captured 60 unmounted guns and 20 mounted guns , which they disabled by breaking the trunnion s . There were no British casualties in the operations . Herbert reported 20 to 30 Chinese dead . On the same day , former Imperial Commissioner Lin Zexu wrote in his diary : " I hear that two small steamers belonging to the rebel English , with several small boats , sailed straight up to T ' ai - p ' ing - hsü [ behind Anson ' s Bay ] in the Bogue , opened fire and set alight a number of peasants ' houses , and also the Customs House . " 26 February . On the morning of 26 February , British forces attacked the forts in the islands of Anunghoy and North Wangtong . In the attack on Anunghoy , Captain Humphrey Fleming Senhouse of the " Blenheim " was aided by the " Melville " , " Queen " steamer , and four rocket boat s . The " Blenheim " approached the south Anunghoy fort , dropped its anchor from it , and fired broadside s from starboard . The " Melville " approached five minutes later near the portside of the " Blenheim " , sailed within from the fort , and fired broadsides in quick succession . A British officer wrote , " The firing of these ships was most splendid : nothing could withstand their deadly aim . . . One or two shot were sufficient for the ' dragon - hearted ' defenders of the north fort , who , ' letting ' off their guns , fled up the hills . " After bombarding and silencing the Anunghoy batteries , Senhouse landed on the southern battery with about 300 marines and small - armed men to clear the few remaining defenders . Within two hours , the Anunghoy forts were seized . Chinese Admiral Kuan T ' ien - p ' ei died among the estimated 250 killed or wounded in Anunghoy . After his family identified him the next day , the " Blenheim " fired a minute - gun salute in his honour when his body was taken away . In the attack on North Wangtong island , the " Wellesley " , " Calliope " , " Samarang " , " Druid " , " Herald " , " Alligator " , and " Modeste " targeted the batteries on the south , south - west , and north - west of the island . 2 , 000 Chinese defended the island . In less than an hour , the Wangtong batteries were silenced and under Major Thomas Simson Pratt , 1 , 037 troops from the 26th and 49th regiments , 37th Madras Native Infantry , Bengal Volunteers , and Royal Marines landed on Wangtong . Within minutes , the British captured the island and 1 , 300 Chinese surrendered . An estimated 250 Chinese were killed or wounded in Wangtong . 339 ordnance s were captured from both islands . In total , five British were wounded . Lin wrote in his records : " I got home at the Hour of the Monkey [ 3 p . m . ] . . . and when night came heard that the Bogue forts and those on Wantung Island were being invested , preparatory to attack , by the English rebels . I at once went with Teng to Ch ' i - shan ' s office and at the Hour of the Rat [ 11 p . m . ] we heard that the Wantung , Yung - an and Kung - ku forts have fallen . All night I could not sleep . "