Battle of Chiatung The Battle of Chiatung ( 11 October 1895 ) was an important engagement fought during the Japanese invasion of Taiwan ( 1895 ) . The battle was a Japanese victory . The battle . The battle took place during the final phase of the campaign , in which the Japanese advanced on Tainan with three separated columns . Lieutenant - General Nogi ' s southern column , consisting of 6 , 330 soldiers , 1 , 600 military coolies and 2 , 500 horses , landed at Fangliao ( 枋寮 ) on 10 October 1895 . The column engaged a force of Formosan militiamen at Ka - tong - ka ( 茄苳腳 ) , modern Chiatung ( 佳冬 ) , on 11 October . The battle was a Japanese victory , but the Japanese suffered their heaviest combat casualties of the campaign in the engagement — 16 men killed and 61 wounded . Three officers were among the casualties . The following description of the battle was given by Davidson : Two companies of infantry were also sent along the beach road , but finding none of the enemy in that direction they marched towards Ka - tong - ka . On arriving near the village the next morning , they found it surrounded by a low stone wall loop - holed for rifle fire . Several cannon made the place quite a formidable stronghold , and , after the Japanese had surrounded the village , the stubborn resistance made by the Chinese showed that the latter intended to take full advantage of their position . A body of water , which nearly surrounded the village , greatly hindered the Japanese in attacking at close range , and the enemy were so well protected that it was only a waste of ammunition to fire from a distance . The Japanese made several futile charges with considerable loss of life before a battalion commander and one company succeeded in gaining an entrance through one of the gates , though not without loss , and set fire to some of the houses . A strong wind blowing in the right direction carried the flames quickly toward the Chinese , who were making a stout defence . Only one chance was now open to them — to come out into the open field and face the Japanese — but this they did not care to do . With the crackling of the bamboo , the falling of houses , the awful roaring of the fire as it swept nearer and nearer to the horror stricken braves , who were now joined by others driven out of the houses in which they had sought shelter , the scene became one of intense excitement . The cries of the Chinese could be heard above the uproar , and the poor wretches crouched closer and closer to the stone wall , taking advantage of pits or trees and bushes already smouldering , to protect themselves from the stifling heat of the conflagration . At last they could bear it no longer , and with a yell of terror they threw themselves over the wall and made a mad rush for the scrub and jungle to the north . Many fell by the way , but the majority made good their escape . This affair was a serious one for the Japanese , who lost 77 men ( 16 killed and 61 wounded ) including three officers — by far the greatest loss yet sustained by them in Formosa . Seventy bodies of Chinese were found , and probably a few others were consumed by the flames . Twelve cannon , several rifles and some ammunition fell into the hands of the Japanese . The Chinese taking part in this engagement were not Black Flags , but were composed wholly of native levies .