Unit/ Formation: Royal Marines
Location: China
Period/ Conflict: Opium Wars
Year: 1842
Date/s: 21 July 1842
3rd brigade was assisted by a party of Royal Marines and seamen who reached the gate by boat and proceeded to scale the walls while the brigade provided covering fire.
Sappers placed 3 powder kegs against the outer gate and blew it open. The high walls were cleared of defenders by the marines and seamen while the brigade stormed through expecting heavy resistance at the inner gate.
Instead, the gate was opened and the 55th were lined up to receive them. One final and insane attempt by the Manchu to beat off the foreigners was put down and the two brigades settled down to occupy the the city.
The soldiers were dismayed to find that many misinformed Manchu families had committed suicide rather than suffer a terrible fate at the hands of foreign 'monsters'.
Read More/ Web Link: British Empire