Battle of Woosung

16 June 1842, Woosung (Wusong), mouth of the Huangpu and the Yangtze

British victory; Shanghai taken

The opening of the Yangtze campaign. The batteries at Woosung, where the Huangpu river to Shanghai meets the Yangtze, were attacked by sailing warships towed into position by steamers. After two hours of bombardment the Chinese gunners broke; their commander, the veteran general Chen Huacheng, was killed at his post. Among the Chinese ships taken were war junks driven by paddle wheels turned by men inside the hull. Shanghai fell three days later, and the fleet went on up the Yangtze.