Rach Gầm-Xoài Mút, Battle of
1785 CE
The Battle of Rạch Gầm-Xoài Mút is fought between Tây-Sơn (Vietnamese) and Siamese forces in present-day Tiền Giang Province on January 20, 1785.
It is considered one of the greatest victories in Vietnamese history.
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Tay-Son rebel forces had recaptured Saigon in 1783 and forced Nguyễn Ánh to flee across the river to Siam.
While in exile, Nguyễn Ánh wishes to retake Gia Định and push the Tây-Sơn rebels out.
One of Anh's generals, Chau Van Tiep, had persuaded the King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke of Siam to provide Nguyen Anh with support troops and a small invasion force.
In mid-1784 Nguyễn Ánh, with twenty thousand to fifty thousand Siamese troops and three hundred warships, had moved through Cambodia, then east of Tonle Sap (Toh Lay Sap in Thai) and penetrated the recently annexed provinces of Annam.
Twenty thousand Siamese troops had reached Kiên Giang and another thirty thousand had landed in Chap Lap, as the Siamese advanced towards Cần Thơ.
Later that year the Siamese captured the former Cambodian province of Gia Định, where they committed atrocities against Việt settlers; this made some locals turn their support to Tây Sơn.
While in exile, Nguyễn Ánh wishes to retake Gia Định and push the Tây-Sơn rebels out.
One of Anh's generals, Chau Van Tiep, had persuaded the King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke of Siam to provide Nguyen Anh with support troops and a small invasion force.
In mid-1784 Nguyễn Ánh, with twenty thousand to fifty thousand Siamese troops and three hundred warships, had moved through Cambodia, then east of Tonle Sap (Toh Lay Sap in Thai) and penetrated the recently annexed provinces of Annam.
Twenty thousand Siamese troops had reached Kiên Giang and another thirty thousand had landed in Chap Lap, as the Siamese advanced towards Cần Thơ.
Later that year the Siamese captured the former Cambodian province of Gia Định, where they committed atrocities against Việt settlers; this made some locals turn their support to Tây Sơn.
The Tay Son reinforcements led by Nguyễn Huệ march south from Quy Nhon and arrive in Cochin China territory soon after.
Hue avoids a direct attack on a strong Siamese force at Sa Dec and tries to set up a trap.
Nguyễn Huệ, anticipating a move from the Siamese, has secretly positioned his infantry and artillery along the Mekong River (Rạch Gầm-Xoài Mút area of present-day Tiền Giang province), and on some islands in the middle, facing other troops on the northern banks with naval reinforcements on both sides of the infantry positions.
On the morning of January 20, 1785, Nguyễn Huệ sends a small naval force, under a banner of truce, to offer to parley with the Siamese.
After so many victories, the Siamese army and naval forces are overconfident.
They go to the parley unaware of the trap.
Nguyễn Huệ's ships dash into the unprepared Siamese troops, preventing their advance or retreat.
In the meanwhile, Tay Son artillery open fire.
The battle ends with a near annihilation of the Siamese force, at least according to Vietnamese sources reporting that all the ships of the Siamese navy were destroyed and only two thousand to three thousand of the original expedition survived to escape back across the river into Siam.
Nguyễn Ánh and his family members escape and will later go to Siam.
Hue avoids a direct attack on a strong Siamese force at Sa Dec and tries to set up a trap.
Nguyễn Huệ, anticipating a move from the Siamese, has secretly positioned his infantry and artillery along the Mekong River (Rạch Gầm-Xoài Mút area of present-day Tiền Giang province), and on some islands in the middle, facing other troops on the northern banks with naval reinforcements on both sides of the infantry positions.
On the morning of January 20, 1785, Nguyễn Huệ sends a small naval force, under a banner of truce, to offer to parley with the Siamese.
After so many victories, the Siamese army and naval forces are overconfident.
They go to the parley unaware of the trap.
Nguyễn Huệ's ships dash into the unprepared Siamese troops, preventing their advance or retreat.
In the meanwhile, Tay Son artillery open fire.
The battle ends with a near annihilation of the Siamese force, at least according to Vietnamese sources reporting that all the ships of the Siamese navy were destroyed and only two thousand to three thousand of the original expedition survived to escape back across the river into Siam.
Nguyễn Ánh and his family members escape and will later go to Siam.
Nguyen Anh, shortly before his conquest of Tonkin, is crowned at Hue on June 1, 1802, as the Emperor Gia Long, the first ruler of the Nguyễn dynasty in Vietnam.