A Song dynasty naval victory over Jin forces using gunpowder weapons, marking an early documented combat use of incendiary projectiles at sea.
Key Facts
- Date
- November 16, 1161
- Conflict
- Jin–Song Wars
- Jin commander
- Zheng Jia (drowned after defeat)
- Song commander
- Li Bao
- Key weapon
- Huopao (incendiary gunpowder projectiles)
- Followed by
- Battle of Caishi, also 1161
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Jin dynasty launched an invasion campaign aimed at conquering the Southern Song dynasty. As part of this effort, a Jin naval force under admiral Zheng Jia moved into the Yellow Sea near Tangdao Island, intending to engage and defeat the Song navy. Zheng Jia, however, was unfamiliar with local sea routes and poorly prepared for the Song's advanced naval tactics.
Song commander Li Bao led his squadron against the Jin fleet off the coast of modern Qingdao on November 16, 1161. Song sailors hurled huopao incendiary projectiles and fire arrows at the Jin ships, igniting their oiled silk sails. Caught off guard, Jin soldiers and crew leaped into the sea in panic; some ships surrendered while others fled. Zheng Jia, seeing his fleet in flames, drowned attempting to escape.
The Jin dynasty suffered a decisive naval defeat, ending their immediate attempt to invade the Southern Song by sea. The battle demonstrated the effectiveness of gunpowder weapons in naval warfare and highlighted the technological edge of the Song fleet. It was followed shortly by the Battle of Caishi in 1161, and contributed to Song naval dominance in the East China Sea for subsequent centuries.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Li Bao.
Side B
1 belligerent
Zheng Jia.