The Fearsome Chinese War Lord and Governor of Hokien, the Honourable
Fu Man Les was making a good profit out of trade with the white western devils at the time the Boxers decided it was time to rebel. Being a cautious man however and also aware of several thousand Boxers having arrived at the Port under his command, he agreed not to trade with the Europeans for the time being. The opportune presence of a strong Pirate force in a bay nearby offered the chance for him to continue to indulge in his taste for Western Junk Food, by persuading them to capture a large steamer which ran on a regular route along the coast.
     Being also devious, he sent some of his trusted, local troublemakers to join the
Pirate band and suggest that taking the steamer would be easier if it was then run into the Port of Hokien where it could be stripped of it's cargo at leisure. Of course such protection as was afforded by the RED FORT and its massive guns would be expensive, so gold would have to change hands.
Les received the Pirate emissary with great courtesy and allowed himself to be persuaded to let the Pirates bring their Prize into the harbour in return for sufficient gold to break the back of a fit peasant.
     The Pirates duly captured the SS. DAISY BELL on her route south and brought her into the Port along with passengers, cargo and a protesting British Captain.
Les and the Pirates were unaware, however, that a large Allied force was already designated to attack Port Hokien and put down the Boxers. One large party was already on the way across country and some smaller forces were approaching by sea.
     Les heard about the inland force as it approached but decided that the walls of THE RED FORT, were very thick indeed and could probably withstand most Western Fieldguns of a size likely to be coming across country. The Boxers were enthusiastic about defending the port and the Pirates agreed to help. Les had intended to take a long holiday in one of his Northern Towns during the fighting, but unfortunately the presence of six or seven thousand cheering Boxers outside his gates made it difficult to decamp with grace.  He decided to wait another day to allow the Boxers to get tired, but unfortunately time was running out.
     The Allied forces were under the over all command of the Russian Count Oliver Ritt. His column branched out into two sections as it approached the Port, both of which roads passed through some difficult passes.
     The right was led by a British contingent under Brigadier Sir Richard Devonshire DSO, 3X, etc. with a battalion of British regulars, a battalion of Sikhs, one of Ghurka's and a detachment of Bengal Cavalry, all of which was supported by some 9pdr fieldguns and a couple of mountain howitzers.  A Maxim gun was attached even though Sir Richard was unimpressed with such new fangled inventions.
    Because they spoke a reasonably similar language, Count Ritt had attached the Americans to the British column.  They were under the command of a distant relative, the renowned General Nathan P. Ritt 3^rd, and comprised one battalion of regulars, one battalion of US Marines and a 3" rifle. The Yanks had tried to go one up on everyone by bringing along a Dynamite gun and a Colt "Potato Digger" Machinegun.
     The left column and that which Count Ritt considered the most important was made up of two battalions of Italian Bersaglieri in dazzling white tropical uniforms supported by some 6cm Mountainguns, all under the command of Colonel Mezzino d'Ferruchio. Following them were three battalions of Russian infantry with two old 76.2mm fieldguns and bringing up the rear came a battalion of French Foreign Legion and a battalion of Colonial Marines.  The whole column was screened ahead by a large number of Russian Cossacks.
     The Japanese landed three battalions of regular infantry a squadron of cavalry and two old fieldguns down the coast, to attack the Port from a totally different direction. With them were some small detachments of German and Austrian sailors, plus some German Marines. The force was not as large as the other land columns.
     The Imperial Japanese Navy provided a Torpedo Boat to carry some armed sailors right into the harbour. The British Navy allocated the destroyer H.M.S. KANGAROO on which they had embarked a contingent comprising a company of Royal Marine Light Infantry and a party of armed sailors drawn from the fleet.  The Japanese were under the command of Colonel Daveyama and the renowned Commodore 'Hard Tack' Ford led the British.