Battle of Ko Chang
| Battle of Ko Chang | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Franco-Thai War of World War II | |||||||
 A map of the Battle of Ko Chang | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Thailand | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Régis Bérenger |
Luang P. Viraphan † | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
1 light cruiser 4 avisos 9 aircraft 950 men |
2 coastal defence ship 2 avisos | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 11 killed |
36 killed (Thai figures) ~300 killed (French estimates) 2 torpedo boats sunk 1 coastal defence ship grounded limited damage to shore facilities | ||||||
The Battle of Ko Chang took place on 17 January 1941 during the Franco-Thai War. A flotilla of French warships attacked a smaller force of Thai vessels, including a coastal defence ship. The battle resulted in a tactical victory by the French Navy over the Royal Thai Navy, although the strategic result is dubious. Two Thai ships were sunk and one was heavily damaged, with no French losses. The battle prompted Japan to intervene diplomatically and mediate a ceasefire, which left Thailand in control of the contested areas of French Indochina. Within a month of the engagement, Vichy France and Thailand negotiated a peace that ended the war.