The Third Battle of Taku Forts (Chinese: 第三次大沽口之戰) was an engagement of the Second Opium War, part of the British and French 1860 expedition to China.

Lt-Gen. Sir Hope Grant was the British commander, with Lt-Gen. Charles Cousin-Montauban, Comte de Palikao, in charge of the French.

Following that humiliation, Captain Fisher of the Corps of Royal Engineers and three British ships, Cruiser, Forester, and Starling, were left behind to survey the area on land as well as along the coast.

[2]: 511 Not wanting to have a repeat of the 1859 disaster, on 30 July 1860 the Anglo-French army began landing at Beitang, 10 miles (16 km) to the north of the forts.

A few days later, a reconnaissance force moved towards the Taku Forts for close observation; two British soldiers were wounded by bullets from a Chinese jingal.

[3] The first British officer to enter the fort was Lieutenant Robert Montresor Rogers, who was later awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery that day.

Lieutenants Nathaniel Burslem and Edmund Henry Lenon, Private Thomas Lane and Ensign John Worthy Chaplin of the 67th Foot Hampshire Regiment were also awarded the Victoria Cross for their bravery.

At the assault of the Peiho Forts in 1860 they carried the French ladders to the ditch, and, standing in the water up to their necks, supported them with their hands to enable the storming party to cross.

It was not usual to take them into action ; they, however, bore the dangers of a distant fire with the greatest composure, evincing a strong desire to close with their compatriots, and engage them in mortal combat with ther bamboos.—(Fisher.