 On 27June, in response to the news of the Bắc Lệ ambush, the Tonkin Coasts naval division and the Far East naval division were amalgamated into a Far East Squadron.The new squadron, which would remain in existence throughout the Sino-French War, was placed under Courbet's command, with Admiral Sébastien Lespès (the commander of the Far East naval division) second in command.Courbet's squadron initially included the ironclads "Bayard" (the flagship), "Atalante", "La Galissonnière" and "Triomphante", the cruisers "Châteaurenault", "d'Estaing", "Duguay-Trouin" and "Volta", the light frigates "Hamelin" and "Parseval", the gunboats "Lynx", "Vipère", "Lutin" and "Aspic", the troopships "Drac" and "Saône" and Torpedo Boats Nos.