▁Vietnam ese ▁government . ▁At al ante ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁bomb ard ▁the ▁North ▁Fort ▁by ▁the ▁French ▁commander , ▁Vice ▁Admir al ▁Am éd ée ▁Cour bet . ▁After ▁two ▁days ▁of ▁bomb ard ment ▁a ▁landing ▁party ▁from ▁the ▁ship ▁captured ▁the ▁fort . ▁En sign ▁() ▁Louis - Marie - Jul ien ▁Via ud , ▁who ▁was ▁ab o ard ▁the ▁At al ante ▁during ▁the ▁battle ▁and ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁landing , ▁wrote ▁several ▁articles ▁graph ically ▁describing ▁his ▁experiences ▁that ▁were ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁newspaper ▁Le ▁Fig aro ▁under ▁the ▁pen - name ▁of ▁Pierre ▁L oti . ▁ ▁The ▁ship ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁Far ▁East ▁Squadron ▁() ▁under ▁Admir al ▁Cour bet ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁formed ▁by ▁the ▁am alg am ation ▁of ▁the ▁Ton kin ▁Coast ▁and ▁Far ▁Eastern ▁Div isions ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁in ▁prepar ation ▁for ▁the ▁S ino - F rench ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 8 8 4 – 8 5 . ▁In ▁early ▁September ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁At al ante ▁was ▁in ▁Hu ế , ▁but ▁she ▁carried ▁Admir al ▁Cour bet ▁to ▁Ke el ung ▁on ▁ 2 3 ▁September . ▁The ▁ship ▁was ▁paid ▁off ▁into ▁reserve ▁in ▁Sa ig on ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 5 ▁and ▁condem ned ▁two ▁years ▁later . ▁She ▁fell ▁into ▁such ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁dis rep air ▁that ▁" she ▁found ered ▁one ▁night ▁and ▁gradually ▁s ank ▁into ▁the ▁mud ." ▁ ▁Notes ▁ ▁Foot