The Manhattan Rebellion ( th, กบฏแมนฮัตตัน) was a failed coup attempt by officers of the

Royal Thai Navy The Royal Thai Navy ( Abrv: RTN, ทร.; th, กองทัพเรือไทย, ) is the naval warfare force of Thailand. Established in 1906, it was modernised by the Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse (1880–1923) who is known as ...

against the government of Prime Minister

Plaek Pibulsonggram Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram ( th, แปลก พิบูลสงคราม ; alternatively transcribed as ''Pibulsongkram'' or ''Pibulsonggram''; 14 July 1897 – 11 June 1964), locally known as Marshal P. ( th, จอมพล � ...

(Phibun) on 29–30 June 1951. They took the prime minister hostage during a handover ceremony for the US dredge ''Manhattan'' and brought him aboard the Navy's flagship HTMS ''Sri Ayudhya''. However, they were met by the combined forces of the Royal Thai Army, Air Force and Police. Heavy fighting ensued, and ''Sri Ayudhya'' was sunk despite Phibun's presence on board; the prime minister had to swim ashore along with the ship's crew. The event led to the Navy being stripped of most of its power and influence. It also showed that political power actually lay with commanders of the Armed Forces rather than the prime minister.

Events

On 29 June 1951, a group of junior naval officers seized Phibun at gunpoint while he was attending the transfer ceremony of the

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

dredge ''Manhattan'' to the Thai navy at Ratchaworadit Pier on the Chao Phraya River in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populatio ...

. Phibun was forcibly taken aboard the Thai navy flagship HTMS ''Sri Ayudhya'' and held hostage. General stations were called, and the ship began to make way downstream towards the Naval Ordnance Department in Bang Na. However, the coup plotters failed to secure the opening of the Memorial Bridge, so the warship could not continue downstream. Fighting quickly ensued, and the naval units that sided with the rebels became heavily outnumbered by the army, police and air force, who were loyal to the gover