 On 30 November 1883, in response to the threat of an imminent Vietnamese attack on the French post at Quảng Yên, "Bayard"s landing company was hastily installed in the town's citadel, successfully deterring the threatened attack.In June 1884 "Bayard" became the flagship of the Far East Squadron, an exceptional naval grouping created for the war with China by the amalgamation of the Tonkin Coasts and Far East naval divisions.On 5 August 1884 sailors from "Bayard" took part in a French landing at Keelung, but were forced to re-embark on 6 August by a heavy Chinese counterattack.