Battle of Pungdo

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Battle of Pungdo

Ukiyoe by Kobayashi Kiyochika dated August 1894

Date	25 July 1894
Location	off Asan, Korea
Result	Japanese victory

Combatants

Japan

China

Commanders

Admiral Tsuboi Kozo

Strength

3 cruisers

1 cruiser, 2 gunboats

Casualties

0 (killed & wounded)

1,100 (killed & wounded)

First Sino-Japanese War
Pungdo (naval) – Seonghwan –Pyongyang – Yalu River (naval) – Jiuliangcheng (Yalu) – Lushunkou – Weihaiwei – Yingkou

The Battle of Pungdo (Japanese: 豊島沖海戦) was the first naval battle of the First Sino-Japanese War. It took place on 25 July 1894 offshore Asan, Chungcheongnam-do Korea between cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy of Meiji Japan and components of the Beiyang Fleet of Qing China.

[edit] The Battle

At 0700 on 25 July 1894, the Japanese cruisers Yoshino, Naniwa and Akitsushima, which had been patrolling in the Yellow Sea off of Asan, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea, encountered the Chinese cruiser Tsi-yuan (済遠) and gunboat Kwang-yi (広乙). These vessels had steamed out of Asan is order to meet another Chinese gunboat, the Tsao-kiang (操江), which was convoying a transport toward Asan. The two Chinese vessels did not return the salute of the Japanese ships as required under International Maritime regulations, and when the Japanese turned to the southwest, the Chinese opened fire. Chinese records of the event shows that the Japanese Fleet fired first. (See Chinese Wiki). It is hard to imagine that one Chinese cruiser escorting a troop transport would want to pick a fight with 3 faster, newer, and quicker-firing Japanese Cruisers.

After an exchange of fire for over an hour, the Tsi-yuen broke off the engagement and escaped; however, the Kwang-yi was stranded on some rocks, and its gunpowder magazine exploded. In the meantime the Tsao-kiang and the transport vessel Kow-shing (高陞), flying a British civil ensign and conveying some 1200 Chinese troops and stores, had the unfortunate timing of appeared on the scene.

The Tsao-kiang was quickly captured, and the Kow-shing was ordered to follow the Japanese cruiser Naniwa to the main Japanese squadron. However, the Chinese soldiers on board revolted, and threatened to kill the English captain, Galsworthy, unless he took them back to China. After four hours of negotiation, when the Chinese troops were momentarily distracted, Galsworthy and the British crew jumped overboard and attempted to swim to the Naniwa, but were fired upon by the Chinese troops. Most of the sailors were killed，but Galsworthy and two crewmen were rescued by the Japanese. The Naniwa then opened fire on the Kow-shing, sinking her and her mutineers. A few on board (including German military advisor Major von Hanneken) escaped by swimming ashore.

Chinese casualties were approximately 1100 against none for the Japanese.

[edit] Aftermath of the battle

The Naniwa was under the command of Captain (later Admiral) Togo Heihachiro. The sinking of the Kow-shing almost caused a diplomatic incident between Japan and Great Britain, but British jurists ruled that the action was in conformity with International Law regarding the treatment of mutineers.

The sinking was also specifically cited by the Chinese government as one of the “treacherous actions” by the Japanese in their declaration of war against Japan.

[edit] References

Chamberlin, William Henry. Japan Over Asia, 1937, Little, Brown, and Company, Boston, 395 pp.
Jane, Fred T. The Imperial Japanese Navy (1904)
Kodansha Japan An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1993, Kodansha Press, Tokyo ISBN 4-06-205938-X
Lone, Stewart. Japan's First Modern War: Army and Society in the Conflict with China, 1894-1895, 1994, St. Martin's Press, New York, 222 pp.
Paine, S.C.M. The Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895: Perception, Power, and Primacy, 2003, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, MA, 412 pp.
Warner, Dennis and Peggy. The Tide At Sunrise, 1974, Charterhouse, New York, 659 pp.
Wright, Richard N. J.The Chinese Steam Navy 1862-1945 Chatham Publishing, London, 2000, ISBN 1861761449