Battle of the Yellow Sea
Part of the Russo-Japanese War
Midships of the Russian battleship Tsesarevich
Date August 10, 1904 Location Yellow Sea, off Shandong (Shantung) Peninsula, China Result Japanese victory
Combatants
Empire of Japan	Russian Empire
Commanders
Admiral Heihachiro Togo, Vice Admiral Shigeto Dewa	Admiral Wilgelm Vitgeft
Strength
4 battleships, 2 armored cruisers, 8 cruisers, 18 destroyers, 30 torpedo boats	6 battleships, 4 cruisers, 14 destroyers
Casualties
226 killed and wounded	343 killed and wounded

Location within China

The Battle of the Yellow Sea (Japanese: 黄海海戦 Kōkai kaisen), a major naval engagement of the Russo-Japanese War, was fought on 10 August 1904. It was also known as the Battle of Shantung. Combatants Russian Empire Empire of Japan Commanders Emperor Nicholas II Aleksey Kuropatkin Stepan Makarov† Emperor Meiji Oyama Iwao Heihachiro Togo Strength 500,000 Soldiers 400,000 Soldiers Casualties 24,844 killed; 146,519 wounded; 59,218 POW; unknown Chinese civilians 47,387 killed; 173,425 woundedï¼› unknown Chinese civilians Greater... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 505 pixel Image in higher resolution (5434 × 3427 pixel, file size: 3. ... August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Year 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ...   (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Shan-tung) is a coastal province of eastern Peoples Republic of China. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan_(bordered). ... Anthem: Kimi ga Yo Imperial Reign Slogan: Fukoku Kyohei Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Military (a. ... Image File history File links Naval_Ensign_of_Russia. ... Anthem: God Save the Tsar! Russian Empire in 1914 Capital Saint Petersburg Language(s) Russian Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1721-1725 Peter the Great  - 1894-1917 Nicholas II History  - Established 22 October, 1721  - February Revolution 2 March, 1917 Area  - 1897 22,400,000 km2 8,648,688 sq mi Population  - 1897... Admiral Togo at the age of 58, at the time of the Russo-Japanese War. ... Dewa Shigeto 出羽 重遠 1855-1930 was a Japanese admiral. ... Admiral Wilgelm Vitgeft commanded the Russian First Pacific Squadron on the morning of August 10, 1904, which sailed out of Port Arthur in an attempt to escape the Japanese fleet blockading the port during the later days of the Siege of Port Arthur in the Russo-Japanese War. ... Combatants Russian Empire Empire of Japan Commanders Emperor Nicholas II Aleksey Kuropatkin Stepan Makarov† Emperor Meiji Oyama Iwao Heihachiro Togo Strength 500,000 Soldiers 400,000 Soldiers Casualties 24,844 killed; 146,519 wounded; 59,218 POW; unknown Chinese civilians 47,387 killed; 173,425 woundedï¼› unknown Chinese civilians Greater... Combatants Empire of Japan Russian Empire Commanders Admiral Heihachiro Togo Vice Admiral Shigeto Dewa Oskar Victorovich Stark Strength 15 battleships and cruisers with escorts 12 battleships and cruisers with escorts Casualties 90 men and slight damage 150 men and seven ships damaged The Battle of Port Arthur (Japanese: 旅順港閉塞作戦, Ryojunkō Heisoku... Combatants Empire of Japan Russian Empire Commanders Uryu Sotokichi Vsevolod Rudnev Strength 4 cruisers 1 cruiser, 1 gunboat Casualties no casualties reported by japanese, about 30 by russian sources 37 killed, 73 wounded; both ships scuttled after the battle The Battle of Chemulpo Bay (Japanese: 仁川沖海戦, Jinsenoki kaisen, Russian: Битва в заливе Чемульпо) was... The Battle of Yalu River took place from April 30 to May 1, 1904, and was the first major land battle during the Russo-Japanese War. ... The Battle of Nanshan was one of many vicious land battles of the Russo-Japanese War. ... The Battle of Te-li-Ssu was fought on June 14 and June 15 of 1904 between Russian and Japanese forces. ... Combatants Japan Russia Commanders Vice Admiral Hikonojo Kamimura Rear Admiral Nikolai Essen Strength 4 armored cruisers, 2 protected cruisers 3 armored cruisers Casualties minimal casualties with 1 armored cruiser suffering slight damage heavy casualties and 1 cruiser destroyed with two cruisers suffering heavy damage The naval Battle off Ulsan, also... The Siege of Port Arthur (1 August 1904-2 January 1905), the Russian deepwater port and naval base at the tip of the Liaotung Peninsula (See Map below the Battlebox) in Manchuria was one of the longest and most vicious battles during the Russo-Japanese War. ... Combatants Japan Russia Commanders General Kuroki Tamemoto General Count Fedor Keller Strength 25,000 General Count Fedor Keller had assumed command of the Russian Eastern Force from General Zasulich after the Battle of Yalu River. ... Combatants Japan Russia Commanders General Yasukata Oku Lieutenant General Georgii Stakelberg Lieutenant General Nikolai Zarubaev Strength 20,000 Casualties 1,000 (estimated) 1,000 (estimated) The Battle of Tashihchiao (Jpn. ... Combatants Japan Russia Commanders General Nozu Michitsura Lieutenant General Mikhail Zasulich Casualties 836 1550 The Battle of Hsimucheng was a minor land engagement of the Russo-Japanese War. ... The Battle of Liaoyang (August 24, 1904 - September 4, 1904) was one of the major battles of the Russo-Japanese War. ... Combatants Japan Russia Commanders Oyama Iwao Alexei Kuropatkin Strength 150,000 210,000 Casualties 20,345 killed, wounded or captured 44,351 killed, wounded or captured The Battle of Shaho was a land battle of the Russo-Japanese War fought along a 37-mile front centered at the Sha River... Battle of Sandepu Conflict Russo-Japanese War Date January 25 and January 26, 1905 Place Near Mukden in Manchuria Result Draw The Battle of Sandepu, (also known as the Battle of Heikoutai) was a major land battle of the Russo-Japanese War. ... Combatants Empire of Japan Empire of Russia Commanders Field Marshal Oyama Iwao General Alexei Kuropatkin Strength About 207,300 About 291,000 Casualties 15,892 killed; 59,612 wounded 20,000 killed; 49,000 wounded; 20,000 captured The Battle of Mukden, the last major land battle of the Russo... Combatants Empire of Japan Russian Empire Commanders Heihachiro Togo Zinovi Rozhdestvenski # Nikolai Nebogatov Strength 4 battleships 27 cruisers destroyers and auxiliary vessels 8 battleships 3 coastal battleships 8 cruisers Casualties 117 dead 583 injured 3 torpedo boats sunk 4,380 dead 5,917 captured 21 ships sunk 7 captured 6... Download high resolution version (1804x1322, 278 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Dalian Categories: GFDL images ... Download high resolution version (1804x1322, 278 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Dalian Categories: GFDL images ... The French battleship Orient burns, 1 August 1798, during the Battle of the Nile A naval battle is a battle fought using ships or other waterborne vessels. ... Combatants Russian Empire Empire of Japan Commanders Emperor Nicholas II Aleksey Kuropatkin Stepan Makarov† Emperor Meiji Oyama Iwao Heihachiro Togo Strength 500,000 Soldiers 400,000 Soldiers Casualties 24,844 killed; 146,519 wounded; 59,218 POW; unknown Chinese civilians 47,387 killed; 173,425 woundedï¼› unknown Chinese civilians Greater... August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Year 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Background

The Imperial Russian Navy's First Pacific Squadron, commanded by Admiral Wilgelm Vitgeft, had been trapped in Port Arthur since the Imperial Japanese Navy's blockade began on 8 February 1904 with the Battle of Port Arthur. Throughout late July and early August, as the Imperial Japanese Army laid siege to Port Arthur, relations between Admiral Vitgeft and Russian Viceroy Yevgeny Alexeiev increasingly soured. Viceroy Alexeiev, a former Admiral, favored an aggressive sortie so as to enable the First Pacific Squadron to link up with the Vladivostok Squadron and thereby create a naval force powerful enough to challenge the Japanese fleet. Admiral Vitgeft believed that simply staying at anchor and contributing some of his weaponry to the land battle was the safest course to follow, and he was backed by his flag officers and captains. Russian Navy Jack Russian Navy Ensign The Imperial Russian Navy refers to the Navy of Imperial Russia, before the Soviet Union. ... Admiral Wilgelm Vitgeft commanded the Russian First Pacific Squadron on the morning of August 10, 1904, which sailed out of Port Arthur in an attempt to escape the Japanese fleet blockading the port during the later days of the Siege of Port Arthur in the Russo-Japanese War. ... Location within China Lüshun city or Lüshunkou or (literally) Lüshun Port (Simplified Chinese: 旅顺口; Traditional Chinese: 旅順口; Pinyin: , formerly in historic references both Port Arthur and Ryojun, is a town in the southernmost administrative district of Dalian of the Peoples Republic of China. ... The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) (: 大日本帝國海軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国海軍   or 日本海軍 Nippon Kaigun), officially Navy of Empire of Greater Japan, also known as the Japanese Navy or Combined Fleet was the Navy of Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japans constitutional renunciation of the use of force... A blockade is an effort usually (but not always, see below) at sea, to prevent supplies from reaching the enemy. ... February 8 is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Year 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... Combatants Empire of Japan Russian Empire Commanders Admiral Heihachiro Togo Vice Admiral Shigeto Dewa Oskar Victorovich Stark Strength 15 battleships and cruisers with escorts 12 battleships and cruisers with escorts Casualties 90 men and slight damage 150 men and seven ships damaged The Battle of Port Arthur (Japanese: 旅順港閉塞作戦, Ryojunkō Heisoku... The Imperial Japanese Army (: 大日本帝國陸軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国陸軍 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun) was the official ground based armed force of Japan from 1867 to 1945 when it was Imperial Japan. ... A viceroy is a royal official who governs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. ... Sortie is a term for deployment of one military aircraft or a ship for the purposes of a specific mission, whether alone, or with other aircraft or vessels. ...

Alexeiev appealed to St. Petersburg, and Tsar Nicholas II replied that he fully shared the Viceroy's opinion. Faced with an Imperial writ and threat of legal action, Admiral Vitgeft could not delay any longer and decided to break out of the harbor and sail to Vladivostok. Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and... Tsar Nicholas II (18 May 1868 to 17 July 1918)1 was the last crowned Emperor of Russia. ... Vladivostok (Russian: ) is the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia, situated close to the Russo-Sino border and North Korea. ...

The battle

On the morning of 10 August 1904, the First Pacific Squadron sailed out of Port Arthur to engage the Japanese fleet blockading the port. The Russian squadron consisted of the battleships Tsesarevich, Retvizan, Pobeda, Peresvet, Sevastopol, and Poltava, along with four protected cruisers and 14 destroyers. August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Year 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... The firepower of a battleship demonstrated by USS Iowa. ... Midships of Tsesarevich The Russian Battleship Tsesarevitch (Цесаревич) was built in France by Compagnie des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée à la Seine for the Imperial Russian Navy. ... Retvizan (1902 to 24) The Retvizan was a Russian Pre-dreadnought battleship, which fought in the Russo-Japanese war. ... The Preresviet class were Pre-Dreadnought battleships of the Imperial Russian Navy. ... IJN Tango (丹後) was one of eight Russian pre-dreadnought battleships captured by the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. ... Protected cruiser armour scheme — a cross-section (armour in red) Protected cruisers were a type of naval cruiser of the late 19th century. ... USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ...

Admiral Togo had expected this breakout attempt and had positioned his ships accordingly. His fleet consisted of the battleships Mikasa, Asahi, Fuji, and Shikishima, the armoured cruisers Nisshin and Kasuga, as well as eight protected cruisers, 18 destroyers, and 30 torpedo boats. Admiral Togo at the age of 58, at the time of the Russo-Japanese War. ... Mikasa (三笠) is a pre-Dreadnought battleship, formerly of the Imperial Japanese Navy, launched in 1900. ... The IJN Asahi was the second of the Shikishima-class of battleships. ... Constructed by the Thames Iron Works and Armstrong Whitworth the Fuji and Yamashima were constructed between 1894-1896 and were commissioned in 1897. ... Shikishima (敷島) was the lead ship in the Shikishima-class of pre-dreadnought battleships in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and one of the six battleships (Fuji, Yashima, Hatsuse, Shikishima, Asahi, and Mikasa) that formed the main Japanese battle line in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. ... The armored cruiser was a naval cruiser protected by armor on its sides as well as on the decks and gun positions. ... Nisshin (Jp:日進), also transliterated as Nissin, was a Kasuga-class armored cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy designed and built by Ansaldo in Italy, where the type was known as the Garibaldi class. ... IJN Kasuga (春日) was the lead ship of Kasuga-class armored cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy, designed and built by Ansaldo in Italy, where the type was known as the Garibaldi-class. ... A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval ship designed to launch torpedoes at larger surface ships. ...

Encountering the Russian squadron in the early afternoon, Admiral Togo's first move was to place the Japanese fleet between the Russian ships and Port Arthur, so as to prevent their return. When it became apparent that the Russians were heading for Vladivostok, Admiral Togo was far behind and he had to waste hours detouring around his weaker vessels so as to catch up with the slower Russian battleships at the head of the battle line. At 1743 hours he opened fire on the leading Russian ships, at a range of around 9,000 yards. From then until dusk Togo's First Division and the six Russian battleships fired at each other on almost even terms, with Mikasa and Tsesarevich receiving the brunt of the punishment. Vladivostok (Russian: ) is the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia, situated close to the Russo-Sino border and North Korea. ... British and Danish ships in line of battle at the Battle of Copenhagen (1801). ...

What finally decided the issue, just as it was beginning to look as though the Russians would be able to escape into the darkness at 1800 hours, was a double hit by two Japanese shells on the Tsesarevich's bridge. Admiral Vitgeft was killed by a shell splinter, and a second hit soon thereafter killed or incapacitated all of the other command crew of the Tsesarevich. The explosion also wedged the wheel into a port turn, so sharp that Tsesarevich heeled over 12 degrees. Retvizan, which knew nothing of the situation on the flagship, followed in her wake. By the time Pobeda arrived at the turning point, Tsesarevich had swung around 180 degrees and was heading back into her own line. With no signal to indicate what had happened, the other ships were unaware that the Tsesarevich was not only out of control and without its admiral, but was actually without any one at all in command. Bridge of the brigantine LEtoile The bridge of a ship is an area or room where the ships navigational controls and other essential equipment related to ship operations are housed and operated. ... A sectioned Shrapnel shell displayed at the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa For other uses, see Shrapnel (disambiguation). ... A flagship is the ship used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships. ...

By the time an officer had been found to take charge, most of the Russian ships had copied the 180 degree turn of the leading Tsesarevich and Retvizan, with the result that the entire squadron was in disarray. There was little choice but to give up the attempt to reach Vladivostok and to return instead to Port Arthur. Even this proved impossible to coordinate, and many ships wandered off on their own.

With darkness approaching and low on ammunition, Admiral Togo decided not to risk a night engagement with the main fleet. Mikasa had already suffered more than twenty hits, and his other three battleships were also damaged. Instead, he ordered a night attack on the Russian fleet by his destroyers and torpedo boats, which was repulsed by the Russians with light casualties. Casualties of war. ...

Two hours later, the bulk of the Russian fleet returned to the relative safety of Port Arthur. Five battleships, a cruiser and nine destroyers made it back. The damaged Tsesarevich and three escorting destroyers sailed to Tsingtao, where they were interned by the German colonial administration. The cruiser Askold and another destroyer sailed to Shanghai and were likewise interned by Chinese authorities. The cruiser Diana escaped to Saigon, where it was interned by the French. Only one small cruiser, the Novik, sailed east around the Japanese home islands to try to reach Vladivostok. However, on 20 August 1904, pursuing Japanese cruisers forced the ship aground at Sakhalin where it was captured. (Simplified Chinese: 青岛; Traditional Chinese: 青島; pinyin: Qīngdǎo; Wade-Giles: Ching-tao), well-known to the West by its Postal System Pinyin transliteration Tsingtao, is a sub-provincial city in eastern Shandong province, Peoples Republic of China. ... Russian cruiser Askold The Russian Cruiser Askold (Аскольд) was built for the Imperial Russian Navy by Deutche Werft Kiel, she was launched on 3 March 1900 and served in the Russian Pacific Fleet during both the Russo-Japanese war and World War I. She was Interned in Shanghai after the Battle... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành Chí Minh) is the largest city in Vietnam, located near the delta of the Mekong River. ... The Suzuya was a protected cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy, originally built for the Imperial Russian Navy as the Novik, by Schichau shipyards in Elbing near Danzig, Germany. ... August 20 is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Year 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... Location of Sakhalin in the Western Pacific Sakhalin, GOST transliteration Sahalin, (Russian: , Korean: Traditional Chinese: 庫頁島; Simplified Chinese: 库页岛; pinyin: kùyèdǎo Japanese: 樺太 romaji: karafuto), also Saghalien, is a large elongated island in the North Pacific, lying between 45° 50 and 54° 24 N. It is part of the Russian...

Casualties

Total admitted Russian casualties in the Battle of the Yellow Sea were 343 killed and wounded aboard the ships that made it back to Port Arthur. Japan admitted to 226 killed and wounded. Within a few days, the Japanese were able to repair the damage to their ships, which returned to completely battle-worthy status, whereas the Russian fleet lay in disrepair. A casualty is a person who is the victim of an accident, injury, or trauma. ...

The battle was a Japanese victory, since the Russian fleet never again attempted to break the Japanese blockade, and the continuing siege spelled eventual doom for the remaining ships trapped at Port Arthur. By December 1904, the Japanese land armies had captured most of the high ground surrounding Port Arthur and used their artillery to sink or damage all the surviving Russian warships within the harbor itself.

References

• Kowner, Rotem (2006). Historical Dictionary of the Russo-Japanese War. Scarecrow. ISBN 0-8108-4927-5
• Nish, Ian (1985). The Origins of the Russo-Japanese War. Longman. ISBN 0-582-49114-2
• Sedwick, F.R. (1909). The Russo-Japanese War. The Macmillan Company.

External links

• Russo-Japanese War Research Society
• Russian Navy history of war: http://www.navy.ru/history/hrn10-e.htm
• article in Russian Language - http://ship.bsu.by/main.asp?id=3905#3905