Battles of the First Sino-Japanese War
1894–1895 · 3 battles covered, in date order. Click a battle on the map for its summary.
Battle (size: ships engaged)
Japanese movement
Chinese movement
Routes are approximate.
1894
25 July 1894 · Off Pungdo island, Asan Bay, Korea
Battle of PungdoJapanese victory
Fought a week before war was declared. Japan's Flying Squadron met Chinese warships covering a troop convoy to Korea. Jiyuan escaped damaged, Guangyi was driven ashore, and Naniwa, under Captain Togo Heihachiro, sank the troop transport Kowshing.
3
vs
4 (3 lost)
17 September 1894 · Korea Bay, off the mouth of the Yalu
Battle of the Yalu RiverJapanese victory
The first big fleet action of the steam and steel era. Admiral Ito's faster cruisers circled Admiral Ding's line-abreast formation and sank or drove off its weaker ships. The two German-built battleships took hundreds of hits but survived, and the Chinese fleet withdrew to Port Arthur and then Weihaiwei.
12
vs
14 (5 lost)
1895
20 January – 12 February 1895 · Weihaiwei, Shandong
Battle of WeihaiweiJapanese victory; Beiyang Fleet surrenders
Japanese troops landed at Rongcheng Bay and took the forts around Weihaiwei from the landward side, trapping the Beiyang Fleet in the harbour. Night torpedo-boat attacks sank Dingyuan, Laiyuan and Weiyuan, and the captured forts' guns sank Jingyuan. Admiral Ding surrendered the remaining ships and then took his own life.
9
vs
21 (21 lost)