Battle of Weihaiwei
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Weihaiwei was a 23 day siege with a major land and naval component during the First Sino-Japanese War
. It took place between 20 January and 12 February 1895 in Weihai
, Shandong Province, China
) between the forces of Meiji Japan
and Qing
China
. The battle was fought in severe winter cold which developed into an overpowering snow storm on 31 January 1895 and 1 February 1895. Temperatures dropped to minus 26 degrees Celsius.
's Second Army under command of Field Marshal
Oyama Iwao
, and consisting of the 2nd Provincial Division (Sendai) under Lieutenant General Sakuma, and the 6th Provincial Division (Kumamoto) – less its 12th Brigade, which was still at Lushunkou
, under Lieutenant General Kuroki Tamemoto
landed without resistance at Jungcheng (modern Jiurongcheng) in Shandong Province from 20 – 24 January 1895.
Following its defeat at the Battle of Yalu and loss of its head base in the Battle of Lushunkou
, the remnants of the Beiyang Fleet
regrouped at the naval base of Weihaiwei, on Shandong Peninsula opposite Lushunkou
.
, who defended the town with 68 artillery pieces in twelve land fortifications, and who could call on additional support from the naval vessels anchored only 2000 meters offshore. Japanese Major General Odera fell in this battle to take the forts, which lasted some nine hours on 1 February 1895, and the deserted town was occupied by Japanese forces the following day.
s Dingyuan and Zhenyuan, and 13 torpedo boat
s. The Imperial Japanese Navy
had 25 warships and 16 torpedo boats, and thus had a numerical advantage. In addition, the Japanese fleet could call on fire support from the army, who could fire down on the anchorage from the captured land forts.
As a Chinese defeat appeared certain, Japanese Admiral Ito Sukeyuki made an appeal to Beiyang Fleet Admiral Ting Ju-ch'ang
, who was a personal friend. In his letter, he expressed his regret that the old acquaintances had been obliged to meet each other in hostility, appealed to the Ting's enlightened patriotism by pointing out the retrogressive policy which Ting had been called upon to defend and which could only end in disaster, and then counseled him to prevent a certain defeat and unnecessary loss of life by capitulating. Ito further advised Ting to become Japan's honored guest till the end of the war, and then return to his native land in order to aid China in setting her policy on a sound basis. When Ting read this message he was visibly moved, and said to his attendants: "Kill me," meaning probably that he wished to die alone and let all others surrender. Ting responded: "I am thankful for the admiral's friendship, but I cannot forsake my duties to the state. The only thing now remaining for me to do is to die."
The Japanese fleet began a series of attacks from 7 February 1895. Night attacks by Japanese torpedo boats sank the Dingyuen and 3 other vessels. Of the 13 Chinese torpedo boats which attempted to escape towards Yentai, 6 were destroyed and the remaining 7 captured by the Japanese. The Ching-yuen was sunk on 9 February 1895.
On the morning of 12 February 1895, Admiral Ting, formally surrendered the remaining Beiyang Fleet ships in the harbor and the remaining Chinese-held forts and stores to the Japanese. Ting requested that the Chinese and foreign military advisors, troops, and civilians on land and sea around Weihaiwei be allowed to depart unmolested, and proposed that the commander of the British China squadron should guarantee the faithful performance of the conditions of surrender.
On receipt of this letter Admiral Ito held a council, in which many of his officers (as well as the Imperial Army officers) advised that the Chinese should not be allowed to leave, but be taken prisoners of war
. The admiral, however, had so high an estimate of Ting's personality and service to his country and so deep a sympathy with his difficult position that he insisted that Ting's request be granted.
Ting refused Ito's personal offer of political asylum in Japan, and committed suicide on the night of 12–13 February. His deputy, Admiral Liu, after ordering that his warship be scuttled by explosives, also committed suicide by taking poison. Likewise General Chang, who commanded the island forts which defended Weihaiwei, also committed suicide on the same night. Command of the Chinese Forces fell to Scottish-born Vice-Admiral John McClure
who completed the surrender negotiations with Admiral Ito.
The Japanese flag was hoisted on the surrendered battleship Zhenyuen, protected cruisers Ping-yuen and Jiyuan (Tsi-yuen), torpedo gunboat Guangbing (Kwang-ping), and six gunboats. With the fall of Weihaiwei the Japanese navy completely annihilated the Northern Chinese Fleet, and gained an absolute control of the Gulf of Bohai.
The Battle of Weihaiwei is regarded as the last major battle of the First Sino-Japanese War, since China entered into peace negotiations with Japan shortly thereafter. However, the Battle of Yingkou
and a number of minor battles would take place before the Treaty of Shimonoseki
ending the war was signed.
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
. It took place between 20 January and 12 February 1895 in Weihai
Weihai
Weihai is a city in eastern Shandong Province, People's Republic of China. It is the easternmost prefecture-level city of the province and a major seaport. Between 1898 and 1930, the town was a British colony known as Weihaiwei or the Weihai Garrison , and sometimes as Port Edward...
, Shandong Province, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
) between the forces of Meiji Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Qing
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The battle was fought in severe winter cold which developed into an overpowering snow storm on 31 January 1895 and 1 February 1895. Temperatures dropped to minus 26 degrees Celsius.
Background
The Imperial Japanese ArmyImperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
's Second Army under command of Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Oyama Iwao
Oyama Iwao
|-...
, and consisting of the 2nd Provincial Division (Sendai) under Lieutenant General Sakuma, and the 6th Provincial Division (Kumamoto) – less its 12th Brigade, which was still at Lushunkou
Lüshunkou
Lüshunkou is a district in the municipality of Dalian, Liaoning province, China. Also called Lüshun City or Lüshun Port, it was formerly known as both Port Arthur and Ryojun....
, under Lieutenant General Kuroki Tamemoto
Kuroki Tamemoto
Count was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army. He was the head of the Japanese First Army during the Russo-Japanese War; and his forces enjoyed a series of successes during the Manchurian fighting at the Battle of Yalu River, the Battle of Liaoyang, the Battle of Shaho and the Battle of...
landed without resistance at Jungcheng (modern Jiurongcheng) in Shandong Province from 20 – 24 January 1895.
Following its defeat at the Battle of Yalu and loss of its head base in the Battle of Lushunkou
Battle of Lushunkou
The Battle of Lüshunkou was a major land battle of the First Sino-Japanese War. It took place on 21 November 1894 in Lüshunkou, Manchuria between the forces of Meiji Japan and Qing China...
, the remnants of the Beiyang Fleet
Beiyang Fleet
The Beiyang Fleet was one of the four modernised Chinese navies in the late Qing Dynasty. Among the four, the Beiyang Fleet was particularly sponsored by Li Hongzhang, one of the most trusted vassals of Empress Dowager Cixi and the principal patron of the "self-strengthening movement" in northern...
regrouped at the naval base of Weihaiwei, on Shandong Peninsula opposite Lushunkou
Lüshunkou
Lüshunkou is a district in the municipality of Dalian, Liaoning province, China. Also called Lüshun City or Lüshun Port, it was formerly known as both Port Arthur and Ryojun....
.
The ground conflict
The Japanese army converged on the town of Weihai along two routes, facing vigorous resistance from the Chinese Beiyang ArmyBeiyang Army
The Beiyang Army was a powerful, Western-style Chinese military force created by the Qing Dynasty government in the late 19th century. It was the centerpiece of a general reconstruction of China's military system. The Beiyang Army played a major role in Chinese politics for at least three decades...
, who defended the town with 68 artillery pieces in twelve land fortifications, and who could call on additional support from the naval vessels anchored only 2000 meters offshore. Japanese Major General Odera fell in this battle to take the forts, which lasted some nine hours on 1 February 1895, and the deserted town was occupied by Japanese forces the following day.
The naval conflict
The Chinese Beiyang Fleet had 15 warships at the naval base of Weihaiwei. These included the ironclad warshipIronclad warship
An ironclad was a steam-propelled warship in the early part of the second half of the 19th century, protected by iron or steel armor plates. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells. The first ironclad battleship, La Gloire,...
s Dingyuan and Zhenyuan, and 13 torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s. The Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
had 25 warships and 16 torpedo boats, and thus had a numerical advantage. In addition, the Japanese fleet could call on fire support from the army, who could fire down on the anchorage from the captured land forts.
As a Chinese defeat appeared certain, Japanese Admiral Ito Sukeyuki made an appeal to Beiyang Fleet Admiral Ting Ju-ch'ang
Ding Ruchang
thumb|250px|Admiral Ding RuchangDing Ruchang joined the Taiping Rebellion in 1854. But later he surrendered with Cheng Xuechi in the Battle of Anqing in 1861 and joined Li Hongzhang as a cavalryman to fight against the Taiping Rebellion. In 1874, he protested against the Qing Dynasty government's...
, who was a personal friend. In his letter, he expressed his regret that the old acquaintances had been obliged to meet each other in hostility, appealed to the Ting's enlightened patriotism by pointing out the retrogressive policy which Ting had been called upon to defend and which could only end in disaster, and then counseled him to prevent a certain defeat and unnecessary loss of life by capitulating. Ito further advised Ting to become Japan's honored guest till the end of the war, and then return to his native land in order to aid China in setting her policy on a sound basis. When Ting read this message he was visibly moved, and said to his attendants: "Kill me," meaning probably that he wished to die alone and let all others surrender. Ting responded: "I am thankful for the admiral's friendship, but I cannot forsake my duties to the state. The only thing now remaining for me to do is to die."
The Japanese fleet began a series of attacks from 7 February 1895. Night attacks by Japanese torpedo boats sank the Dingyuen and 3 other vessels. Of the 13 Chinese torpedo boats which attempted to escape towards Yentai, 6 were destroyed and the remaining 7 captured by the Japanese. The Ching-yuen was sunk on 9 February 1895.
On the morning of 12 February 1895, Admiral Ting, formally surrendered the remaining Beiyang Fleet ships in the harbor and the remaining Chinese-held forts and stores to the Japanese. Ting requested that the Chinese and foreign military advisors, troops, and civilians on land and sea around Weihaiwei be allowed to depart unmolested, and proposed that the commander of the British China squadron should guarantee the faithful performance of the conditions of surrender.
On receipt of this letter Admiral Ito held a council, in which many of his officers (as well as the Imperial Army officers) advised that the Chinese should not be allowed to leave, but be taken prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. The admiral, however, had so high an estimate of Ting's personality and service to his country and so deep a sympathy with his difficult position that he insisted that Ting's request be granted.
Aftermath of the battle
Admiral John McClure
Admiral John McClure was a Scotsman serving in the Imperial Chinese Navy who was appointed second-in-command to Admiral Ding Ruchang -Before 1894:McClure was born on 13 November 1837, the son of John and Margaret McClure...
who completed the surrender negotiations with Admiral Ito.
The Japanese flag was hoisted on the surrendered battleship Zhenyuen, protected cruisers Ping-yuen and Jiyuan (Tsi-yuen), torpedo gunboat Guangbing (Kwang-ping), and six gunboats. With the fall of Weihaiwei the Japanese navy completely annihilated the Northern Chinese Fleet, and gained an absolute control of the Gulf of Bohai.
The Battle of Weihaiwei is regarded as the last major battle of the First Sino-Japanese War, since China entered into peace negotiations with Japan shortly thereafter. However, the Battle of Yingkou
Battle of Yingkou
The Battle of Yinkou was a land battle of the First Sino-Japanese War between the forces of Meiji Japan and Qing China, fought outside the treaty port town of Yingkou, Manchuria...
and a number of minor battles would take place before the Treaty of Shimonoseki
Treaty of Shimonoseki
The Treaty of Shimonoseki , known as the Treaty of Maguan in China, was signed at the Shunpanrō hall on April 17, 1895, between the Empire of Japan and Qing Empire of China, ending the First Sino-Japanese War. The peace conference took place from March 20 to April 17, 1895...
ending the war was signed.