Naval Battle of Awa
Encyclopedia
The occurred on 28 January 1868 during the Boshin War
in Japan
, in the area of Awa
Bay near Osaka
. Involving ships of the Tokugawa Shogunate
and Satsuma
vessels loyal to the imperial court in Kyoto
, the battle was the second naval battle in Japanese history between modern naval forces (after the 1863 Naval battle of Shimonoseki
). Enomoto Takeaki
led the Shogunal navy to victory at Awa, in one of the few Tokugawa successes of the Boshin War.
was Japan's first naval battle between elements of a modern navy. It happened one day after the land Battle of Toba-Fushimi
, which the Shogunate lost to the Imperial forces. The naval battle of Awa, however, was a Tokugawa victory.
The Satsuma domain was preparing to return its troops to Kasgoshima
aboard two transports, the and the , protected by the Satsuma warship Kasuga
stationed in Hyōgo harbour. The Shogunal navy under Enomoto Takeaki
was nearby with the Kaiyō Maru
as its main unit, and had been supporting the Battle of Toba-Fushimi from the sea. Enomoto's fleet moved to blockade the withdrawal of the Satsuma ships.
On 28 January, in the early morning, the Satsuma ships left Hyōgo harbor. Heiun left through the Strait of Akashi
, and Kasuga went south with Hoho towards the Strait of Kien (紀淡). Kaiyō Maru pursued and prepared for combat. At a distance of 1,200–2,500 meters, Kaiyō Maru fired about 25 times on the two Satsuma ships, and Kasuga responded with 18 shots, without significant damage to either side. However, as more Shogunate navy ships had arrived (the Banryū
and Hazuru), Kasuga broke off the engagement, and, being faster than Kaiyō Maru, escaped to Kagoshima. Unable to flee, Hoho was run aground at and was destroyed by her crew. Looking at the burning Hoho, Enomoto expressed admiration at the fight put on by his enemies: .
The future Imperial Japanese Navy
Fleet Admiral Togo Heihachiro
was a gunner aboard Kasuga during the engagement.
Boshin War
The was a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court....
in 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...
, in the area of Awa
Awa Province (Tokushima)
was an old province of Japan in the area that is today a part of Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku. Awa was bordered by Tosa, Sanuki, and Iyo Provinces. It was sometimes called .-References:...
Bay near Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
. Involving ships of the Tokugawa Shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
and Satsuma
Satsuma han
The Satsuma domain was one of the most powerful feudal domains in Tokugawa Japan, and played a major role in the Meiji Restoration and in the government of the Meiji period which followed...
vessels loyal to the imperial court in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, the battle was the second naval battle in Japanese history between modern naval forces (after the 1863 Naval battle of Shimonoseki
Naval battle of Shimonoseki
The Battle of Shimonoseki Straits is a little-known naval engagement fought on July 16, 1863, by a warship of the United States Navy, the USS Wyoming, against the powerful feudal Japanese daimyo, Lord Mori Takachika of the Chōshū clan based in Shimonoseki...
). Enomoto Takeaki
Enomoto Takeaki
Viscount was a samurai and admiral of the Tokugawa navy of Bakumatsu period Japan, who remained faithful to the Tokugawa shogunate who fought against the new Meiji government until the end of the Boshin War...
led the Shogunal navy to victory at Awa, in one of the few Tokugawa successes of the Boshin War.
Summary
The engagement, between warships of the domain of Satsuma and warships of the Tokugawa shogunateTokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
was Japan's first naval battle between elements of a modern navy. It happened one day after the land Battle of Toba-Fushimi
Battle of Toba-Fushimi
The occurred between pro-Imperial and Tokugawa shogunate forces during the Boshin War in Japan. The battle started on 27 January 1868 , when the forces of the Tokugawa shogunate and the allied forces of Chōshū, Satsuma and Tosa domains clashed near Fushimi...
, which the Shogunate lost to the Imperial forces. The naval battle of Awa, however, was a Tokugawa victory.
The Satsuma domain was preparing to return its troops to Kasgoshima
Kagoshima, Kagoshima
is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture at the southwestern tip of the Kyūshū island of Japan, and the largest city in the prefecture by some margin...
aboard two transports, the and the , protected by the Satsuma warship Kasuga
Japanese warship Kasuga (1862)
was a Japanese wooden paddle steamer warship of the Bakumatsu and early Meiji period, serving with the navy of Satsuma Domain, and later with the fledgling Imperial Japanese Navy.-Service in the Boshin War:...
stationed in Hyōgo harbour. The Shogunal navy under Enomoto Takeaki
Enomoto Takeaki
Viscount was a samurai and admiral of the Tokugawa navy of Bakumatsu period Japan, who remained faithful to the Tokugawa shogunate who fought against the new Meiji government until the end of the Boshin War...
was nearby with the Kaiyō Maru
Japanese battleship Kaiyo Maru
Kaiyō Maru was one of Japan's first modern warships, powered by both sails and steam.-Construction:She was ordered in the Netherlands in 1863 by the Bakufu, the government of the Shogun, the Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappij acting as agents. The ship was built at the yard of Cornelis Gips and...
as its main unit, and had been supporting the Battle of Toba-Fushimi from the sea. Enomoto's fleet moved to blockade the withdrawal of the Satsuma ships.
On 28 January, in the early morning, the Satsuma ships left Hyōgo harbor. Heiun left through the Strait of Akashi
Akashi
-People:*Akashi Ken*Akashi Momoka*Akashi Morishige*Akashi Motojiro*Akashi Shiganosuke*Akashi Yasushi-Places:*Akashi, Hyōgo*Akashi Station - Japanese railroad station on the Sanyō Main Line*Akashi-Kaikyō Bridge*Akashi Castle*Akashi Domain-Other:...
, and Kasuga went south with Hoho towards the Strait of Kien (紀淡). Kaiyō Maru pursued and prepared for combat. At a distance of 1,200–2,500 meters, Kaiyō Maru fired about 25 times on the two Satsuma ships, and Kasuga responded with 18 shots, without significant damage to either side. However, as more Shogunate navy ships had arrived (the Banryū
Japanese warship Banryu
The Japanese warship was a ship of the Bakufu Navy, and subsequently belonged to the troops loyal to the Shogun during the Boshin War in Japan in 1868. Banryū was originally built in England as a schooner, where she had been named Emperor. She had a length of 41.8 meters, a breadth of 5.45 meters,...
and Hazuru), Kasuga broke off the engagement, and, being faster than Kaiyō Maru, escaped to Kagoshima. Unable to flee, Hoho was run aground at and was destroyed by her crew. Looking at the burning Hoho, Enomoto expressed admiration at the fight put on by his enemies: .
The future 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...
Fleet Admiral Togo Heihachiro
Togo Heihachiro
Fleet Admiral Marquis was a Fleet Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and one of Japan's greatest naval heroes. He was termed by Western journalists as "the Nelson of the East".-Early life:...
was a gunner aboard Kasuga during the engagement.