Battle of the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea, off the Shandong Peninsula, China
What happened
The Japanese fleet under Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō fought the Russian Pacific Squadron under Admiral Wilgelm Vitgeft. In the Russo-Japanese War, the Russian fleet tried to break out of besieged Port Arthur and reach Vladivostok. The two fleets fought a long gun battle for several hours. A Japanese shell struck the Russian flagship, killing Vitgeft and jamming its steering, and the Russian line broke up and turned back.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was the first major battle between modern steel battleship fleets. Both sides hit targets at ranges over 13 km, which surprised naval experts.
What came next
Most Russian ships returned to Port Arthur, while others went to neutral ports and were held there. In 1905 Tōgō destroyed the Russian Baltic Fleet at Tsushima.
Did you know?
When the Russian flagship Tsesarevich lost its steering and turned, the other Russian ships followed it, not knowing it was out of control.
Timeline
- 10 August 1904The Battle of the Yellow Sea.
- August 1904The damaged Tsesarevich is interned at Qingdao.
- 27-28 May 1905Japan wins at Tsushima.