Battle of Weihaiwei
Weihai, Shandong, China
What happened
The Japanese army and navy under Ōyama Iwao and Admiral Itō Sukeyuki fought China's Beiyang Fleet under Admiral Ding Ruchang. During the First Sino-Japanese War, Japanese troops landed in Shandong in bitter winter weather and captured the forts around the naval base at Weihaiwei. Japanese torpedo boats then made night attacks on the trapped Chinese fleet in the harbour. Admiral Ding died, and the base surrendered on 12 February.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It ended China's Beiyang Fleet as a fighting force. It pushed China to seek peace.
What came next
The war ended in April 1895 with the Treaty of Shimonoseki. Britain later leased Weihaiwei from 1898 to 1930.
Did you know?
Since 2003, a replica of the Chinese battleship Dingyuan has been anchored at Weihai as a museum.
Timeline
- 20 January 1895Japanese troops land in Shandong.
- 2 February 1895Japanese troops enter the town.
- 12 February 1895The Chinese fleet surrenders.
- 1 October 1930Weihaiwei returns to China.