Land battle on the Yalu

Battle of the Yalu

Part of: Russo-Japanese War

Contemporary postcard from 1904 showing a scene during the Battle of Yalu

date	April 30 to May 1, 1904
place	Near Ŭiju County on the Yalu River
output	Japanese victory

Parties to the conflict
Russia	Japan
Commander
Lieutenant General Mikhail Sassulitsch	Major General Kuroki Tamemoto
Troop strength
25,000 men 15,000 infantry 5,000 cavalry 60 guns	42,000 men 144 guns
losses
2,172 total losses 593 dead 1101 wounded 478 missing persons 26 guns 1021 rifles	1,036 total losses

The Battle of Yalu was the first major land battle in the Russo-Japanese War and was held on April 17th ^. / April 30th, ^Greg. until April 18th ^jul. / May 1, 1904 ^greg. between the Imperial Japanese Army and the Imperial Russian Army . It took place near Ŭiju County on the Yalu River, on the border between Korea and China, and ended with a Japanese victory.

prehistory

Russian strategy

Contemporary Russian Map of the Battle of Yalu

The commander-in-chief of the Russian army, General Alexei Kuropatkin , wanted to wait for reinforcements to be brought in via the single - track Trans - Siberian Railway . Kuropatkin allowed six months to bring in sufficient reinforcements and until then he wanted to prevent the Japanese from advancing into Manchuria. To this end, on April 22, 1904, he ordered Lieutenant General Michael Sassulitsch with the 3rd Siberian Army Corps , consisting of 3rd and 6th East Siberian Divisions and the Mishchenko Cavalry Division (15,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry and 60 guns), to the Yalu Flow. Sassulitsch and his armed forces were supposed to observe a 200 km long section of the Yalu River. Given his strength, he dismembered his troops in order to carry out his orders. He had weak or no fortifications built along the river and thus left the time until the arrival of the Japanese wasted. Almost no or sparse reconnaissance was carried out south of the Yalu River. Only the islands in the middle of the Yalus were provided with outposts.

Japanese strategy

Contemporary Japanese map of the Battle of Yalu

After the Japanese began the hostilities on February 8, 1904 with the surprise attack on the Russian fleet lying in front of Port Arthur , the Japanese military command planned to invade Manchuria through Korea with strong troop contingents. This enabled further landings on the Liaoyang Peninsula to be protected and the rail link to Port Arthur interrupted. This deployment plan had already been suggested to the Japanese in 1888 by the Prussian officer General von Meckel, who was in charge of the Japanese Army University, and had already been used in the First Sino-Japanese War .

Japanese pontoons on the way to Yalu

Major General Kuroki Tamemoto was subordinate to the 1st Army , consisting of the 2nd and 12th Japanese Divisions , as well as the Guard Division . The troops were landed on the one hand at Tschemulpo and on the other hand at Tschinampo, and from March 1, 1904 they moved north on still frozen clay roads. Due to the lack of bridges, temporary bridges had to be built on each river. Finally, the thaw set in and turned the streets into muddy ground.

Advancing Japanese cavalry had already reached the Yalu near Wiju on April 4 and were exploring the Russian positions. In order to leave the Russians in any doubt as to the location of the planned Japanese bridge, the greatest caution had been ordered. By April 20, the main part of the Japanese army had reached the Yalu and was preparing for the attack, hidden behind the range of hills near Wiju. On April 26, a battalion of the 2nd Division had driven the outposts from the islands in the river. Then Japanese pioneers began building several pontoon bridges . They were shot at by Russian artillery, but were able to complete the bridges, some of which were up to 236 meters long, by April 27th.

In order to distract the Russians from this part of the river, General Kuroki ordered eight Japanese warships to cross at the mouth of the Yalu and simulate a landing at Antung .

The river crossing was scheduled for April 30th, while the attack on the Russian positions was scheduled for May 1st.

The battle

Japanese troops cross the Yalu River

Japanese troops land at Nampho

Russian infantry shell Japanese soldiers while translating. From Le Patriote Illustré of June 19, 1904

In the early morning hours of April 30, the 12th Division crossed the Yalu at Suikotin, while the 2nd Division crossed the river at Nansando. Only now did the Russians start digging trenches . Some Russian artillery and gunfire from the Russian positions opened fire on the bridges and the Japanese barges. Japanese artillery then opened fire on these batteries to protect their troops' river crossing. The Japanese guard also crossed the river and by evening all Japanese troops were in their deployment areas for the attack planned for the next day.

As soon as it got light on May 1, 1904, the Japanese guns began bombarding the Russian positions. Then the 2nd, 12th and Guard Divisions went on the attack. The Russian guns that were active the day before did not answer. Only a rear battery opened fire on the guards division, but it was silenced after a short time. The closer the Japanese line came to the Russian position, the more intense the Russian rifle fire became. The strongest resistance took place on the Kegelberg. This could be taken by storm and shortly afterwards, around 10 o'clock, the Russians began to retreat all along the line. Krupp's 11.5 cm Japanese howitzers ultimately wore down the Russians. Lieutenant General Sassulitsch's staff now pressed for the withdrawal, but Sassulitsch did not see the battle as lost. The fighting flared up again when all three Japanese divisions pushed forward again and came under heavy Russian rifle fire. The Japanese suffered heavy losses, but were able to throw the Russians out of their positions. Now the Russians were in danger of being surrounded, and Sassulitsch ordered an immediate retreat. The 11th East Siberian Rifle Regiment offered bitter resistance as rearguard, but suffered heavy losses. The Japanese 12th Division pushed against the Russian left wing again and now the Russians fled in a panic.

From 5:30 p.m., the surviving Russian units on the left wing began surrendering or fled to Fenghuangcheng . Shortly afterwards the battle was over.

losses

General Kuroki and his staff after the Battle of Yalu

The Japanese had won the battle and suffered 1036 casualties. The Russians lost more than 2,700 men (593 dead, 1101 wounded and 478 missing). In addition, they had left 26 guns and 1,021 rifles on the battlefield.

consequences

The Battle of Yalu was the first major land battle of the war and destroyed any Russian hope that Japan would be an easy opponent and that only a short war would be expected.

literature

• Connaughton, Richard (2003): Rising Sun and Tumbling Bear . Cassell, ISBN 0-304-36657-9 .
• Kowner, Rotem (2006). Historical Dictionary of the Russo-Japanese War. Scarecrow, ISBN 0-8108-4927-5 .
• Nish, Ian (1985): The Origins of the Russo-Japanese War . Longman, ISBN 0-582-49114-2 .
• Sedwick, FR (1909): The Russo-Japanese War . Macmillan.
• The Russo-Japanese War , AT Mahan, 1905

Web links

Commons : Landschlacht am Yalu  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Russo-Japanese War research society
• From the Russo-Japanese War 1904/1905, Volume 1 1907, report by Colonel Fritz Gertsch , brigade commander and instructor of the Swiss Army

Individual evidence

1. ^ From the Russo-Japanese War 1904/1905, Volume 1, p. 39
2. ^ The Russo-Japanese War, page 1108