Battle of Jiuliancheng
The Battle of Jiuliancheng took place from October 24th to October 26th, 1894 at Yalu on the border between Korea and the Chinese Empire of the Qing Dynasty during the First Sino-Japanese War . The Japanese forces were able to defeat the Chinese troops, who had withdrawn from Korea after their defeat at Pyongyang and took up defensive positions on Yalu, on the first day of the battle.
background
After the defeat of Pyongyang, the Chinese troops withdrew to the Yalu River, around 200 kilometers north of the Korean capital. The Chinese commander, Song Qing, intended to use the river for defense. His troops moved into trenches and shelters on the north bank of the river. Meanwhile, the Japanese gathered on the south bank. The Chinese set up their headquarters in Jiuliancheng and, starting from their headquarters, fortified the river bank at a width of 10 and 16 kilometers respectively along the course of the river. The Chinese side had around 25,000 soldiers.
course
On October 23, the 1st Army of the Japanese Army under Field Marshal Yamagata Aritomo reached the Yalu. The Japanese attack took place the following day. Unbeknownst to the defenders, the Japanese soldiers were able to erect a pontoon bridge over the river on November 24th . The Japanese troops attacked the Chinese positions after crossing the pontoon bridge on November 25th. A mock attack took place in the middle of the Chinese positions, while the main attack was on the flank. The Japanese forces planned to attack the fortified position near Jiuliancheng on October 26th, only to find it abandoned on the day of the attack. On the same day, the Chinese armed forces began their disorderly withdrawal.
consequences
After the battle, Japanese forces pursued the retreating Chinese forces and continued their advance into northern China. General Song's troops went back to Mukden to prepare for the defense of the Qing Dynasty's ancestral seat. The defeat at Yalu cleared the way for the conquest of Lüshunkuo .
After Jiuliancheng, the Chinese press stopped spreading false reports of victory and portrayed the battle as the defeat of a heroically fighting, outnumbered force. Through the use of foreign war correspondents, the Japanese leadership was able to use the battle, like the previous one in Pyongyang, as a sign of military superiority for propaganda purposes.