Battle of Yalu River (1904)

The Battle of Yalu River, (Russian: ,

Bo na reke Yalu) (Japanese:
, ryokk Kaisen)
lasted from 30 April to 1 May 1904, and was the rst
major land battle during the Russo-Japanese War. It was
fought near Wiju (modern village of Uiju, North Korea)
on the lower reaches of the Yalu River, on the border between Korea and China.

Japanese army hired some 10,000 local laborers at wages

well above the local norms, and paid also for any food and
supplies procured locally. This contrasted greatly with
the behavior of the Russian troops previously in northern
Korea.
By seizing the port of Chinampo (modern Nampo, North
Korea) at the mouth of the Taedong River outside of Pyongyang with the spring thaw, the Japanese were able to
land the remaining components of the 1st Army by 29
March.

The Russian Situation

The Russian commander in the Far East, General Alexei

Kuropatkin's strategy was to only engage the Japanese in
defense stalling actions, while waiting for enough reinforcements to be brought up to the front via the singletrack Trans-Siberian Railway to take the oensive. He
had estimated that it would take at least 6 months to build
his forces up to suitable levels. He also had received strict
orders not to hinder the Japanese progress through Korea
from Viceroy Yevgeni Alekseyev, but to hold the line at
the Yalu River to prevent the Japanese from crossing into
Manchuria.
On 22 April 1904, Kuropatkin dispatched the Eastern
Detachment under the command of Lieutenant-General
Mikhail Zasulich with 16,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry and
some 62 artillery pieces to ght a static delaying action at north bank of the river. However, this force was
spread out piecemeal over a 170-mile front, whereas the
Japanese Army could concentrate its eorts on any single point of its choosing. Furthermore, General Zasulitch
did not hold the Japanese in a very high regard. Most of
the Russian forces were deployed near Wiju, blocking the
main road from Korea to Manchuria. Small detachments
guarded the bank up and down the river.

Japanese troops landing on Nampho.

By 21 April 1904 the Japanese 1st Army was concentrated and hidden south of Wiju. The Japanese were in
the same positions on the southern bank of the Yalu River
that they had been in August 1894. The Japanese knew
the exact locations of the Russians deployment from intelligence by forward scouts disguised as Korean shermen,
the Russians made no eort to conceal their positions.[2]
By 23 April, the Japanese knew the layout the Russian
trench line and details of the defensive positions around
the area of Antung.[2] Intelligence was so eective that
the Japanese estimate of the Russian troop strength was
only exceeded by 1000 and the estimate of the guns which
2 The Japanese Situation
was only two less of the actual number.[2] The Japanese
made every eort to keep their positions hidden. Screens
After the success of the Imperial Japanese Navy at the
of trees, millet and bushes were used to conceal activity
Battle of Chemulpo Bay on 9 February 1904, the way was
as well as roads, artillery and other equipment.[2]
clear for the Imperial Japanese Army to deploy the 2nd,
the 12th, and the Guards Divisions of the Japanese 1st
Army, commanded by Major-General Baron Tamemoto
Kuroki, into Korea. The total strength of Japanese force 3 Prelude
was about 42,500 men. The Japanese 1st Army advanced
quickly northwards from Chemulpo (modern Incheon), The prelude to major action took place at 21:45(9:45
with advance units entering Pyongyang on 21 February P.M.) on the night of 25 April 1904, when two battal1904 and Anju by 18 March 1904. Learning their lessons ions of the Japanese 2nd Division seized two islands in
in logistics and transport from the Sino-Japanese War, the the Yalu River without opposition. After reinforcement
1

THE MAIN BATTLE

4 The Main Battle

Picture of Our Valorous Military Repulsing the Russian Cossack

Cavalry on the Bank of the Yalu River by Watanabe Nobukazu
(1874-1944), March 1904.

Japanese Troops Crossing the Yalu River.

Map of the crossing over the Yalu River by the Japanese 1st.

at 0400 on 26 April by units from the Guards Division Army.

and a brief reght, the forward Russian observation post
withdrew to the main Russian lines on the north shore.
Japanese engineers determined that ten bridges 1,630
yards(1490.5m) would be required to span the river. A
third of these were steel prefabricated pontoons which
weighed 100 pounds each.[3] The remainder were made
from local resources. In full view of Russian positions, the Japanese began constructing a causeway across
the Yalu River, which was immediately targeted by two
Russian batteries. With the Russians so engaged, the
Japanese prepared nine other bridges that could quickly
be moved into position for a rapid assault across the river
at other locations.

Once the midstream islands were secured, General

Kuroki ordered a feint on the lower Yalu River when
Japanese gunboats engaged Cossack detachments at the Russian map depicting positions of the Eastern detachment and
river mouth. This convinced General Zasulich that the Japanese advance.
main Japanese attack would fall on the vicinity of the
town of Antung, and he concentrated his forces there.
The Japanese main attack began in the early morning
Kuroki was thus able to maneuver against the weak Rus- hours of 27 April 1904. By 0300, the balance of the 12th
sian left, and deployed the 12th Division and Guards Di- Division had crossed the river and was advancing in three
vision across the Yalu River at a fordable point. The columns. While the Japanese 12th Division advancing on
Russians observed these movements with trepidation, and the right, the Guards Division was moving into position
General Kashtalinsky informed General Zasulich that in the center. By 0400, the artillery of the Guards Divithe Japanese were about to assault the position in force sion was within range of the exposed Russian lines. The
and his position was in danger of being anked. Za- Japanese First Army continued its three-pronged advance
sulich chose to ignore the reports, thinking that the attack and was across the Yalu by midnight of 29 April 1904
was only a feint, and redeployed a single battalion with with very little opposition. Limited visibility masked the
four guns. Zasulitch remained convinced that the main Japanese movements from Russian observation. When
Japanese attack would fall at Antung, and kept his main the fog nally lifted about 0500, the Japanese artillery
opened up on the Russian formations.
force as well as his reserves at that location.

3
The 2nd Division took its position on the center, advanc- guns.
ing on the newly erected causeways leading from the town
of Wiju and thus catching the Russians in a pincer movement at the hamlet of Chuliengcheng, on the Manchurian- 6 Importance
side of the Yalu River opposite Wiju. By 1000, the Russians were in full retreat, with a Japanese attempt to block
The Battle of the Yalu River was the rst major land camtheir escape towards Fenghuangcheng to the north.
paign of the Russo-Japanese War. The defeat of the RusThe Japanese had a number of 4.7 inch howitzers, sian Eastern Detachment removed the perception that the
custom-made by Krupp, which they used with devastat- Japanese would be an easy enemy, that the war would
ing eect on the exposed Russians. In light of these de- be short, and that Russia would be the overwhelming
velopments, General Zasulitch was strongly encouraged victor.[5]
by his sta to pull back to a more defensible position.
However, the general stubbornly refused to concede, even
sending a telegram to Tsar Nicholas II in Saint Petersburg 7 References
informing that victory was soon certain. He chose to ignore General Kuropatkins phased withdrawal orders (as
Connaughton, Richard (2003). Rising Sun and Tumconrmed by Kuropatkins chief of sta, General V.V.
bling Bear. Cassell. ISBN 0-304-36657-9
Sakarov).
Kowner, Rotem (2006). Historical Dictionary of the
General Kuroki had planned to continue the advance of
Russo-Japanese War. Scarecrow. ISBN 0-8108the 12th Division to envelope the Russian left. However,
4927-5
now that the enemy artillery had been neutralized, he decided to engage the Guards and the 2nd Division in a
Nish, Ian (1985). The Origins of the Russo-Japanese
simultaneous assault. It was at this point the Japanese
War. Longman. ISBN 0-582-49114-2
encountered the rst serious resistance from the Russian
lines. The advance of the 2nd Division was disrupted for
Sedwick, F.R. (1909). The Russo-Japanese War.
a time, and had any of the Russian artillery survived, the
Macmillan Company.
outcome might have been dierent. The Russians were
driven from their trenches with severe losses, and the survivors fell back to the tops of the hills, the position that 8 Notes
Zasulitchs advisors had unsuccessfully encouraged him
to fall back to earlier. During the retreat, a counterattack
[1] Russian Main Military Medical Directorate (Glavnoe
was made by elements of the Russian 12th East Siberian
Voenno-Sanitarnoe Upravlenie) statistical report. 1914.
Rie Regiment, which was cut to pieces and opened fur[2] Connaughton, p.55
ther the breaks in the Russian lines.
The Russian position now became wholly untenable, and
remaining formations now were in danger of being encircled. General Zasulich was ordered to retreat. The
11th East Siberian Rie Regiment, which was covering a
retreat, was cut o by the Japanese and suered large casualties during its breakthrough back to the other Russian
forces. At the appearance of the Japanese 12th Division,
the Russian left ank panicked and collapsed.
At 1730 on 1 May 1904, remnants of the Russian Eastern Detachment either surrendered or escaped towards
Fenghuangcheng to the north and the Battle for the Yalu
River came to an end.

Outcome

The Battle of the Yalu River ended in victory for

Japan. The combat had cost the Japanese 1036 dead and
wounded out of the total 1st Army strength of 42,500[4]
The Russian Eastern Detachment suered some 2700
casualties overall,[4] including about 500 killed, 1000
wounded, 600 prisoners and the loss of 21 of 24 eld

[3] Connaughton, p.56

[4] Connaughton, p.64
[5] Connaughton, p.65

9 External links
Russo-Japanese War research society

10

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Battle of Yalu River (1904) Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Yalu_River_(1904)?oldid=640262885 Contributors: Olivier,

GCarty, Kokiri, SoLando, Gdr, KNewman, Gimmick Account, Rich Farmbrough, Ardonik, Kaszeta, CanisRufus, RobNS, Cmdrjameson,
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