Battle of Pungdo

Battle of Pungdo
Part of the First Sino-Japanese War
Chôsen Hôtô kaisen no zu, Kobayashi Kiyochika
Date 25 July 1894 Location Off Pungdo, Korea Bay Result Japanese victory
Belligerents
Empire of Japan	Qing China
Commanders and leaders
Tsuboi Kōzō Itō Sukeyuki	Fang Boqian
Strength
3 protected cruisers	1 protected cruiser 2 gunboats 1 transport ship
Casualties and losses
1 protected cruiser damaged	1,100 killed and wounded 1 gunboat destroyed 1 gunboat captured 1 transport ship sunk 1 protected cruiser damaged

The Battle of Pungdo (Japanese: Hoto-oki kaisen (豊島沖海戦)) was the first naval battle of the First Sino-Japanese War. It took place on 25 July 1894 off Asan, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea, between cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy and components of the Chinese Beiyang Fleet. Both China and Japan had been intervening in Korea against the Donghak Peasant Revolution. While China tried to maintain her suzerain relationship with Korea, Japan wanted to increase her sphere of influence.

Both countries had already sent troops to Korea as requested by different factions within the Korean government. Chinese troops from the Huai Army, were stationed in Asan, south of Seoul, numbering 3,000 men in early July, could be effectively supplied only by sea through the Bay of Asan. The Japanese plan was to blockade the entrance of the Bay of Asan, while her land forces moved overland to encircle the Chinese detachment in Asan before reinforcements arrived by sea.