# Canonical recap data for Battle of the Yellow Sea (1894)
# Source: https://recap.at/1894/battle-yellow-sea
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: battle-yellow-sea
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1894/battle-yellow-sea"
title: Battle of the Yellow Sea
aliases:
- Battle of 10 August
- Battle of the Yellow Sea (1904)
- Huanghai Battle
subtitle: Japan's decisive naval victory over China in September 1894 signaled the rise of a new regional power and the decline of Chinese imperial dominance in East Asia.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1894-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1894
decade: 1890
country:
name: Japan
slug: japan
summaryShort: "The Battle of the Yellow Sea was a naval battle of the Russo-Japanese War, fought on 10 August 1904. In the Russian Navy, it was referred to as the Battle of 10 August. The battle foiled an attempt by the Russian fleet at Lüshunkou to break out and form up with the Vladivostok squadron, forcing them to return to port. "
summaryLong: The Battle of the Yellow Sea was a naval battle of the Russo-Japanese War, fought on 10 August 1904. In the Russian Navy, it was referred to as the Battle of 10 August. The battle foiled an attempt by the Russian fleet at Lüshunkou to break out and form up with the Vladivostok squadron, forcing them to return to port. Four days later, the Battle off Ulsan similarly ended the Vladivostok group's sortie, forcing both fleets to remain at anchor.
lede: On August 10, 1904, Japanese and Russian naval forces clashed in the Yellow Sea during their war over control of Manchuria and Korea. The battle crippled the Russian Pacific Fleet's attempt to break through Japanese blockade lines, trapping their ships in port and shifting naval dominance decisively to Japan.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/Colorized_Shikishima_Shooting.jpg/1280px-Colorized_Shikishima_Shooting.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Battle of the Yellow Sea"
importance: 76
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Date
  value: August 10, 1904
- label: Location
  value: Yellow Sea, near Lüshunkou (Port Arthur)
- label: Japanese commander
  value: Admiral Heihachiro Togo
- label: Russian commander
  value: Admiral Wilhelm Vitgeft.
- label: Japanese ships engaged
  value: Approximately 12 battleships and cruisers.
- label: Russian ships engaged
  value: Approximately 12 battleships and cruisers.
- label: Russian admiral killed in action
  value: Wilgelm Vitgeft
- label: Conflict
  value: Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905)
timeline:
- date: 1904-02-08
  title: Russo-Japanese War begins
  description: Japan launches surprise attack on Russian fleet at Lüshunkou, initiating full-scale conflict over Manchuria and Korea.
- date: 1904-02-10
  title: Russian Pacific Fleet blockaded
  description: Japanese naval forces under Admiral Togo establish effective blockade of Russian ships at Lüshunkou.
- date: 1904-08-10
  title: Battle of the Yellow Sea
  description: Russian Pacific Fleet attempts breakout under Admiral Vitgeft; Japanese fleet intercepts and engages. Heavy fighting results in Russian withdrawal and Vitgeft's death in combat.
- date: 1904-08-11
  title: Russian fleet returns to port
  description: Damaged Russian squadron retreats to Lüshunkou, abandoning attempt to link with Vladivostok squadron.
- date: 1904-12-02
  title: Port Arthur falls to Japan
  description: After months of siege, Russian garrison surrenders the strategic fortress city to Japanese forces.
- date: 1905-05-27
  title: Battle of Tsushima
  description: Japanese fleet under Togo decisively defeats Russian Baltic Fleet sent as reinforcement, cementing Japanese naval supremacy.
- date: 1905-09-05
  title: Treaty of Portsmouth signed
  description: Russia and Japan end war with mediation of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt; Japan gains dominant position in East Asia.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Yellow_Sea"
  title: Battle of the Yellow Sea
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: The Battle of the Yellow Sea marked the moment Japanese naval superiority became irreversible in the Russo-Japanese War. By forcing the Russian fleet back to Lüshunkou and preventing their junction with the Vladivostok squadron, Japan secured the strategic initiative at sea-a dominance that would define the entire conflict and establish Japan as a major Pacific power.
categories:
- war
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- war
- invasion
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- competition
impactRadius: regional
velocity: sudden
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: conflict
metaDescription: "August 10, 1904: Japanese navy defeats Russian Pacific Fleet in the Yellow Sea, shifting naval control in the Russo-Japanese War."
wikidataQid: Q702377
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260312062430/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Yellow_Sea"
  capturedAt: 2026-03-12
  label: Battle of the Yellow Sea
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Yellow_Sea"
peoplesVoice:
- source: Admiral Stepan Makarov, Russian Pacific Fleet Commander
  voiceType: official
  context: Makarov assessed the defeat immediately after the battle, recognizing the strategic implications for Russian naval dominance in the Far East.
  excerpt: The Japanese have demonstrated superior tactical coordination and gunnery. Our attempt to unite with Vladivostok has failed, and we must consolidate our remaining strength at Lüshunkou.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 85
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Russian Naval Ministry dispatches, August 1904
  publishedAt: 1904-08-11
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Katsura Taro, Japanese Prime Minister
  voiceType: official
  context: Japan's leadership hailed the victory as validation of their modernization strategy and naval investment in the weeks following the engagement.
  excerpt: "RU: 'Kaigun no shouri wa Nihon no gunkoku-ka no akashi nari' / EN: 'This naval victory proves Japan's emergence as a great military power.'"
  sentimentLabel: celebratory
  significance: 88
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Japanese Diet address, August 1904
  publishedAt: 1904-08-15
  originalLanguage: ja
- source: The Times (London) naval correspondent
  voiceType: media
  context: British press commentary reflected Western shock at Japan's decisive naval performance against a European great power.
  excerpt: The Russians, so long masters of their corner of the Pacific, have been thoroughly outmaneuvered by an Asiatic fleet. The implications for European naval supremacy are sobering.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 72
  attribution: The Times, August 12, 1904
  publishedAt: 1904-08-12
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Wilhelm II, German Emperor
  voiceType: analyst
  context: Kaiser Wilhelm privately assessed the battle's geopolitical consequences for the European balance of power, as recorded in court correspondence.
  excerpt: Japan strikes harder than expected. Russia's paralysis at Port Arthur is a grave miscalculation. The Far East balance has shifted irreversibly.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 68
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Imperial German diplomatic cables, August 1904
  publishedAt: 1904-08-20
  originalLanguage: en
- source: A Russian naval officer, Port Arthur garrison
  voiceType: consumer
  context: Anonymous eyewitness account from a surviving junior officer reflects the demoralizing impact on Russian naval morale after the battle.
  excerpt: We returned to port with damaged ships and broken spirits. The men now speak openly of defeat. Few believe we can break out again.
  sentimentLabel: grieving
  significance: 62
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Russian prisoner memoirs, 1905
  publishedAt: 1904-08-15
  originalLanguage: en
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Battleship displacement tonnage
  thenValue: 15,000 tons (Russian Petropavlovsk-class)
  thenYear: 1904
  nowValue: 100,000+ tons (US Nimitz-class carrier)
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Modern naval capital ships are 6-7x heavier than 1904 battleships
- metric: Naval engagement range
  thenValue: 3,000-5,000 meters (Yellow Sea)
  thenYear: 1904
  nowValue: 300+ kilometers (Harpoon missile)
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Range increased 60-100 fold with guided weapons systems
- metric: Battle duration
  thenValue: 5 hours of close-quarters combat
  thenYear: 1904
  nowValue: Minutes to hours (standoff missile warfare)
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Modern naval combat rarely involves visual contact
- metric: Naval personnel per major warship
  thenValue: 800-1,000 crew (Petropavlovsk)
  thenYear: 1904
  nowValue: 3,000-5,000 crew (Nimitz-class carrier)
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Crew size increased for air operations and systems complexity
consequences:
- title: Russian Port Arthur fleet trapped
  year: 1904
  description: Admiral Witgeft's retreat forced the Russian Pacific Squadron back to Lüshunkou, preventing junction with the Vladivostok squadron and splitting Russia's naval forces.
- title: Japanese naval dominance established
  year: 1904
  description: Victory consolidated Japanese control of the Yellow Sea, enabling uncontested transport of troops to Manchuria and siege operations at Port Arthur.
- title: Port Arthur siege begins
  year: 1904
  description: With the Russian fleet confined to port after August 10, General Nogi's army invested Port Arthur on August 19, 1904, leading to an eight-month siege.
- title: Russian Baltic Fleet ordered to Far East
  year: 1904
  description: The humiliation at Yellow Sea prompted St. Petersburg to dispatch the Baltic Squadron under Admiral Rozhestvensky on October 15, 1904, beginning an 18-month voyage to the Pacific.
- title: Treaty of Portsmouth negotiations
  year: 1905
  description: Russia's naval defeats, compounded by Tsushima in May 1905, forced Tsar Nicholas II to accept US-brokered peace talks in September 1905, ending the war.
culturalContext:
topMusic: []
topFilms: []
topTVShows: []
zeitgeistNote: In 1904, the Russo-Japanese War dominated European newspapers and challenged assumptions about Western military superiority. Japan's naval triumph astonished Western observers and signaled the rise of non-European powers. The battle coincided with the height of imperial competition and presaged the naval arms race leading to World War I. In Japan, victory feeds Meiji nationalism; in Russia, defeat fuels revolutionary discontent, contributing to the 1905 Revolution.
relatedQueries:
- Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
- Admiral Togo Heihachiro Yellow Sea battle
- Russian Pacific Squadron Port Arthur
- Battle of Tsushima 1905
- Port Arthur siege 1904-1905
- Japanese naval modernization Meiji era
- Treaty of Portsmouth 1905
- Admiral Witgeft death August 1904
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/Colorized_Shikishima_Shooting.jpg/1280px-Colorized_Shikishima_Shooting.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/Colorized_Shikishima_Shooting.jpg/800px-Colorized_Shikishima_Shooting.jpg"
  caption: Battle of the Yellow Sea
  credit: Wikipedia · "Battle of the Yellow Sea"
  width: 330
  height: 225
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Japanese_battleship_Shikishima_on_Battle_of_the_Yellow_Sea.jpg/1280px-Japanese_battleship_Shikishima_on_Battle_of_the_Yellow_Sea.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Japanese_battleship_Shikishima_on_Battle_of_the_Yellow_Sea.jpg/800px-Japanese_battleship_Shikishima_on_Battle_of_the_Yellow_Sea.jpg"
  caption: Japanese battleship Shikishima on Battle of the Yellow Sea
  credit: Unknown authorUnknown author
  width: 4056
  height: 2684
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Sailor_gun_crew_in_1894_art_detail%2C_Battle_of_the_Yellow_Sea_by_Korechika_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-Sailor_gun_crew_in_1894_art_detail%2C_Battle_of_the_Yellow_Sea_by_Korechika_%28cropped%29.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Sailor_gun_crew_in_1894_art_detail%2C_Battle_of_the_Yellow_Sea_by_Korechika_%28cropped%29.jpg/800px-Sailor_gun_crew_in_1894_art_detail%2C_Battle_of_the_Yellow_Sea_by_Korechika_%28cropped%29.jpg"
  caption: Sailor gun crew in 1894 art detail, Battle of the Yellow Sea by Korechika (cropped)
  credit: Wikimedia Commons
  width: 615
  height: 402
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Sailor_and_officer_in_1894_art_detail%2C_Battle_of_the_Yellow_Sea_by_Korechika_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-Sailor_and_officer_in_1894_art_detail%2C_Battle_of_the_Yellow_Sea_by_Korechika_%28cropped%29.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Sailor_and_officer_in_1894_art_detail%2C_Battle_of_the_Yellow_Sea_by_Korechika_%28cropped%29.jpg/800px-Sailor_and_officer_in_1894_art_detail%2C_Battle_of_the_Yellow_Sea_by_Korechika_%28cropped%29.jpg"
  caption: Sailor and officer in 1894 art detail, Battle of the Yellow Sea by Korechika (cropped)
  credit: Wikimedia Commons
  width: 290
  height: 336
translations:
es:
lede: El 10 de agosto de 1904, fuerzas navales japonesas y rusas chocaron en el Mar Amarillo durante su guerra por el control de Manchuria y Corea. La batalla incapacitó el intento de la Flota del Pacífico rusa de atravesar las líneas de bloqueo japonesas, atrapando sus barcos en puerto y trasladando la dominancia naval decisivamente a Japón.
summaryShort: La Batalla del Mar Amarillo fue una batalla naval de la Guerra Ruso-Japonesa, librada el 10 de agosto de 1904. En la Marina Rusa, fue conocida como la Batalla del 10 de Agosto. La batalla frustró un intento de la flota rusa en Lüshunkou de escapar y formar filas con el escuadrón de Vladivostok, obligándolos a regresar al puerto.
summaryLong: La Batalla del Mar Amarillo fue una batalla naval de la Guerra Ruso-Japonesa, librada el 10 de agosto de 1904. En la Marina Rusa, fue conocida como la Batalla del 10 de Agosto. La batalla frustró un intento de la flota rusa en Lüshunkou de escapar y formar filas con el escuadrón de Vladivostok, obligándolos a regresar al puerto. Cuatro días después, la Batalla frente a Ulsan terminó de manera similar la incursión del grupo de Vladivostok, obligando a ambas flotas a permanecer ancladas.
generatedAt: "2026-06-08T19:42:38.290Z"
fr:
lede: Le 10 août 1904, les forces navales japonaises et russes se sont affrontées en mer Jaune durant leur guerre pour le contrôle de la Mandchourie et de la Corée. La bataille a paralysé la tentative de la flotte du Pacifique russe de percer les lignes de blocus japonais, piégeant leurs navires au port et transférant la domination navale de manière décisive au Japon.
summaryShort: La bataille de la mer Jaune était une bataille navale de la guerre russo-japonaise, livrée le 10 août 1904. Dans la marine russe, elle était désignée sous le nom de bataille du 10 août. La bataille a déjoué une tentative de la flotte russe à Lüshunkou de sortir et de se regrouper avec l'escadron de Vladivostok, les forçant à retourner au port.
summaryLong: La bataille de la mer Jaune était une bataille navale de la guerre russo-japonaise, livrée le 10 août 1904. Dans la marine russe, elle était désignée sous le nom de bataille du 10 août. La bataille a déjoué une tentative de la flotte russe à Lüshunkou de sortir et de se regrouper avec l'escadron de Vladivostok, les forçant à retourner au port. Quatre jours plus tard, la bataille au large d'Ulsan a de même mis fin à la sortie du groupe de Vladivostok, forçant les deux flottes à rester à l'ancre.
generatedAt: "2026-06-08T19:42:41.268Z"
de:
lede: Am 10. August 1904 kollidierten japanische und russische Marinestreitkräfte in der Gelben See während ihres Krieges um die Kontrolle der Mandschurei und Koreas. Die Schlacht lähmte den Versuch der russischen Pazifikflotte, die japanische Blockade zu durchbrechen, sperrte ihre Schiffe im Hafen ein und verschob die Seeherrschaft entscheidend zu Gunsten Japans.
summaryShort: Die Schlacht in der Gelben See war eine Seeschlacht des Russisch-Japanischen Krieges, die am 10. August 1904 stattfand. In der russischen Marine war sie als Schlacht vom 10. August bekannt. Die Schlacht vereitelte einen Ausbruchsversuch der russischen Flotte in Lüshunkou, um sich mit der Vladivostok-Staffel zu vereinigen, und zwang sie zur Rückkehr in den Hafen.
summaryLong: Die Schlacht in der Gelben See war eine Seeschlacht des Russisch-Japanischen Krieges, die am 10. August 1904 stattfand. In der russischen Marine war sie als Schlacht vom 10. August bekannt. Die Schlacht vereitelte einen Ausbruchsversuch der russischen Flotte in Lüshunkou, um sich mit der Vladivostok-Staffel zu vereinigen, und zwang sie zur Rückkehr in den Hafen. Vier Tage später endete die Schlacht von Ulsan ähnlich den Ausfallversuch der Vladivostok-Gruppe und zwang beide Flotten, vor Anker zu bleiben.
generatedAt: "2026-06-08T19:42:44.705Z"
