Chinese Battleship vs Japanese Cruiser - Yalu River 1894 (Duel)

In popular books on naval history, the battle of the Yalu River does not always get the recognition it deserves as an epochal event: it decided not just the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95), but profoundly influenced subsequent warship design and naval tactics, arguably as late as WW1. This slim, but compact and informative book reminds us that this was the first sea battle fought with the use of medium-calibre quick-fire guns, an optical rangefinder, central gun direction, and compound armour (most of these innovative elements being present on both sides, but not on all ships). The battle also had an international dimension which involved all major western powers of the time: foreign-built ships were central to both fleets (German-built armoured frigates in the Chinese fleet, French and British-built protected cruisers in the Japanese), foreign advisers were present on both sides (a US citizen even commanded a section of the Chinese fleet), and both navies had officers who had been trained abroad. All these issues are set out in this book in a clear and well-illustrated fashion, as one can expect from a publication in the well-established Osprey Duel series. The structure is series standard, too: it starts with a sketch of the historical and strategic background, then systematically compares the naval technology, personnel, training and combat tactics of the opponents, and finally provides detailed statistics on casualties, gunnery and speed. The illustrations are of high standard, with excellent detailed plans of the main vessels, maps of the battle, and contemporary drawings from newspapers and magazines. The author, Benjamin Lai, is an ethnic Chinese who was born in Hong Kong and has served in the British Army; he is known as a regular writer on Chinese topics, not just naval subjects. His scrupulously balanced and objective account highlights the two key factors which led to the Japanese victory at the Yalu River: first, the numerical superiority of the Japanese smaller quick-fire guns, together with the “deficient” quantity and quality of Chinese ammunition; and second, the greater speed of the Japanese armoured and protected cruisers the design of which had benefitted from almost a decade of rapid technical progress since the construction of the Chinese armoured frigates (laid down in 1881). The lessons which were drawn from the outcome of this battle were debated in specialist literature at least until 1912 (judging by the contemporary naval periodicals I am currently ploughing through). Lai argues that they ultimately contributed to Fisher’s decision in favour of the battlecruiser concept which put speed above protection. They certainly shaped the subsequent battleship vs cruiser encounters from Tsushima (1905, Russo-Japanese War) to Mudros Bay and Cape Helles (1912, Greek vs Turkish fleet in the First Balkan War). And the subsequent Japanese siege of Weihaiwei (1894-95), the main Chinese naval base, was the blueprint for Japanese sieges and naval blockades of the Russian and German colonial ports of Port Arthur (1904) and Tsingtau (1914), respectively. This book thus covers a fascinating and influential event at a key point in the development of capital ship design and naval tactics as well as regional power politics. It is highly recommended as an introduction for anyone who wants to know more about this battle, its context and aftermath.