ADMIRAL ITO.
| JAPANESE FLEET. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship. | Tons. | Captain. | Armament. | Speed in 1894. |
| Flying squadron. | Knots. | |||
| Yoshino[21] | 4150 | Kawara | Four 6-in. Q.F., eight 4.7-in. Q.F. | 20 |
| Takachiho | 3650 | Nomura | Two 10-in. Krupp, six 6-in. | 15 |
| Naniwa | 3650 | Togo | Ditto | 16 |
| Akitsushima | 3150 | Kamimura | Four 6-in. Q.F., six 4.7-in. Q.F. | 16 |
| Main fleet. | ||||
| Matsushima[22] | 4277 | Omoto | One 12.6-in. Canet, twelve 4.7-in. Q.F. | 14 |
| Dewa | ||||
| Chiyoda | 2450 | Uchida | Ten 4.7-in. Q.F. | ? |
| Itsukushima | 4277 | Yoko-o | One 12.6-in. Canet, eleven 4.7-in. Q.F. | 14 |
| Hashidate | 4277 | Hidaka | Ditto | 14 |
| Fuso | 3718 | Arai | Four 9.4-in. Krupp, two 6-in. Krupp | 11 |
| Hi Yei | 2200 | Sakurai | Nine old 6-in. | 9 |
| Out of line. | ||||
| Akagi | 615 | Sakamoto | Two 4.7-in. Q.F. | 8 |
| Saikio-maru[23] | 2913 | Kano | Two light guns and some small Q.F. | 10 |
| CHINESE FLEET. (From starboard to port.) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship. | Tons. | Captain. | Armament. | Speed in 1894. |
| Battle-line. | Knots. | |||
| Yang Wei | 1350 | — | Two 10.2-in., four 4.7-in. Krupp | 6 |
| Tchao Yung | 1350 | — | Ditto | 6 |
| Ching Yuen | 2300 | — | Three 8.2-in., two 6-in. Elswick | 14 |
| Lai Yuen | 2850 | — | Two 8.2-in., two 6-in. Krupp | 10 |
| Chen Yuen | 7430 | Lin | Four 12-in., two 6-in. Krupp | 12 |
| Ting Yuen[24] | 7430 | Lin-Poo-Chin | Ditto | 12 |
| King Yuen | 2850 | — | Two 8.2-in., two 6-in. Krupp | 10 |
| Chih Yuen | 2300 | Tang | Three 8.2-in., two 6-in. Krupp | 15 |
| Kuang Chi | 1290 | — | Three 4.7-in. Krupp | 10½ |
| Tsi Yuen | 2355 | Fong | Two 8.2-in., one 6-in. Krupp | 12½ |
| Inshore. | ||||
| Ping Yuen | 2100 | — | One 10.2-in., two 6-in. Krupp | 6 or 7 |
| Kwang Ping | 1000 | — | Three 4.7-in. Krupp | 10 |
| One torpedo boat | 128 | — | Three tubes | 15 |
| ”” ” | 69 | — | Ditto | 16 |
YALU:
THE BEGINNING OF THE BATTLE.
The first shot, which fell short, was fired by the Ting Yuen at 12.30. A moment later the battle was general.
The sea was smooth—almost glassy—the sky dull. There was, however, a growing breeze, and this blew towards the Chinamen, so that the black smoke from the Japanese cruisers acted as a helpful screen.