Battle of Pungdo The Battle of Pungdo or Feng - tao ( Japanese : ) was the first naval battle of the First Sino - Japanese War . It took place on 25 July 1894 offshore of Asan , Chungcheongnam - do Korea between cruiser s of the Imperial Japanese Navy of Meiji Japan and components of the Beiyang Fleet of the Empire of China . Background . Both Qing 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 had troops in Korea as requested by different factions within the Korean government . Chinese troops from the Beiyang Army , 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 . This presented a situation very similar to the British position at the beginning of the Yorktown campaign during the American Revolution . The Japanese plan was to blockade the entrance of the Bay of Asan , while her land forces moved overland to encircle the Beiyang Army detachment in Asan before reinforcements arrived by sea . Some amongst the Chinese Beiyang Fleet command were aware of this dangerous situation and had advocated either the withdrawal of troops further north to Pyongyang ( captain of cruiser , Fang Boqian , the ranking Chinese officer in the Battle of Pungdo , among them ) , or the sailing the entire Beiyang fleet to Inchon as a deterrent against Japanese intentions . However , the Qing leadership was split between Viceroy Li Hongzhang ’ s basic instinct to protect his fleet from danger and Emperor Guangxu ’ s demand for a stronger stand . As a compromise , the detachment at Asan was to be reinforced for the time being under escort by ships already on station in Korean waters . Inaction paralyzed the Chinese command on the eve of war . The battle . According to Chinese battle records , The Chinese ships , cruiser " Jiyuan " and gunboat " Kwang - Yi " , in port in Asan since 23 July , left on the morning of 25 July and were on their way to rendezvous with the troop transport ship " Kowshing " and " Tsao - kiang " en route from Tianjin . At 7 : 45 am , Near Pungdo , a small island ( also known as " Feng Island " in western sources sitting next to the two navigable channels out of the Bay of Asan , in Korean territorial waters , the two Chinese ships were fired upon by three Japanese cruisers " Akitsushima " , " Naniwa " , and " Yoshino " . Chinese ships returned fire at 0752 hours . According to Japanese records , at 0700 on 25 July , the Japanese cruisers , and , which had been patrolling in the Yellow Sea off of Asan , encountered the Chinese cruiser , and gunboat ( 広乙 ) . These vessels had steamed out of Asan in order to meet another Chinese gunboat , the ( 操江 ) , which was convoying the transport " Kowshing " ( 高陞 ) toward Asan . The two Chinese vessels did not return the salute of the Japanese ships as required under International Maritime Regulations , and when the Japanese turned to the southwest , the Chinese opened fire . The battle occurred at close range , and " Jiyuen " took severe damage and began to lose steering control , but one of the German military advisors aboard , Hoffman , managed to jury - rig a tiller under fire , and the vessel was able to maneuver . The timely arrival of the gunboat " Kwang - yi " distracted " Naniwa " , and " Yoshino " and " Jiyuen " used the opportunity to break off the engagement and escaped . " Kwang - yi " was stranded on some rocks , and its gunpowder magazine exploded . " Yoshino " pursued " Jiyuen " , but for uncertain reasons was unable to catch the slower vessel . In the meantime " Tsao - kiang " and the transport " Kowshing " , which was flying a British civil ensign and conveying some 1 , 200 Beiyang Army and stores , had the unfortunate timing of appearing on the scene . At approximately 0900 hours , " Kowshing " was ordered to follow the Japanese cruiser " Naniwa " to the main Japanese squadron . After a formal protest citing the neutrality of the British flag , the English captain , Thomas Ryder Galsworthy , agreed . However , the Chinese soldiers on board revolted , and threatened to kill the crew unless Galsworthy took them back to China . After four hours of negotiation , when the Beiyang troops were momentarily distracted , Galsworthy and the British crew jumped overboard and attempted to swim to the " Naniwa " , but were fired upon by the Chinese . Most of the sailors were killed , but Galsworthy and two crewmen were rescued by the Japanese . " Naniwa " then opened fire on the " Kowshing " , sinking her and her mutineers . A few on board ( including German military advisor Major Constantin von Hanneken ) escaped by swimming and was rescued by a local fisherman . The first officer of the " Kowshing " gave an interview to The Times on 25 October 1894 stating that the Chinese were distracted by a torpedo launched from the " Naniwa " , which failed to explode , and that he was only able to jump overboard after the " Naniwa " started shelling the " Kowshing " . While in the water , he was fired upon and wounded by the Chinese , but was rescued by the Japanese along with other European survivors . He also stated that " Naniwa " sunk two lifeboats full of Chinese troops . Only three out of the forty three crew of the " Kowshing " survived the sinking . Chinese casualties were approximately 1 , 100 , including more than 800 from the troop transport " Kowshing " alone , against none for the Japanese . Some 300 Chinese troops survived by swimming to nearby islands . At 1400 hours , the cruiser intercepted " Tsao - kiang " which was quickly captured . Aftermath of the battle . The battle had a direct impact on the fighting on land . The reinforcements with twelve cannons on board " Kowshing " and other military supplies on board " Tsao - kiang " failed to reach Asan . And the outnumbered and isolated Beiyang Army detachment in Asan was attacked and defeated in the subsequent Battle of Seonghwan four days later . Formal declarations of war came only on August 1 , 1894 , after the battle of Seonghwan . " Naniwa " was under the command of Captain ( later Fleet Admiral ) Togo Heihachiro . The owners of the " Kowshing " , Jardine , Matheson & Company ( better known for its role in the opium trade with China , protested the action in the British press and demanded compensation from the Japanese government . The public response to Japan having fired upon a vessel flying the British flag almost led to a diplomatic incident between Japan and Great Britain . Japan also came under criticism for having failed to make any effort to rescue any of the Chinese survivors of the sinking . However , calls for Japan to pay an indemnity ceased after British jurists ruled that the action was in conformity with International Law regarding the treatment of mutineers . The sinking was also specifically cited by the Chinese government as one of the “ treacherous actions ” by the Japanese in their formal declaration of war against Japan . One major result of this battle was the introduction of western rules of maritime prize into Japanese law . On August 21 , 1894 , a new Japanese law provided for the establishment of a Japanese prize court at Sasebo to judge on such matters . In 2000 , a Korean salvage company tried to salvage the wreck of " Kowshing " , claiming to investors that the ship contained a treasure of gold and silver bullion . The wreckage was destroyed in the operation , and only a few artifacts of little monetary value were discovered .