Enemy Ships Deterred at Haiyangdao, Utagawa Kunitora, c. 1894
color woodcut, More details
In the struggle for power in Korea between the Chinese and the Japanese armies it was vital to safeguard the equipment and provisioning of the troops. To this end, control of the Yellow Sea between the Korean peninsula and the Chinese mainland was crucial. The Japanese strategy was to force a decisive battle with the Chinese navy.
