Image: The Red Battery opening fire on the corvettes, Bombardment of Shimonoseki, the War in Japan - ILN 1864 (cropped)

Description: The War in Japan. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 19 November 1864. Acton of Sept. 5, in the Strait of Simonosaki. The Red Battery opening fire on the corvettes, Sept. 6. as shown in this Engraving, where the corvettes Tartar, Dupleix. Metallen-Kruz, Barossa, Djambi, and Leopard appear still in the same positions which they held the day before. ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE WAR IN JAPAN. We this week publish two Engravings from the sketches made by Mr. C. Wirgman, our Special Artist and Correspondent in Japan, who was present on board one of the ships in the allied squadron during the attack upon the batteries of the Daimio Prince of Nagato, in the Strait of Simonosaki, on Sept. 5 and 6. The situation of this place, at the western entrance of the Suwonada, or Inland Sea of Japan, was fully described in our last. The province of Nagato, to which the northern shore, with the town and port of Simonosaki. belongs, is ruled by a daimio named Chiushin, one of those powerful vassals of the Tycoon who, like the feudal princes of Germany or France in the Middle Ages, while they own a nominal subjection to the Imperial authority, are very apt to have a policy of their own and maintain a certain amount of warlike forces at their own disposal. Several of these daimios, within their half-independent local jurisdiction, have attempted, on more than one occasion, to defeat the operation of those treaties by which the sovereign Government at Jeddo had promised that European commerce should enjoy free access to the Japanese shores. The Prince of Satzuma. it will be recollected, was compelled by the bombardment of Kagosima, a twelve month ago. to give satisfaction for the injuries which had resulted to some of our countrymen from this course of proceeding. The Prince of Nagato, who has persisted in closing the passage of Simonosaki against foreign vessels, having disregarded, for his part, the warning lesson that he received from a British squadron in August, 1863, it was lately resolved by her Majesty's Plenipotentiary. Sir Rutherford Alcock, in conjunction with the French, Dutch, and American diplomatists at the Court of Jeddo, to send a joint naval expedition for the purpose of disarming the hostile batteries and forcing the entrance of this channel. The ships of war detailed for this undertaking were as follow :- English-The Euryalus, the Tartar, the Conqueror, the Barossa, the Perseus, the Argus, the Coquette, and the Bouncer, under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir A. Kuper; French-The Semiramis, the Dupleix, and the Tancrede, under the command of Vice-Admiral Juares; Dutch-The Metallen-Cruz, the Djambi, the Medusa, and the Amsterdam. The American Minister, having no vessel of war at command, chartered the Ta-Kiang, on board of which the United States flag was displayed, in order to show that America was acting in unison with the other Powers. On the 28th and 23rd of August the allied squadron of sixteen vessels, with an aggregate armament of 250 guns, conveying also a detachment of the Royal Engineers and a force of 500 marines to serve as a lauding party, sailed from Yokohama and arrived on the 4th of September before Simonosaki. In the afternoon of the following day the attack was commenced. The vessels were posted as shown in our Engraving, the plan being that the corvettes were to form in a line along the south side of the channel, while the vessels of a lighter draught of water, remaining under steam, should direct a cross fire against all the batteries, defiling along the north side from Cape Kunsaki; finally, the two frigates of the Admirals, the Euryyalus and the Semiramis, advancing between the two lines, should direct their fire against the batteries appearing to oiler the greatest resistance. At four p.m. each of the vessels was at its post. The Euryalus, with Sir A. Kuper's flag at her mizen-yard, is represented nearly in the centre of our Engraving; the Semiramis, hearing the flag of the French Admiral, is at the extreme left; and the Amsterdam, the Dutch flag-ship, is a little to the right hand of the Euryalus ; the small steamer Ta-Kiang, with the American ensign, lies between the Euryalus and the Semiramis. A portion of the hull of the Conqueror is seen at the extreme right. The smaller vessels beyond, lying close to the shore. are arranged in two divisions. The corvettes form one division, to the left hand, consisting of the Tartar, Dupleix, Metallen-Kruz, Barossa, Djambi, and Leopard: besides which the Coquette, somewhat detached from the rest of the squadron, lies nearer the French Admiral, to the left hand. The corvettes are anchored opposite three of the batteries, with which they are hotly engaged. The battery shown in the opening between the Enryalus and the Amsterdam is one of fifteen guns. Under the hill, to the right hand, is seen the flying squadron, composed of the Perseus, Medusa, Tancrede, Argus, and Bouncer, exchanging fire with the batteries in front of them. These vessels, with the Coquette, were kept under steam. so that they could be shifted from place to place during the action. The first shots were fired by the corvettes, and instantly returned. For about twenty minutes the Japanese fire was very lively : but when the light squadron took part in the conflict, and the two frigates. presenting their broadsides, opened with their great guns, most of the guns on shore were soon silenced. Captain Kingston (Perseus) and Chevalier Caseinbrood (Medusa) landed about seven o'clock and spiked a great many guns, and then retired-a most daring act, as the enemy were in the woods firing at them. The Coquette and the Tancrede continued until dark to maintain a conflict with the Red Battery (otherwise called '" Battery No. 7 "), which lies at the foot of the hill a little way to the right in our View of the first day's action. It was this battery which at daybreak next morning opened fire upon the corvette squadron, as shown in our second Engraving, where the corvettes Tartar, Dupleix. Metallen-Kruz, Barossa, Djambi, and Leopard appear still in the same positions which they held the day before. Preparations were then made for landing. At nine o'clock precisely a force of about 1900 men, including the marines, engineers, and sailors, were put ashore; 1400 of these were supplied by the English ships. The seamen of the Euryalus, led by Captain Alexander, were first ordered to climb a hill upon which there was a battery of a single large gun, hut when they reached the top they found that the gun had been taken away, and the enemy had taken shelter in a neighbouring wood, from which they fired upon our men. It cost much trouble to char away the brushwood that hindered the further advance of this party of bluejackets, and by the time they had descended the hill on the other side the marines had taken possession of the four-gun battery without much resistance. In the mean time the French had got into the fifteen-gun battery, which was about a thousand yards distant ; and another battery, mounted with nine guns, was presently abandoned by the Japanese. It was the work of several hours to overturn all these guns and break up their carriages, during which time the sailors were a good deal annoyed by the enemy's fire from a wooded ravine at the back, where the Japanese had posted two or three of their heavy guns. About six o'clock in the evening an attack was made on this position by the marines and sailors. It was here that Captain Alexander was disabled by a severe wound in the foot, and the storming party were assailed with round shot and shell from the battery, as well as musketry and arrows from the Japanese (about six hundred) by whom it was defended. The position was covered by a wooden stockade, behind which some huts or barracks were erected. The enemy. however, did not wait for the approach of our men, but took to flight, making an attempt to set fire to their magazines. The flares were soon extinguished. and a large quantity of arms and ammunition fell into the hands of our men. As it was dark by this time, they now returned on board ship; the Frenchmen had re-embarked some hours before. Next morning, at daybreak, four vessels of the allied squadron moved on to the forts at Hakusima; but the successes of the previous day and the the play of the Armstrong guns induced the occupants of these forts to retire. The Barossa and Leopard took charge of the captured guns, spiking some and taking others on board. On the next day, the signal of truce was sent off in a boat under charge of one of the Japanese who had lately been in England. In the course of that day the signal of truce was hoisted all over the fleet, and it was understood that the Prince of Nagato had made his peace with the Allies. The total loss sustained throughout the entire fleet does not exceed one hundred killed and wounded, that of the English squadron being fifteen killed and forty-nine wounded. Sixty bronze cannon and three mortars were brought on board the ship. On the 10th the three allied divisions anchored off the town of Simonoeaki, and a Minister of Nagato. furnished with full powers, came off to the Admirals to demand the cessation of hostilities and draw up the bases of a convention, the principal arrangements of which are the following :-The opening of the Strait of Simonosaki to the vessels of all nations; the batteries neither to be armed nor repaired. The Allied Powers to receive an indemnity; the amount to be fixed by their representatives at Jeddo. On the 1lth of September, when the courier left. the Admirals awaited the ratifications, and were preparing to return to Yokohama. We have engraved on another page three more Illustrations of Japan, from the sketches of Mr. F. L. Bedwell. The first represents the Palace of one of the daimios. at a place called Agasi. near the eastern entrance of the Inland Sea. The second is a view of the harbour of Osima. with its singular natural breakwater of rocks. The last a specimen of the curious boats employed by the Japanese in the whale-fishery along that coast.
Title: The War in Japan
Credit: The Illustrated London News
Author: Frederick James Smyth
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No