The was fought from 4 May-10 1869, between the remnants of the Tokugawa shogunate navy, consolidated into the armed forces of the rebel Ezo Republic, and the newly formed Imperial Japanese Navy. It was one of the last stages of Battle of Hakodate during the Boshin War, and occurred near Hakodate in the northern Japanese island of Hokkaid?.

Ezo Republic forces

The naval forces of the Ezo Republic were grouped around the warship Kaiten. The fleet originally consisted of eight steamships: Kaiten, Banry?, Chiyodagata, Ch?gei, Kaiy? Maru, Kanrin Maru, Mikaho and Shinsoku.

However Kaiy? Maru and Shinsoku had been lost in a previous engagement in front of Esashi, and Kanrin Maru had been captured by Imperial forces after suffering damage in bad weather. The loss of these two major units seriously weakened the Ezo Republic side.

Imperial forces

For the operation, an Imperial Japanese Navy fleet had been rapidly constituted around recent acquired ironclad warship K?tetsu, which had been purchased from the United States. Other Imperial ships were Kasuga, Hiry?, Teibo, Yoharu, Moshun, which had been supplied by the domains of Saga, Ch?sh? and Satsuma to the newly formed Meiji government in 1868.

The nascent Imperial government started with a much weaker navy than that of the Ezo Republic, both in terms of vessel strength, unity (most of its ships were borrowed from Western domains), and training. However the loss of two major units on the Ezo side previous to the main action (Kaiy? Maru and Kanrin Maru), and most of all, the incorporation of the revolutionary K?tetsu since April 1868 on the Imperial side (a ship originally ordered by the Tokugawa shogunate, but withheld by the United States during the main conflict (under a policy of neutrality taken by foreign nations), and finally delivered to the newly formed government), turned the tables. In addition, the Imperial government received the support of two transportation ships chartered by the United States for the transportation of its troops.

Combat

Sinking of Ch?y? by the rebel Banry?

The Imperial Japanese Navy won the engagement, ultimately leading to the surrender of the Republic of Ezo at the end of May 1869.

A Japanese rendition of the land and naval battle of Hakodate

Ships of foreign navies — the British HMS Pearl and the French Coetlogon — were standing by neutrally during the conflict. The French captain Jules Brunet who had trained the rebels and helped organize their defenses, surrendered on Coetlogon on 1869-06-08.

The future Admiral of the fleet Heihachiro Togo participated in the battle on the Imperial side as a young third-class officer, onboard Kasuga.

References

• Ballard C.B., Vice-Admiral G.A. The Influence of the Sea on the Political History of Japan. London: John Murray, 1921.
• Onodera Eik?, Boshin Nanboku Senso to Tohoku Seiken. Sendai: Kita no Sha, 2004.

External links

• Bakumatsu navies

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