Page "Battle of the Yalu River (1894)" Paragraph 10

Several different explanations have been put forward as to why the Beiyang fleet did not change their formation to react to the Japanese tactics more effectively.

Per Royal Navy Lieutenant William Ferdinand Tyler, stationed on the Dingyuan, Admiral Ding ordered his ships to change course in such a way that would have exposed his ship, the flagship, but put the rest of the squadron in a good position to fire on the Japanese fleet ; however, that Dingyuan ’ s captain out of cowardice deliberately did not acknowledge this order or pass it on to the rest of the fleet.

Instead, or ordered the Dingyuan to fire its main guns before the Japanese were in range.

As captain, he was aware of the consequences – when the German Navy took Dingyuan out for gun trials in 1883, it was discovered that firing on an ahead bearing resulted in the destruction of the flying bridge.

In what is now known as fragging, Admiral Ding ’ s legs were crushed under the wreckage of the flying bridge from the opening shot of his own vessel, and was thus out of combat for the remainder of the battle.

Most of his staff officers on the bridge were likewise injured or killed.

The situation was worsened when the Japanese destroyed Dingyuan ’ s foremast, making it impossible for the flagship to signal the rest of the fleet.

The Chinese fleet, with some foresight, had anticipated something like this happening and formed into three pairs of mutually supporting vessels to carry the fight on.