The USS Wyoming's solo engagement at Shimonoseki in 1863 was the first direct US naval action against Japanese forces and a prelude to the larger multinational Shimonoseki campaign.
Key Facts
- Date
- July 16, 1863
- Duration of engagement
- Almost two hours
- Enemy vessels sunk
- 2
- Japanese casualties
- ~40
- USS Wyoming dead
- 4
- USS Wyoming wounded
- 7
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the turbulent Late Tokugawa shogunate period (1854–1868), the powerful Chōshū clan daimyō Mōri Takachika based at Shimonoseki opposed the opening of Japan to Western powers and posed a naval threat to foreign vessels in the Shimonoseki Strait.
On July 16, 1863, USS Wyoming under Captain David McDougal sailed alone into the Shimonoseki Strait and engaged the Chōshū clan's US-built but poorly manned fleet for nearly two hours. McDougal sank two enemy vessels, severely damaged a third, and inflicted roughly forty Japanese casualties, while Wyoming suffered four killed and seven wounded.
The battle served as a prelude to the larger 1863 and 1864 Shimonoseki campaigns conducted by allied foreign powers, which ultimately forced the Chōshū clan to cease hostilities and contributed to broader pressure on the Tokugawa shogunate to open Japan to foreign trade and diplomacy.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Captain David McDougal.
Side B
1 belligerent
Mōri Takachika.