A mixed Japanese brigade advanced from Seoul against roughly 2,900 Chinese troops plus Korean allies. The defenders were outflanked but conducted a credible rear-guard withdrawal rather than simply dissolving. Japanese accounts counted Korean auxiliaries unevenly, making the reported casualty contrast less secure than the headline figures suggest. The absent Kowshing contingent may also have included Gatling or Maxim teams capable of changing an infantry-heavy assault against prepared trenches.
Chapter · 2:15:22-2:23:26
Asan and the missing firepower
Japanese forces outflanked the Chinese-Korean position at Asan after its best reinforcements and rapid-fire weapons were lost at sea.