Battle of Hokuetsu
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| Boshin War |
|---|
| Toba-Fushimi – Awa – Kōshū-Katsunuma – Utsunomiya Castle – Ueno – Hokuetsu - Bonari Pass – Aizu – Miyako Bay – Hakodate – Hakodate Bay |
The Battle of Hokuetsu (Japanese:北越戦争) was part of the Boshin War, and occurred in 1868 in the northwestern part of Japan, in the area of modern Niigata Prefecture.
The Daimyo of Nagaoka, in Niigata, was supportive of the Bakufu, against the Imperial armies. Using as military advisers two Prussian businessmen (the brothers Henry Schnell and Edward Schnell), he purchased two Gatling guns (only another one existed in Japan at the time), 2,000 French rifles, and various other armaments.
On May 4th, 1868, Nagaoka joined the Northern Coalition against Imperial forces. Imperial troops were intent of occupying the harbour of Niigata to facilitate the supply of weapons. Imperial troops suffered heavy losses on land, especially due to the action of Nagaoka's Gatling guns. In the meantime, small commando team reached the castle of Nagaoka by sea, and set it on fire. The castle fell on May 19th (Gregorian calendar: July 8th). A secondary action would occur two months later, when the remnants of the troops of Nagaoka, together with troops from Aizu, managed to take the castle back on July 24th (Gregorian calendar: September 10th), throwing the Imperial side in disarray. However, the attacking side also suffered serious losses, including its leader Kawai, who was wounded during the battle and later died of his wounds. The castle was again taken by the Imperial troops on July 29th (Gregorian: September 15th).
After an effort at stopping the Imperial progression at the Battle of Bonari Pass, the next key battle would be the Battle of Aizu.
