Eugène Collache (29 January 1847 in Perpignan – 25 October 1883 in Paris) was

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

officer who fought in Japan for the ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamak ...

'' during the Boshin War.

Arrival in Japan

Eugène Collache was an officer of the

in the 19th century. Based on the ship ''Minerva'' of the French Oriental Fleet, he deserted when the ship was anchored at

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...

harbour, with his friend

Henri Nicol Henri Paul Hipolito Nicol was an officer of the French Navy in the 19th century. Based on the ship ''Minerva'' of the French Oriental Fleet, he deserted when the ship was anchored at Yokohama harbour, with his friend Eugène Collache to rally other ...

to rally other French officers, led by

Jules Brunet Jules Brunet (2 January 1838 – 12 August 1911) was a French military officer who served the Tokugawa shogunate during the Boshin War in Japan. Originally sent to Japan as an artillery instructor with the French military mission of 1867, he refu ...

, who had embraced the cause of the

Bakufu , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakura ...

in the Boshin War. On 29 November 1868, Eugène Collache and Nicol left Yokohama on board a commercial ship, the ''Sophie-Hélène'', chartered by a Swiss businessman."Une aventure au Japon", by Eugene Collache, p.49

The Boshin War

The two French officers first reached in the province of Nanbu (modern Miyagi Prefecture), where they learned that the Imperial forces had subdued the ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominal ...

s'' of Northern Japan, and that the rebel forces favorable to the ''shōgun'' had fled to the island of Hokkaidō. They went further north to Aomori, where they were warmly received by the ''daimyō'' of

Tsugaru Tsugaru (津軽) may refer to: * Tsugaru, Aomori, a city of Aomori Prefecture, Japan * Tsugaru Peninsula * Tsugaru Strait, between Honshū and Hokkaidō ** Tsugaru Kaikyō Ferry, a ferry crossing this strait * Tsugaru-jamisen, a traditional style of ...

. A visiting American ship brought them the news that an order of arrest had been issued against them. Eugène Collache and Nicol decided to board the American ship and reached Hokkaidō. During the winter of 1868–1869, Collache was put in charge of establishing fortifications in the volcanic mountain chain protecting Hakodate (Nicol was put in charge of organizing the Navy). On 18 May, the decision was taken to make a surprise attack on the Imperial Navy, which was moving north to confront them. Collache thus participated to the Naval Battle of Miyako. He was on the ''Takao'', former ''Aschwelotte'', which he was commanding. The two other ships were the ''Kaiten'' and the ''Banryū''. The ships encountered bad weather, in which the ''Takao'' suffered from engine trouble, and the ''Banryū'' was separated. The ''Banryu'' eventually returned to Hokkaidō, without joining the battle. Takao1869

To create surprise, the ''Kaiten'' planned to enter Miyako harbour with an American flag. Unable to achieve more than three knots due to engine trouble, the ''Takao'' trailed behind, and the ''Kaiten'' first joined battle. The ''Kaiten'' approached the enemy ships and raised the Bakufu flag seconds before boarding the Imperial warship ''Kōtetsu''. The ''Kōtetsu'' managed to repel the attack with a Gatling gun, with huge losses on the attacking side. The ''Kaiten'', pursued by the Imperial fleet, steamed out of Miyako Bay just as the ''Takao'' was entering it. The ''Kaiten'' eventually escaped to Hokkaidō, but the ''Takao'' was unable to leave the pursuers and wrecked herself voluntarily.

Capture and imprisonment

Trying to escape through the mountain, Collache finally surrendered after a few days together with his troops to the Japanese authorities. They were brought to Edo to be imprisoned. He was judged and condemned to death, but he was finally pardoned. He was transferred to

on board the French Navy frigate Coëtlogon, where he joined the remaining of the French rebel officers led by

Return to France

Back in France, he was discharged from the armed forces and court-martialed as a deserter, but the sentence was light, and he was allowed to reenlist for the Franco-Prussian War together with his friend Nicol.

Books

Collache wrote "An Adventure in Japan 1868–1869" ("Une aventure au Japon 1868–1869"), which was published in 1874.

Notes

References

Eugène Collache "Une aventure au Japon", in ''Le Tour du Monde'' No. 77, 1874
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collache, Eugene French Navy officers French expatriates in Japan People of the Boshin War 1847 births 1883 deaths French people imprisoned abroad French prisoners sentenced to death Prisoners sentenced to death by Japan