HOSTILITIES AT PORT ARTHUR.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1675, 6 April 1904, Page 62

HOSTILITIES AT PORT ARTHUR.

ACCOUNT OF AN EYE-WITNESS.

BRITISH] SHIPS AND JAPANESE

SAILORS.

Hostilities between Japan and Russia opened on February 8 with, a daring attack by the Japanese on Port Arthur, >§he strongest Russian fortress in the E'a’st. A spectator who witnessed the fight f rom the deck of a steamer in port has given a. representative of Special War Sexvice an interesting account of*tho fight:—• THE RUSSIANS-CARELESS.

‘At nightfall on the eve of the attack; he says, our ship was lying in the outer harfcoiur, surrounded by 14 Russian warships. The torpedo flotilla, with three exceptions, lay in the inner harbour, brat just on the outskirts of the fleet, at anchor; throe Russian torpedo boats patrolled the harbour month, steaming up and down each night as soon as the darkness fell. The Russians were so confident that the Japanese attack wc-uld not take place for several dads that there was an informality about

all their arrangements not at all suggestive of impending battle. Within a few * hours of the assault Russian naval officers declated confidently that the Japanese, if they dared attack Port Arthur at all, could not be ready for nearly a week, but in this the calculations of Admiral Alexeieff and his war council were completely astray. Japanese cruiser's and torpedoes were even then but a little way 'off, waiting for the cover of night. Nothing was done by the Russians to hamper the approach of an enemy after dark, All the guiding lights at the harbour mouth were burning—the first precaution in the defcnce of a threatened port being thus neglected. The Japanese were able to take up their positions with as much safety and certainty as though they were trading steamers approaching a friendly port. Only one of the Russian warships was using her searchlights, and that one in a perfunctory way, as though . for exercise rather than in expectation of attack. As often as not, the white light shone upon the hills surrounding the harbour, where thei'e could be no anticipation of an enemy. THE EVENING HYMN.

“It was a calm evening, the weather still and perfect, the and the moon rising, a typical Eastern cold winter night. The last sound I heard before going to bed was the impressive chant- of the Russian evening hymn. At 8 o’clock the solemn strains from the rugged choir of sailors on the warships and troops ashore floating solemnly across the still waters —a greater contrast than between the peace of that nightfall and the prompt .death

and destruction which followed cannot be imagined l —the two acts in the drama of life gained; each in effect by the suddenness of the transition from perfect peace to abrupt, mysterious war. THREE MUFFLED EXPLOSIONS. “The night continued calm, and I was igoding to bed, at half-past 11, quite satisfied that the Russian forecast was correct, when I was startled by three muffled explosions in quick succession. I knew at o<nee from the dead, smothered roar that they were uncter water, and assumed them to be mine or jtorpedo explosions. The shock of them made our vessel shiver and roll. Running up ondeck I was in time to see the Russian searchlights fla'sh out from each of the vessels in turn, and their quick-firers the 12-pounders an,d 3-pounders open. Even yet one could hai'dly realise that it was actual war, and my first impression was that a sham attack had been arranged toi test the vigilance and efficiency of the Russian warship®. There certainly was confusion, for, instead of any of the ships throwing a fixed beam to any particular point, to make a path of light over which the passage of an enemy’s torpedo boat would be apparent, their searchlights were all moving in confusion crossing each other —revealing each other—a medley of moving light, witljout order o,r method. Yet in spite of the flashing lights and the bright moon, not a ship was visible outside the roadstead. h WAR IN EARNEST. “The muffled . explosions were repeated,'and suddenly I realised that it was war in earnest, by noticing faintly in the moonlight the flight of the Rnlssian shells seaward. There was just enough darkness to make them visible, the explosive glowing for a while on the shell after it left the muzzle of the gun. like the dim track of a rocket through the air. SINKING BATTLESHIPS. “At midnight the fire slackened to an intermittent shot, but as yet we had seen nothing of thS Japanese. It was about 1 o’clock when/1, realised that ther => had been hostilities in real earnest, and that a great war , had opened in mytetery and coinfusiofi oh one side, and amazing method on the other. The first sign of it was tlhe .Russian battleship Rttvizah steaming slowly past us for the inner harbour, manifestly dfs-

abled and sinking. One could tell by the confusion on board that something serious had occurred. She was followed soon afterwards by another crippled battleship, the Czarevitch, and; the cruiser Pa.llada,, all three of which had been hit by torpedoes. They grounded in the narrows, of the inner harbour mouth, ali in a clump, the object apparently being to save them from sinking in deep water. Although there were no signs of damage above the water-line, when we got a. clear view of them at daylight there was about each of them a look of pathetic helplessness which told unmistakably that in a single night three of the best ships in Russia’s eastern navy were useless. The two battleships. with their twin-armament of four 12in and twelve Gin rifles, were amongst the finest fighting machines in the Russian Navy, while the Pallada, a 7000ton cruiser, was a good sample of her class. Tie Retvizan lay in the mud on a fairly even keel, and it looked as though she might still use some of her guns, bint the other two were unmistakably out of action and done for.

THE RUSSIANS DEMORALISED. “From the time, the attack ceased suddenly, almost as it had begun, the port was all confusion. Just before 3 o'clock a boat with some Russian officers came alongside, and warned us that on no account were we to leave tire harbour. Their whole demeanour was that of men amazed, completely upset by anger and excitement. The white wrath was in their faces. I should not have cared to put too great a strain upon their ccuttesy just then. Their object in ordering us not to leave was clearly to prevent information reaching the Japanese as to the havoc made hv their torpedo-boats—the success of that night attack, which must have exceeded all their anticipations. JAPANESE AUDACITY. “'When daylight came we had our first glimpse of the Japanese, and the contrast between the two fleets was amazing. Just on the horizon were three cruisers, each with the risen sun of Japan on their battle flags, showing against the real rising sun. There had been four of them originally, but one left before daybreak. It seemed inconceivable, when one looked round him on the strong Russian fleet and the bat-tery-crowned hills inside, and all the portentous energy of Port Arthur, that these three ships outside, dim in their war-paint against the grey water, had dared assault a powerful fleet at anchor, with all its backing in land defence. But there was no longer any mistaking it. The three of them, with splendid audacity, steamed up to long range, and viewed their handiwork. It was an unmistakable challenge, but the Japanese knew that none of the battleships inside could steam fast enough to overtake them, and they were more than a match in speed and gunnery for the Russian cruisers. The four ships, which had struck such a deadly and dramatic blow at Russia’s naval power, were the cruisers Oh.itose. Ivasagi, TiukasagO', and Noshino, all a little over 4000 tons apiece, and not heavily armoured, but with just a protective belt on the waterlino. For hours they lay off the harbour, in. face of twice their fighting power, although the Russians bad Still battleships fit for action, A strange apathy, a feeling of utter helplessness in the suddenness of the calamity, appeared to have fallen [upon the naval garrison of Port Arthur. The crews of their stranded battleships, white-faced and dazqd. stood upon their decks, and gaped at their audacious enemy. It was demoralisation worse than that of the night before, because the first shock had passed, there was no mystery now, and l they knew the strength of their enemy. Yet the Japanese were allowed for a long time to hold their ground, bottling up a larger fleet. It was all very astonishing to us, who had heard so many boasts as to what the Russian navy would do when its chance came.

“The four cruisers, avo learned later, had come down under coA r er of darkness, with every light masked, quietly taken up their positions, and sent in their torpedo-boats some of which passed the Russian guardboats without being seen. THE DAYLIGHT BOMBARDMENT.

‘At half-past 8 o’clock the Japanese warships Avheeled and steamed away u,p the coast towards Dalny, and until then not a Russian Avarship moved. Some of them steamed onb in pursuit, hut never got within range, and after an hour or so returned to the roadstead. The: reason was apparent a little later on, for soon after 11 o’clock there Avas a heavy smoke on the horizon, . and out of it steamed sixteen Japanese warships, a stately and impressive spectacle as they came’ down in the divisions in magnificent order. Everyone waited in anxious expectation for the next act. in the drama. As soon a's the attacking fleet got withinr long range, the first shell from the flagship come screaming in, the Russian ships now wheeling in a little circle in the roadstead —for, as they were within a mile and a half of the shoire,, they could not take effective battle formation in that limited space. A SPECTACLE IN GUNNERY.

“Tho shell landed close to a Russian torpedo-boat, and the Japanese picked up the range with the promptitude of highly-trained artillerists, and then their shells began to rain into the outer

harbour. Many of them fell close to our steamer, and in spite of the Russian warning >our captain decided to weigh anchor and leave for a more comfortable port, for no one knew how long the bombardment would continue. As we steamed out of the harbour we had a fine view of the artillery duel, some of the forts having joined in with the Russian ships, their high angle fire, which was not however, very frequent, passing over their own ships. In between the Russian ships the sea spouted up great fountains of foam where the Japanese shells pitched, and as they went bellowing away behind us on the ricochet the reverberation was like the roll of a drum multiplied. Occasionally on the overlooking hills there was an upburst of brown earth when a 12in shell aimed at the forts had buried and burst. Both from ships and batteries the Russian fire was for the most part short, as betray qd by the frequency with which their shells threw up the water on 'the landward side of the Japanese vessels; but the guns of the bombarding ships were served with splendid precision and accuracy, and their battle-line all through was perfect. The Russian ships were constantly hit, the battleship Poltava, upon which the Japanese evidently concentrated an early and heavy fire, being seriously hit more than once, 'and the tremendous crash of the bursting 12in shells was an impressive note in the conflict. Then the cruisers, Bozarin and Diana, the imposing Askold, and the Novik were all damaged in tiurn on or about the water-line. * A PLUCKY CRUISER.

“The Novik, indeed, set far finer >hips in the Russian fleet a grand example ’ll daring. Although only three thousand tons, and armed with nothing heavier than 4.7 guns she steamed closer to the enemy’s fleet than any other ship to give her light rifles their full hitting effect, and for long held her ground splendidly until driven hack by a smother of fire turned upon her by several of the Japanese battle-ships.* To have held her ground against such -weight of metal would have been suicidal, so nhe came reluctantly in, “As we left the harbour che bombardment was still going steadily on, until about a quarter to 12, when the Japanese fleet in stately line steamed away to the southward, and peaoe for a little while fell again upon Port Arthur. The bombardment was never on either side what ft might have been with ships of such strength engaged. The Japanese apparently served .only their heavier guns, and fired both, at the forts and ships, some of the former being hit and slightly damaged. THE ASSAULTING SQUADRON.

“In the Japanese fleet Avere six of the finest battleships of her navy, the Mikaisa, Fugi. Asahi, Yushima, Shikashuma, and Hatsifee, every one of them an English-built ship, a,net a fine composite fleet, both in gun strength and steaming poivers. Four of them—t-lie Hatsiuse. Asahi, Shikashima and the Mik'asa—were 15,000 ton ships, steaming 18 knots, and each Avith a broadside fire of about 42501 b in weight. Avhile the Yushima aiyl Fugi, each of 12,300 tons and steaming 18 knots, had a broadside fire of 40001 b. The bombardment Avas a fine sight, and following upon . the stealthy attack of the preceding night, gave those avlio watched it all the varying phases of naval Avarfare within the short space of about 12 hours. The Avliole affair had been planned Avitli consummate judgment on the part of the Japanese, and the executive work Avas worthy of the plan. In a few hours the balance of naval power in Eastern Avater had been determined, and the Russian fleet crippled and demoralised, Avitli no apparent loss to their enemy. ADMIRAL TOGO’S RECORD.

“Vice-Admiral Togo, who commanded the Japanese fleet, is a man with a record often, discussed in the East. As a captain in the late Avar betiveen China and Japan he distinguished himself in a double sense. As the commander of the Nunima he sank the transport Koavshing at the beginning of the war, when she Avas packed Avith Chinese soldiers. We have had many versions of that incident, seme describing it as an act of savage. and Avanton brutality—not so much in tlie actual sinking of the tianspcJrt, since the Chinese soldiers oh hoard had valiantly refused to allow the creAv of the transport to stop and surrender, but in callously leaving them to idroAra after the ship had gone doAA’n. He did a very gallant tiling at Wei-liai-wei in piloting two small gunboats through the bay in the darkness, drew the attention of the Chinese warships by opening fire upon them from an unexpected! quarter, .and thus enabled his successful attack from another direction.”