THE PETROPAVLOVSK DISASTER

Otago Witness, Issue 2623, 22 June 1904, Page 17

THE PETROPAVLOVSK DISASTER

JAPAN MOURNS FOR ADMIRAL MAKAROFF.

(Fkom Our Otot Coeeespoxdekt.)

YOKOHAMA, April 24.

Nothing has shown the- innate chivalry of the Japanese to better advantage- than the> genuine outburst of sorrow which followed tho announcement of the death of Admiral Makaroff and his 800 men, who went down to their graves together in the Petropavlovsk, in the sequel of Admiral Togo's ninth attack on Port Arthur.

The first news of this terrible disaster reached Japan over the. cables from London, and at first Reuter's message was received with incredulity. Two days passed, and then Admiral Togo's official report came to hand, and further dispute was at an end. Then was seen a spectacle rarely read of, oven in the annak of Western nations. j With one accord, from statesmen, from politicians, from journalists, from the professional classes, down to tlie> shopkeepers and the artisans, thera w&nt forth a cry of sorrow that a brave antagonist should have met the fate that befell Makaroff. In the happy years gone by Makaroff had visited Japan, and won for himself a host of friends among a people who love a man of his undoubted worth and sterling character. The Emperor had conferred on him the decoration of the Rising Sun. The naval students of Japan had reafl hie speeches on tactics, and had studied his scientific inventions, and investigated his diagrams. All these things were remembered, and not that he- was fighting against Japan. And so their sorrow was genuine md unashamed, and, instead of hanging out banners and organising demonstrations at the signal victory which had crowned Togo's strategy, they went about their work quietly and with a chastened gladness that was all the more remarkable in them.

Russians consider they are fighting against a heathen foe. MakarofFs fine battleship fell a victim to a Japanese torpedo mine. The Japanese have developed a fine talent for torpedo work, as their doings at Port Arthur testified. It is some-ti-ing that appeals peexiliarly to their nature, demandiug, as it does, a fearful amount of risk with a minimum, of safety. Admiral Togo had. failed to block the narrow entrance to Port Arthur by sinking ships, and so he has now adopted the plan of sowing the vicinity of the fortress with a field of a particular variety^of floating submarine mine, the invention of a Japanese naval officer (Commander Oda). These mines ar© very powerful, and it is surmised that the Petropavlovsk first struck one, anil then lan athwart another — they are placed in lines, at intervals of 300 ft, — and that the shook of the two explosions discharged the powerful explosives on board the battleship itself. In no other way can the terrible loss of life be accounted for. The Japanese were helpless to save, for, *n the region of Shantung and the Gulf of Pechili, there generally prevails throughout the whole spring a strong southerly wind, and it happened that such a wind' was blowing with great violence on the day of the disaster. Had tlvc> boats put of? to the scene of the catastrophe they could not have rejoined the ships, but

would inevitably havo been blown towards

the harbour. Nothing need be eaid about the failure of the Russian ships to save the Admiral and his comrades,, for, so far as the people on shore were concerned, it is plain that tlipy, too, must have been paralysed by tho difficulties which deterred the Japanese. If boats could not have rowed tack, to tho Japanese squadron in ihe te-erh. cf the wind, neither could they have rowed out from the harbour to th© FetropavloVisk.

THE NEW CRUISERS.

The two big cruisers Nisshin and Kaeuga, which Japan purchased from Italy just before the outbreak of the war, have had their first baptism of fire. On the 15th of April they were ordered to Pigeon Bay by Admiral Togo, with directions to .silence a fort which tho Russians had recently erected at Lao-tie-shan. The bombardment appears to have been quite a spectacle. It began at 10 a.m. and lasted until noon. The two vessels steamed round to Pigeon Bay, and commenced operatious by engaging the fort, which they, very soon silenoed, the heavy Japanese" shells taking conspicuous effect on it. Meanwhile the ships of the Japanese main squadron Avere lying off the harbour just out of the active range of the forts. The officers had chairs on deck, and were seated there watching the r.esults of the high-angle fire, just as though they were part of the «audience at a wrestling match. Whenever a shell from the Kasuga or the Nis3hin went home and worked manifest damage these onlooking officers and the men of their ships would raise a cheer and clap hands — a veritable circus, in phort. To what are the Rxissians reduced when they have no choice but thus to afford sport for their enemies.

ADMIRAL TOGO'S REPORT.

Admiral Togo's latest report is a specimen of concise brevity. He says: "The united squadron, as previously arranged, commenced operations on the 11th inst., and proceeded to make a night attack upon Port Arthur, the Fourth and Fifth Destroyer Squadrons and the Fourteenth Torpedo Boat Squadron accompanying the transport. The Koryo Maru advanced during the night of the 12th inst. towards the harbour, and, passing through the field of the enemy's searchlights to the immediate vicinity of the port, laid the torpedo mines at various places by a rapid process. At dawn on the 13th the Second Destroyer Squadron, to which a special duty had been entrusted, steamed to the promontory of Sien-sang, and, while steaming thence "in. a south-easterly direction, observed a fourfunnelled destroyer of the enemy — the Boztraschni — coming up from the east and heading for tho port. The squadron intercepted this destroyer, and, after a fight of about 10 minutes, sank her. At the same time another Russian destroyer was sighted coming round Lao-tic-shan Promontory, and the squadron proceeded to attack her, but,' the range being long, she succeeded in effecting her escape. The equadion sustained little injury in this encounter, the total casualties being two men of the Inazurna slightly wounded.

" With regard to the crew of the enemy's destroyer that was sunk, there was no time to sa\e them as the enemy's cruiser Bayan was seen approaching.

"A* 8 a.m the Third Principal Squadron approached the pc>rt for the double purposes of protecting ilip- fcecond Destroyer Squadron and reconnoitring. At 9 a.m. the enemy's cruiser Bayan steamed out boldly, and ope'ied fire on our vessels, which replied leisurely, and drove her off. Immediately afterwards tho Noiik, the Diana, the As>kold, the Petropavlovsk, the Pobieda, the Poltava, and other vessels issuing to the assistance of the Bayan advanced to tho attack. Our Third Squadron, while replying to the firo of these ships, retreated slowly to tho south-east, drawing the onemy aftor it to a point about 15 nautical mSes from the poit. The Third Squadron (then signalled! by wireless telegraphy to tho Fiist- Principal Squadron, which was waiting aA a distance of some 30 naiitical miles under cover of a fog. Th:s squadron immediately ad_vancedl at full epeed, and the onemy, fighting its approach, pub about and made for tihe harbour, our ships follow ing in hot puvsivt. In the haste of attempting to escape the leading vessel o-f the enemy's squadron, a ship rese-mbLng the Petropa\lo\sk~, was seen to fifriko one- of the mine; laid by us during ■the night, and shoifly afterwards s ho woafc to the bottom. This incident peenicd to throw the enemy into much oonfusior>, and iii) appeared that another of their vessels, the Pobieda, was disabled, but o^ing to the disorder that reigned in thcs-2- squadrons it wa3 difficult to distinguish anything clearly. This was at half-past 10 in tho forenoon. Thereafter the i-emaining chips of the enemy, keeping up a peipeitual fire over the sea in their vicinity, retired into the harbour. By noon no vestige of them remained outside. In the encounter between the eneniy'js ships awd our Third Squadron the latter did not suffer at gl^ au'd it is probable

that tho enemy's lo«--.es also were small. Our First Squadron did not get wHhin range of the Russian ships. On the same day, at\ 1 p.m., the squadron left the neighbourhood of Port Arthur and repaired to a previously appointed rendezvous, why.-re the night was passed.

" On the nexifc day, the 14-th inst., at Ip.m. we again advanced towaris Port Arthur, and on iht* following morning at 3 o'clock the Second, .fourth, and iTjith Destroyer Squadrons, and the Nmt!i Torpedo Boat Squadron, went to the mouth of the harbour and discharged a certain duty of 'laying mines' entrusted to 'thorn At 7 a.m. on the. same day our Third Principal Squadron proceeded to the vicinity of the port to recor.noitie. None of ihe enemy's vessels were observed, and everything? soenid quiet; in the harbour At 9 a.m. the First Principal Squadron, when s coaming towards the place, observe J thicc floating; mines of tho enemy whidi had bioken loos*' from their moorings. Thc=c we destroyed. At 10 a.m. the Nisshin aiid iho Kasuga *.\ero sent round to the west of Ifao-tie-jhan. whence for about two hours they bombarded the place with high-anglo fire. The enemy's forts and the ships in itlie harbour replied from tim© to time, but our vessels did not 'uffer any injury. Tlvs ia tho first occasion on which the above two vessels engaged. Their fire seems to havo been very successful, aad they -v\cie able to silence the newly-con-structed Russian battery on th<? west of Lao-tie-shan. At 1 p.m. the squadrons returned (to their base-. Our squadrons d.id not lose a single man Jn these combinc-J operations They achieved some success and this, together with the immunity they enjoyed, i.s attributable to his Majesty'"* vintues. Our men displayed much valour and resolution. It is matter for special thankfulness and congratulation thai our torpedo craft and other ships, though steaming again and again in the seas dotted with tho enemy's n>:nes, h.ivo never met with a single disaster. Wo owe this to the protection of Heaven."'

It appears that +he Japanese ships employed in the operations at Port Arthur on the 12th and 13th were the six line-of-battle ships, Mikasa, . Hatsu.se, Asahi, Shikishima, Yaahima, and Fuji; the two first-class cruisers Nisshin and Kasuga ; and the second-class cruisers Kasagi, Chitose, Takaeago, and Yoshino. The three destroyer divisions consisted of the Ikazuchi, the Inazumn, the Akebono, the Oboro, the Harusame, the Murasame. the Hayaton, the Asagiri, the Murakumo, the Yugiri, the Shu-anui, and the Kagero. Finally there- was a torpedo boat squadron — namely, the Hayabusa, the Kasasagi, r the Manazuru, and the Chidori. There were 28 vessels in all. and the Komi Maru made a twentyninth. The Komi is a merchant steamer. Her part was limited to transporting the torpedoes which were laid co successfully.

RUSSIAN VESSELS DAMAGED

The Reh isan and the Tsarevitch are, cr were, the two moet powerful ships in Russia's Far Eastern squadron. Their displacement is 12,900 tons. Their armour is from lOin to 6in, and each carries as main armament four 12m guns and 12 6in. These two wei-e disposed of m the fir-t night attack on February 9. Then, following in order of strength, the Peresviet and the Pobieda, with a displacement of 12,674 tons, armour from 9in to 6in, and main armament four lOin and ten 6in guns. Of these the Pobieda is now put effectually hors de combat. Finally wo have the three ships Poltava, Petropavlovsk, and Sevastopol. Their displacement is 10,950 tons, armour from lOin to sin, and armament four 12in and 12 6in guns. Of these the Petropavlovsk has been sunk, the Pobieda, has been torpedoed, and the Poltava was struck below the water line in the fight on the 9th February. Of the seven fine battleships on the Far Eastern station two months ago. there now remain, therefore, only three fit to fight—namely, the Peresviet, 12,674- tons; the Sevastopol, 10,950 tons; the Poltava. 10,950 tons; and it is very problematical whether the Poltava could go into action. The Port Arthur squadron ie thus completely deprived of capacity to meet the Japanese fleet.