ANOTHER REPORT OF THE FIGHT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLVII, Issue 12273, 6 September 1904, Page 5

ANOTHER REPORT OF THE FIGHT.

(Per ?»lail Steamer at Auckland.) AUCKLAND, Sepfemisr 5. St. Petersburg, Augulst 13.—Viceroy Alexieff, in a despatch to the Emperor, gives the following report from. Captain Matousevitch, ilate ißear-Admiral Witlioeft's Chief of Staff, under date of August 12:—"At dawn on August 10th our Port Arthur squadron' 'began to make for the open sea, and emerged from Port Arthur at 9 o'clock. The squadron consisted of six battleships, the cruisers Askold, D ana, Pallada, and Novik, and eight torpedo boats. The Japanese op. posed us with tba following force: —The first detachment -consisted of the battle-. ships Ashai, Mikasa, Fuji* Yashima, and Shikishima., and the cruiser^ Nls*; shin and Kasuga,:. :; The second detachment'consisted of the cru'sers Yakumo,', Kasagi, Qhito^e, and. Takasago. The; third detachmentconsisted of the cruis-: ers Ak'tsushima!,; Idtsumo, Matsushima,' Itsukushima, and Hashidat©, and the baittleship Chinyen, with about thirty torpedo boats. Our squadron manoeuvred to gain a passage through the line of the enemy's ships. Meantime the Japanese torpedo boats wore, laying floating mines iii the way of our squad, ran, thus rendering evolutions very d moult. At 1 p.m. our squadron, after forty minutes' fighting, succeeded in effecting a passage, and shaped its course towards Shantung, the enemy following at full speed, and caught up with us slowly. At 5 o'clock fighting again began, and continued for some hours without either side obtaining any advantage. In fighting, the commander of our squadron waa killed, and the captain of the battleship Ozarevitch was wounded and tost consciousness. Almost at the same time the engines and steering gear of the Czarevitch wera damaged, and she was obliged to stop forty minutes. This forced the other ships to manoeuvre around her. The command of the squadron devolved upon Rear-Admiral Prince Uelitomsky, and the command of the Czarevitch on the second in command. After, nightfall the Czarevitch being unable to follow the squadron, and losing sight of it, took a southerly direction in order to attempt to reach Vladivostock under her own steam. ,She was attacked by torpedo boats during the irght, and at dawn was in the vicinity of Shantung. The officers commanding the squadron having examined and deu termined the extent of the damage to ih<s ship, concluded that she could not make Vladivostok, and allowed her captain to proceed to Kiaochau for"re-

pains. Those killed included Rear-, Admiral Withoeft, Navigating Flag Lieutenant Azarieff, and Navigating Lieutenant Draguishevitch, slightly wounded. A number of sailors . were killed or wounded, but just how many has not yet been ascertained. I arrived at Kiaochau at 9 o'clock in the eveuaig, and found there the cruiser Novik, and the torpedo boat Bezshumi. lam happy to boar witness to your Majesty to the unexampled bravery of the officers and men during the desperate encounter."

St. Petersburg, August 14.—The Russian account of -the latest, naval battle between the Japanese and Russian fleets indicates that the Japanese torpedo boats sustained their previous reputation for daring by making a daylight attack upon the squadron in battle formation, and admits the effectiveness of these frail daring craft, which seriously impeded the movements of the Russian fleet.

The wording of the official report that the battleship Czarevitch turned to try to go in. the direction of Vladivostc-ck arouses some comment her©. Assuming, as the report seems to indicate, that th© . battle was off Shantung Peninsula, the turning of the Czarevitch to go towards i Vladivostock would most probably indicate that the remainder of the squadron was going back in the direction of Port Arthur. At the earn© time the report that the day after the battle four Russian battleships were sighted, off Shanghai makes it possible that the battlo occurred furthar south in the -Yellow Sea than the report of Captain Matousevitch indicates, and that when the Czarevitch lest sight of the remainder of the squadron the RusSan fleet wa :s actually pro. ceeding south. Tha fact that the crushing nature of the blow to the Russian fleet was largely due to the feeling of comradeship which prompted the squadron to halt for the purpose of protecting ■the disabled Czarevitch is viewed here with grim satisfaction for the- brother officers who threw" away their only chance of escape rather than desert the ciippled flagship. 'The (Russians are iniclined to regard the Ryeshitelni affair as reflecting unfavourably on Chinese neutrality. The Chinese Admiral'at Chefoo is criticised for allowing the Japanese torpedo beat to enter Chefoo without disarming, as the Russians were promptly disarmed. It is claimed that the Chinese should have- taken off the crew of the Ryeshitelni and placed a guard on board the dismantled vessel. In this connection there is considerable disquietude here at thai attitude of the Chinese troops around Siumintrn, as it is'believed their. disposition is distinctly threatening to Liaoyang aad Mukden.