FAMOUS SHIPS

Hokitika Guardian, 2 June 1932, Page 3

FAMOUS SHIPS

VETERANS OF TWO 1 WARS,

TRADITIONS FROM T0(^0

WELLINGTON, May 31

When the war between Japan and [Russia started on February 6, 1904, tlie Asania and iWate, which are •now at Wellington, with the Idzumo, Yakumo, Adzunia and Tokiwa, comprised the Second Division, forming part of the Second Squadron, commanded by Vice-Admira|l Kamimura, iflying his flag in the Idzumo. These sik airmoured cruisers ranked next in importance in the Japanese Navy after the six battleships comprising the First Division of the First Squadron of the combined fleet, which was commnnded-in-chief by Vice-AdmiralvPHeihachiro Togo with his flag in the battleship Mikasa.

Tn the attack on Port Arthur on February 8, the ward-room of the' livat© was wrecked by a shell and the Yakumo and Tokiwa were both hit but not damaged. Far greater than the material damage was the moral effect of Admiral Togo’s operations, which largely immobilised the Rusl an fleet, and rendered safe the transport of the Japanese armies, the first troops being landed on February 17. The Asama and Yakumo took part in all the Japanese operations against Per’; Arthur, including the third and final attempt to close the entrance by means <•? biogk ships on Anal 2 1, 1974, and th 6 .actions arising out of the sorties of the Russian fleet.

BATTLE OF ULSAN

Admiral Ivamimura’s armoured cruisers bombarded Vladivostok on March 6, In April this squadron, with six lamai'l cruisers and some destroyer?, w?«. ordered to deal with the Russian Vladivostok squadron of four cruisers which were raiding Japanese transports and other shipping in the Sea of Japan. The end came on August 14, when i:h? •Battle of Ulsam was fought off the coast of Korea. At 5 a.m. th 6 Idzumo (flag of Admiral Kamimura), lea.diu" the Adzuma, Tokiwa and Iwate (A '■ of Rear-Admiral Misu), opened a heavy fire on the Russian armoured cruisers ‘fuirik, Roi-.siya and Gromoboi. At 8 a.m. the Rnrik was badly damaged and disabled. She fought two Japanese protected cruisers until 9.45 a.m., whe n she wais sunk by order of her fenior surviving officer, Lieutenant Ivanov, 625 officers and men being saved by the Japanese. The Bossiyn and Grotnoboi were pursued by the Japanese armoured cruisers for an hour and hcavilv punished until Admiral Kamimura brok-* off the action. Badly damaged with the loss of 155 killed and wounded, the Russian .ships escaped to Vladivostok, and neither took any further part in the war.

BATTLE OF THE YELLOW SEA

Meanwhile, on August 10, the Battle of the Yellow Sea had been fought by Admiral Togo and Admiral Vitgeft, commander of the Russian F,eet, u-.o was killed in action with many of the crew of his flagship, the battleship Tzesarevitch. In this action, which lasted from midday until darkness fell about 7 p.m., the Japanese armoured l ruisers Yakumo and Aiama foughmost.' gallantly. It was a disastrous nay for Russia. Only four badlydamaged battleships, a cruiser and a few topedo boats returned to Port Arthur. The remainder of the fleet, ail badly damaged, escaped in the darkness and were interned in foreign p u rx,-', Tire Russian ca.-.ua.ties were 11 officers and 2494 men killed, wounded or interned. The. Japanese had 25 o f .ei'S end 201 men kifed or wour.deu. Port Arthur surrendered on January 2. 1905. and the Russian Far Easterr. Fleet ceased to exist. The Russ' anr had lost .seven battleships, 11 crui ers, 10 gunboats, and 25 destroyers, mostly sunk.

battle of the sea of japan

The Battle of the Sea of Japan, or llsushima. as it is commonly named, put an end to all aspirations of Rus ia toward naval predominance in the Far Fast, and finally crushed out any hope that Russia might retrieve her fortunes in the land campaign in Manchuria. In tihis great naval action the Asama and fwate, with their sister armourercruisers, played a very distinguished oart.

The Russian Baltic Fleet, commanded by Admiral Rozhdestvensky, comprising eight battleships, three armoured cruisers, six protected cruisers, three coast defence ships, five auxiliary cruisers, nine destroyers, 16 transports, al 'd n host of auxiliary ships left Kronstadt on October 15, 1904, and after many vicissitudes, reached the Strait °f Tsushima, between Japan and Korea, at 5 a.m. on May 27, 1905. The Japanese main squadron steamed, to meet the Russians, who opened fire at 2.8 p.m., in two divi-ions. The fleet comprised the battleships Miknsa (flag of Admiral Togo), Shikishimu, Fuji, and Asahi, and the cruisers. Kasuga. and Nissliin ; and the second, the i nil on re d cruisers Idzumo (Hag of Admiral Kaniimura), Iwafe, Asaina, Aduma, Tokiwa and Aakmno.

TOO O'S F A M O L'S SI GNA L

From the very outset the superior'tv >f the Japanese fire was manifest, their runs .scoring three or loin nits fn every one made by the enemy .• Ih ( Japanese blue-jackets remained pcnleet\i cool throughout, and there was ah:oluto confidence of victory in the 'eot, which responded nob y to Admir.. 1 Togo’s general signal: ' Hie HO' the Empire depeiuf. upon this event, hot every man d° h*s utmost.’ In

loss than an, hour confusion reigned in the Russian Tnes, and by 2.45 p.m. the issue of the day was already decided. Following in the wak e of the batt'eships, the Idzumo, Iwate, Asama and their sisters poured in a terrible fire at decreasing ranges. The Acuna was hit three times, and had to leave tilie line to effect repairs, but the others escaped lightly. At 3 p.m. the Russians fried to escape to the northward, but th e Idzuma and her squadron forced them south again, firing on them heavily. The action raged fiercely until 4.35 p.m., when the Russians disappeared in the fog and -moke, pursued by the armoured cruisers led by th e TcTzuma. By 7.30 p.m., when the main action ceased owing to the darkness, the Russians .had lost several battleships and other vessels. Admiral Rozde-tvensky, whose flagship was sunk in an hour after the action opened, was taken prisoner with Ids staff. During the night the scattered Russian ships were harried incessantly by Japanese destroyers several being badly damaged. The main action was renewed at 8 o’clock next morning, and by 10.30 a.m. a Ru-sian squadron of five ships was surrounded and forced to surrender. With the exception of tikese ships ami eight sinai'l vessels which escaped, the whole of the Russian Fleet was ' sunk during the two days’ action. Barely a week later pence negotiations were mooted, and a • ettlenient was reached on August 29.