THE SINKING OF THE "HATSUSE"

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 136, 4 March 1909, Page 4

THE SINKING OF THE "HATSUSE"

v\ ivi'Uikn r t\ nil'', in .-x.-xo-.r war. ->iu.i«.y. May 11. IW*. iwa* a »'»■ '. : ( |a,v foe the Japanese in their ■vac with Rusato. Early in that the Japanese made their final iioiiuiig-up" attempt at Port Ar- • ir and reported it as being com- ■. i■•(.•!v nuevesalul ;'bnt as a matter • i'.!.■ ■*. it wax an entire failure. o«- :>< 'i> >Jakharofl's sunken ships Ki iC in ihe way ; and th*' f««* that no !'i-..;m .w«hfp» issued forth for a long -n- aa* (ha> to Captain Wiren. lie h ii.v.-.l that, if Togo thought them .ii'ii in. hf would grow careless ami •'•i,j would tie the- Russian** oppor- ' initv ; xo lor a time no ships went i». while inside the tlnssians wer>» v. ■<Hv>nsf day and night t»» rejHiir the ■ vcMsels. Th*«T» Captain Wi- ■ n siniek his great blow. Obtain'■■n i-ommaml of the destroyer flotib which 1 was reduced to sixteen ■>••<•■. lie put into execution bis fav ■><•■ theory that destroyers must " ■'• !■> day and not by ninht. Con■m, .-il that Im» had "ewrfced" Port \riitiir. Togo, as was anti«i|>ated. .-.v r-arless ' and onsospeetinp. and ■ •i-nised inshore, playing at '..<ml..u - (lments. tint it. on May It. h- ■■ .\ ■■ caught in a log. The ltu-«!»i»n • ii-.a royers Mighteil him when hj- *♦*»- • i m'il"S sottth-eost. *>f Port Arthur. ..mi the explosion of a tor|ieih» « <iiin,i the battleship "lla«sa>e * • \ js the first intimation T»>ji'o had oS •~■ ituMxiann* proximity. It struct. h.-c nmidships, arwl she a* oace beg»r» i„ till with water. Ik-fore the le»*. i-iiiilil he stopped, a second torpiile iiit and sank her. with a losi» of f.".0 ot" her crew. Xot nntil she *»« .iiiknur were the destroyers located. .iiml even then little harm was done if them. It was a complete sur l>rise. A third torpedo struck the i*!(sl' cruiser "Voshino." her helpless : and. as she lay thus the "Kasnga " crashe«i into her. and she went down lifce a stone. About the s&jtw time the "Yashima " struck a mina «>ff the eastern defences' mid tiart, t»> be tawtxl awoy. When v.-ithin twenty miles of Sasseho. h'*r fore httrfhearf gave w»y. and -i-ek in nfteen fathoms of water, "•hence some day "he may be tVfh.T fosses were joistained during thtit f«tn.T week : but theft the .fapan.'se \iitv ruse t.o its biH h"»ght ot ri.Mtervimr sincere admiration. It Ic.-Ot a hftrfit front before Vr*rt Arthur The news of the fo«* »>f the "\"nshimn "* , -. , »«* tiupnri•«*''»{ ttn*' with such ♦horouchn""* tbt-i* fvr n-'W out were nut to wrffe f.<ft(»-« home fmm in>ain*>rv cri»rsis!r j ?rroun(N. and the ?-hir>*s mo»' '<nvn ( ■ n>-re rvmVralf.V chronlet(<d. T'lie- the *T>>-it.n.4 rc-r«r Vamed the full tut,, of th.- Jamr**** hnaa : nnd for that rent tor. it may not ti(» Known I'Ti'ti to-diir.