ROZHDESTVENSKY'S EXCUSE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7878, 21 July 1905, Page 2

ROZHDESTVENSKY'S EXCUSE

- _ m Corruption and Mutiny. BAD SHIPS, CUBS AND ARMOUR. Unpopular Admirals. * WARSHIPS IIIiFUSE TO FIGHT. - "ta A PLOT TH'AT FAILED. (Received July 20, 11.14 p.m.) LONDON, July 30. ' i Admirals Rozhdestvensky and Diein a report to the Russian Admiralty, attribute their defeat by Admiral Togo at the battle of Tsushima to the bad construction o£ tavir warships ; to the inferior arnu.ur, which was of less thickness tfluii v/as officially stated ; to the V guaranteed speed being unattainable ;• to the lamentable bad shells, twothirds of which did not explode ; and t to their men being incapable eunners. ° 'Admiral Dieboga toff's squadron mu tuned at Madagascar, and' fourteen sailors were shot. Onler was restoivd only when the rest of the' riui.s were trained on the warships Admiral Semavin and General Admiral Afraksin.

Near Formosa the same squadron* in a mutiny, nearly succeeded in gaining the mastery of the bulk of the ships.

l . " 10 ba 'tic began Admiral Dieboga 101 l s slups, especially the aemavin and Afraksin, topk no park in it, when Admiral Rozhdestvensky sent torpedoers to warn themutin- I ecrs he would sink them unless they 1 executed the manoeuvres ordered I Only then they opened fire. P Just when Admiral Rozhdestvensky, was wounded , and removed to the destroyer, Admiral Enquist with his Vcruisers disappeared. 5* On Admirals Falkersham ahd Die- "j bogatoff, who never were popular with ' the sailors, taking over the command, then the rout began. > Admiral Diebogatoß's orders were - disobeyed, and it was a case of every man for himself; the ships were scat- " tered and sunk.

Tic rep or t gjv es details Of how th« , battlosjips Orel and Impcrator NiMi a r!m a Hf losing half thtir «ew P. ; ollowcd thc example of the crews of ' the Semavin and Afraksin, who threatened to kill their offers if i hey refused to surrender to ttfe Japanese»

The mutineers hoisted the red flaeT Admiral vainly e n . mi! 111 ' c] follow him. • When the captured battleship Orel was proceeding to Sasebo, the Japanese detected a group ot engineers and young officers in the act of lfchting tiie powder magazine. The rest of lP ! | S ( i CIeW re ! usin S succour v , 1 411 tllß conspirators were shot.