WRECK AND RUIN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 119, 13 October 1914, Page 7

WRECK AND RUIN.

VIVII) NARRATIVE OF SEA FIGHT. AT THE BATTLE OF TSUSHIMA. Here are some, extracts from the narrative by the only offiwr who lias been through a modern naval battle and taken notes on its progress from the start until the ship was on the point of sinking. At the battle Tsushima, when tha Japanese destroyed the Russian FhMsf, Captain SemenofT, was on the flagship Suvoroff. He had no definite post, and was therefore able to note each sueeensive stage of the gradual destruction of his ship. Let him tell his own etory:— "Now the- fun will begin," thought 1 to myself, going up to the after-bridge, which seemed to be the most convenient place for carrying out my duty of seeing and noting down everything, aa from there I could see both the enemy and our own fleet. The first shells Hew over us. At this range some of the long ones turned a completo somersault, and could clearly be seen with the naked eye' curving like so many sticks thrown into the air. They flew over us, making a sort of wail, different to the ordinary roar. THE FIRST HIT.

After them came others short of us —nearer and nearer. Splinters whistled through the air, jingled against the side and superstructure. Then, quito close and abreast of the foremost funnel, rose a gigantic pillar of smoke, water and flame. I saw stretchers being carried along the fore-bridge.

How could I niaiko detailed notes when it seemed impossible to even count the number of projectiles striking us? I had not only never witnessed such a fire before, but also 1 had never imagined anything like it. Shells seemed to be pouring incessantly, one after another. It seemed as if these were mines, not shells, which were striking the ship's sido and falling on deck. They burst as «oon as they touched anything tho moment they encountered the least impediment in their- flight. Hand rails, funnel guys, topping lifts of the boat derrick were quite sufficient to cause a thoroughly effective burst. The steel plate s and super-structure on the upper deck were torn to pieces, nnd the splinters caused many casualties. Iron ladders were crumpled up into rings, and guns were literally hurled from their mountings. In addition to this, there was tha unusual high temperature and liquid fhvme of the explosion, which seemed to spread over everything. I actually watched a steel plate catch on fire from a burst. Of course, the steel did not burn, but the paint on it did. Such almost non-eombustihle materials as hammocks, and rows of boxes, drenched with water, flared up in a moment. At times it was impossible to see anything with glasses, owing to everything being so distorted with the quivering, heated air.

AFTER-TURRET BLOWN UP. A man reported that the after-turret had been blown up, and almost simultaneously there resounded above us a rumbling noise accompanied by the sharp clunk o[ falling iron. Something large and heavy Jell with a crash; the ship's boats on flic spar deck were smashed to bits; burning debris fell all around us, and we were involved in an impenetrable smoke. At the time we did not know *hat had happened, but afterwards we learned that it was the foremost funnel that had fallen. I attempted to pass* through the. upper battery, whence to the poop the nearest way was through the admiral's cabin, but here the slalF ofliceru' quarters were burning furiously. Turning back I met Flag-Lieutenant Kruijanofl'sky on the ladder 'hurrying downwards.

"Where are you going to?" "Into the steering compartment; the milder is disabled," he shouted, to me in passing. "That is all that is wanting," thought I to myself, rushing up on deck. (Meanwhile, though wc were unable t;o see the enemy on account of the smoke, they had a good view of us, and concentrated their fire on the battered cruiser in tlio ihope of finking us. Shells simply poured upon us—a rentable whirlwind of shot and iron. Lying almost stationary in the water, and slowly working her engines so as to get on the proper course and follow the fleet, the SuvorofT offered her hattcred sides in turn to ihe enemy, firing wildly from those of her guns which were still serviceable, aid, alas! were few in number. AST INFERNO.

Creeping with difficulty on to the upper dt'ck through the torn hatchway, I scarcely recognised the place where a short tunc since we hail stood with Demchinsky. Movement was literally imiwssihle. Aslo.ni, the spar-deck hud fallen down aad was burning in a bright flame on the <leck; in front of me was a heap of debris. The ladders to the bridge hail gaoic and the starboard end of the bridge had been destroyed; even the gangway under the bridge on ta« other side was Mocked. I was obliged to go below again and come .up on the port side.

The fore-bridge was struck by numerous projectiles. Splinters of shells, which penetrated tin large quantities under the mushroom-shaped roof of the conning tower, had destroyed all the instruments in it, and had broken the compass, but luckily the telegraph to one engine and the voko-tube to the other were still working. The bridge had caught fire, and the hammocks—with which we had proposed to protect ourselves from well as the small chart house bulhind the conningj tower wese also burning. The heat beldame unbearable, and what was worse [.the thick .smoke prevented our seeing, -.which, witViut a compass, made it imI possible to, keep on in any particular direction. The only thing left for us to do was to si2er from the lower fighting position, abandon the eonningtower for soin* place whence one could see.

Theie were no fires; everything that could ignite hat!, already been burned. The four 75-milljaietre guns had been tern off their mountings, and in Tain I looked on them for.jnarks of direct hits. None could be sees. The 'havoc had dearly caused tly the force of the explosion, aad not by the impact of the shell. How «pas this? Neither mines or pyroxylene were stored in the battery, so the enemy's shells mast have exploded with the foiMc of miacs.

THE END. Let the Japanese official account complete the story of Suvoroff:— "In the dusk, when our cruieerß were driving tie enemy northward*, they came upon the Suvoroff alone, at some distance from the fight, heeling over badly, and enveloped in flames and smoke. The division (Captain-Lieutenant Fudzimoto) of torpedo-boats, which was with our cniisers, was at once sent to attack her. Although much burned and still on fire—although she had been subjected to so many attacks, having been fired at by, all tie fleet (in th 9 Ml

sense of the word) —ail-huugh she had only one serviceable gun —she still opened lire, showing her determination to de-' fend herself to the hut moment of her existence—so long, in fact, as she remained above water. At length, about 7 p.m., after our torpedo boats had twice attacked her, she went to the bottom."