Under the Ensign of the Rising Sun Part 20

Nor had the s.h.i.+ps themselves been forgotten. In turn each had been dry-docked, repaired, defects made good, down to the tightening of a loose screw, machinery overhauled and parts replaced where thought necessary, bottoms cleared of weed and coated afresh with anti-fouling composition, and hulls repainted, until each s.h.i.+p looked as though she had just been taken out of a gla.s.s case. And now there they all lay, in Chin-hai harbour, with boilers chipped clean of deposit and filled with fresh water, flues, tubes, and furnaces carefully-cleaned, new fire-bars inserted where needed, fires carefully laid and ready to be lighted at a moment's notice, and every bunker packed with specially selected Welsh coal, purchased for this very purpose, long ago.

Furnace fires were at once lighted and steam raised; and before midnight the old _Chin-yen_--looking very spruce and fit, despite her age--and her three companion cruisers quietly got their anchors and proceeded to sea, while aboard the s.h.i.+ps still in harbour the crews were busily engaged in making the preparations referred to in the general order, before retiring to what was for some of them to be their last night's sleep on earth. As for me, I sat in my cabin, far into the night, writing long letters to my friends at home, so that, in the event of anything untoward happening to me, they might know that loving thoughts of them were in my heart up to the last.

In Chin-hai harbour the morning of 27th May 1905 dawned bright and clear, and at five o'clock the crews of the j.a.panese s.h.i.+ps partook of a substantial meal before proceeding to the task of clearing for action.

They were still partaking of this meal when a marconi-gram arrived from the _s.h.i.+nano Maru_, one of our scouts, informing us that the Russian fleet was in sight, entering the eastern strait; that it was impossible as yet to say how many s.h.i.+ps were present, as the atmosphere was misty; also that there was a high sea running in which the Russian s.h.i.+ps were rolling heavily.

This was the news that Togo had been anxiously awaiting; and now that he had it, and knew that the enemy was making for the precise spot where it had been planned to meet him, the little Admiral gave vent to a great sigh of relief, and ordered the signal to be made for the protected cruiser squadron to weigh and lead the rest of the fleet out to sea.

This order was at once carried out, quietly and deliberately--for there was plenty of time on hand, the _Chitose_, Admiral Kotaoka's flags.h.i.+p, and her four consorts leading, followed by the _Kasagi_ and her four consorts, under Admiral Dewa; these being followed in turn by the _Akitsus.h.i.+ma_ and her three consorts, under Admiral Uriu. These three squadrons, with that which had proceeded to sea some hours previously, under the leaders.h.i.+p of the younger Togo, to draw the Russians into the eastern strait, const.i.tuted the protected cruiser division, to which had been a.s.signed the duty of attacking and hara.s.sing the enemy's rear.

Following these went the main battle squadron, with the _Mikasa_, flying Togo's flag, proudly leading, followed by the battles.h.i.+ps _s.h.i.+kis.h.i.+ma, Fuji_, and _Asahi_, with the new and powerful cruisers _Kasuga_ and _Niss.h.i.+n_ bringing up the rear. Then, at a short interval, followed the _Idzumo_, flying Admiral Kamimura's flag, and the _Iwate, Yak.u.mo, Adzuma, Asama_, and _Tokiwa_, in the order named, every s.h.i.+p flaunting two big battle-flags in the morning breeze. Once clear of the harbour, we parted company from the protected cruiser division, which headed away South-South-East, to get in the rear of the enemy, while we of the battle-line steered a trifle to the south of east for the battleground which Togo had selected. On the port side of the line steamed a flotilla of j.a.pan's fastest destroyers, told off by Togo to act as dispatch boats, in the event of the flags.h.i.+p's wireless apparatus being put out of action, or her masts shot away.

Once clear of the land, we soon ran into an atmosphere of haze and a rising sea which set the long line of s.h.i.+ps rolling ponderously; and as the vessels rolled and plunged, flinging heavy showers of spray over their weather bows, each captain stood in his chart-room, with a chart of the strait spread open on the table before him, anxiously awaiting the next news of the enemy. These charts had been, for convenience'

sake, carefully divided up into a series of numbered squares; and about nine o'clock the expected message arrived. It ran--"The enemy is in two hundred and three," that being the number of the square on the chart occupied by the Russian fleet at that moment. No sooner was the message decoded and its purport made known than mutual congratulations were exchanged; for even as the fall of 203 Metre Hill into the hands of our soldiers had been the prelude to the surrender of Port Arthur, so now the fact of the Russian fleet being in square 203 on the chart was accepted as an omen of another victory.

The fine weather of the early morning had by this time completely deserted us; the sky had become overcast, Tsus.h.i.+ma's conical summit was hidden by a great bank of heavy, louring cloud, the grey, dreary-looking sea was running in confused, turbulent, foam-flecked surges through which the big s.h.i.+ps wallowed heavily, flinging great combers of yeasty froth from either bow, while the little torpedo craft, smothered in spray, were tossed about like corks. Yet, despite the gloomy aspect of the weather, the j.a.panese fleet presented a magnificent and inspiriting sight as it ploughed steadily through the leaping, mist-flecked sea, each s.h.i.+p keeping station with the most perfect accuracy, with her two-- and in some cases three--great battle-flags snapping defiantly in the freshening breeze.

It was shortly after six bells in the forenoon watch when we at length received a message which must have removed a load of anxiety from our little Admiral's mind. It came from the _Izumi_--one of the s.h.i.+ps which had been dispatched on the previous night for the purpose of luring the enemy into the eastern channel--and reported that at length her captain had succeeded in ascertaining the full force of the enemy's fleet, and that it consisted of eleven battles.h.i.+ps of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cla.s.ses, nine cruisers, nine auxiliary cruisers, and nine destroyers.

These were heavy odds to face with our four battles.h.i.+ps, eight armoured cruisers, and eighteen protected cruisers; yet never for a moment did we shrink from the encounter, for we were, one and all, _determined_ to conquer. Moreover, the weather, gloomy as it was, was in our favour, for our s.h.i.+ps, having been painted the peculiar grey tint that had been found so effective in the atmosphere of the Sea of j.a.pan, were scarcely visible at a distance of four miles, while the heavy sea would probably give our own gunners a great advantage over those of the enemy.

It was about a quarter to two o'clock in the afternoon, and we were steaming in line ahead, with the _Mikasa_ leading, our course being about South-South-West, when, the fog thinning somewhat, we suddenly saw, away on our port bow, a great cloud of black smoke, underneath which we presently discerned several large s.h.i.+ps approaching in two lines, their black hulls and yellow funnels showing up with remarkable distinctness against the light grey background of fog. Instantly every telescope and pair of binoculars in the j.a.panese fleet was levelled at them in an endeavour to identify the craft in sight--for we were intimately acquainted with the characteristics of every s.h.i.+p in the enemy's fleet--and presently we recognised the big, three-funnelled craft at the head of the port line as the _Osl.a.b.i.a_, while the two-funnelled battles.h.i.+p leading the starboard line was undoubtedly the _Suvaroff_, Admiral Rojdestvensky's flags.h.i.+p. Astern of her followed the _Alexander Third, Borodino_, and _Orel_; while in the wake of the _Osl.a.b.i.a_ we were able to identify the _Sissoi Veliki, Navarin_, and _Admiral Nakhimoff_, with a long string of other craft at that moment too far distant for identification.

While we were still endeavouring to identify some of the more distant s.h.i.+ps, the _Mikasa_ made the general signal: "The fate of our Empire depends upon our efforts. Let every man do his utmost!" It was greeted with a great roar of "Banzai Nippon!" which swept along the line of the fleet like the rumbling of distant thunder. The crews of the s.h.i.+ps had, of course, been at quarters, and the officers at fire-control stations, for some time, and now we began to receive from the range-finders the range of the _Osl.a.b.i.a_, the leading Russian s.h.i.+p. "Fifteen thousand yards", "Fourteen thousand", "Twelve thousand," came the reports in rapid succession as the two fleets rushed toward each other.

At a distance of twelve thousand yards the _Mikasa's_ helm was s.h.i.+fted and the course of the j.a.panese line altered four points to the eastward, as though our purpose was to pa.s.s along the Russian line to port, exchanging broadsides as we pa.s.sed; and so the enemy evidently understood, for he came steadily on. But we knew differently. Already every forward gun in the fleet was bearing steadily upon the _Osl.a.b.i.a_, and when, in obedience to a signal from the flags.h.i.+p, the speed of the j.a.panese fleet quickened up to fifteen knots, we knew that the great battle was about to begin.

It began a few minutes earlier than we antic.i.p.ated, for our range-finders had just given the distance of the head of the Russian column as nine thousand yards, when two bright flashes, followed by a great cloud of white smoke, broke from the _Osl.a.b.i.a's_ fore-turret, and presently we saw two great fountains of foam leap into the air some distance beyond the _Mikasa_. As though this had been a signal, the _Suvaroff, Alexander Third_, and _Sissoi Veliki_ instantly followed suit, and a second or two later we heard the loud, angry muttering of 12-inch sh.e.l.ls hurtling toward us. But some flew over, and others fell short; not one touched us; and as the heavy, rumbling _boom_ of the reports reached our ears, the _Mikasa_ signalled another s.h.i.+ft of helm a further four points east, and before the Russians fully realised what we were about, the j.a.panese fleet was "crossing the T,"--that is to say, pa.s.sing athwart the enemy's course.

Every gun which the Russians could bring to bear upon us was now being loaded and fired as rapidly as possible, so that in a very short time the enemy's s.h.i.+ps were enveloped in whirling wreaths of powder smoke, yet not a single j.a.panese gun had thus far spoken.

"Six thousand yards" was presently signalled by the range-finders; and at the same moment three shots roared forth from the turrets of the _Mikasa, s.h.i.+kis.h.i.+ma_, and _Fuji_. We knew at what target they were aimed, and those of us who happened to have our gla.s.ses at our eyes saw a bright flash and a cloud of smoke suddenly burst into view on the _Osl.a.b.i.a's_ conning tower. One of our 12-inch sh.e.l.ls had found its mark, and--as we subsequently learned--instantly killed Admiral Folkersam! This instant success told us that we might unhesitatingly rely upon the accuracy of our range-finders, and at once every s.h.i.+p in the j.a.panese battle-line opened fire, first upon the _Osl.a.b.i.a_ and then upon the _Suvaroff_, our manoeuvre of "crossing the T" enabling us to bring every one of our broadside guns upon the enemy, while he, in turn, could only fire a few of his fore-turret guns, the rest being blanketed by the s.h.i.+ps leading the line.

The careful, deliberate fire of twelve s.h.i.+ps upon two could have but one result; the _Osl.a.b.i.a_ and _Suvaroff_ both received a most fearful punis.h.i.+ng; the unprotected portions of their hulk were blown to ribbons, dense columns of dark smoke poured from the _Osl.a.b.i.a_, and presently it was seen that she and the _Suvaroff_ were on fire and burning furiously.

Both s.h.i.+ps, as though instinctively, swerved away to the eastward, anxious not to shorten the distance any farther between themselves and the j.a.panese, and presently both the _Osl.a.b.i.a_ and the _Suvaroff_ fell out of their respective lines and dropped to the rear, with both their own lines between them and the enemy.

Then came the turn of the _Alexander Third_, which was now leading the Russian starboard line; and she got even more severely peppered than her battered sisters in misfortune, for the range had now dwindled to four thousand yards, and every shot of ours was telling with terrible effect.

It must not be supposed, however, that while the enemy was being punished so severely, we were going scatheless. We were not; very far from it, although we were giving a good deal better than we received.

Sh.e.l.ls were by this time falling pretty thickly all around us, while hits were becoming steadily less infrequent. The first to come aboard the _Yak.u.mo_ was a 12-inch sh.e.l.l which struck our fore barbette on the starboard side, glanced upward, striking the conning tower and exploding, the fragments wrecking a couple of ventilators, a boat, and freely puncturing our fore funnel, while one piece swept my cap off my head and overboard. The _Asama_, however, next but one astern of the _Yak.u.mo_, suffered very much more severely than we did, three heavy sh.e.l.ls. .h.i.tting her abaft in quick succession, throwing her steering gear out of action, and causing her to leak so badly that she had to drop out of the line and be left astern, executing temporary repairs.

By this time--that is to say, shortly before six bells in the afternoon watch--the two fleets were heading about East-South-East, running in parallel lines, our own line leading that of the enemy by about a mile, while the _Alexander Third_ was, like the _Osl.a.b.i.a_ and _Suvaroff_, in flames and blazing furiously. A few minutes later it was seen that the _Sissoi Veliki_ was also on fire, she being now the leading s.h.i.+p of the Russian port line of battle, and, in accordance with Togo's tactics, the object, with the _Navarin_ and _Admiral Nakhimoff_, of the concentrated fire of our battle-line. Meanwhile, our protected cruiser squadrons had come upon the scene and were hara.s.sing the Russian rear so effectively that, aided by the vigorous attack of our battle-line upon the Russian van, the enemy's line was breaking up in confusion.

Togo now gave the order for us to close in upon the enemy's van, himself leading the way in the _Mikasa_, with the result that the leading Russian s.h.i.+ps, in order to avoid being crossed and raked, were compelled to continually bear ever more and more away to the southward, until finally they swept right round and were all heading north once more, with the _Alexander Third, Suvaroff_, and _Osl.a.b.i.a_ all out of the line and practically out of action.

It is difficult, nay more it is impossible, for the captain of a s.h.i.+p taking part in a general action to note and remember every phase and detail of such action; he is so intensely preoccupied in the task of fighting and manoeuvring his own s.h.i.+p that only certain detached incidents of the engagements impress themselves upon his memory strongly enough to be permanently remembered; thus I am able to recall that about this period of the battle I came to the definite conclusion that we had won, notwithstanding the fact that several of our s.h.i.+ps, including the _Yak.u.mo_, had suffered severely. The _Asama_, for example, was at least temporarily out of action, while the _Kasuga_--one of the two new cruisers purchased from the Argentine just before the outbreak of the war--had all three of her heavy guns rendered useless.

By this time our protected cruiser division had crept up on the starboard quarter of the Russian line, and was vigorously attacking in that direction, while our battle-line, to port of the Russians, was as vigorously pounding the enemy's front, thus bringing the Russian line between two fires. It was about this time that one of those brief interludes of comparative inaction which occur in most battles afforded me an opportunity to look round a bit and obtain my first comprehensive view of the battle since its commencement.

The wind, which had been blowing fresh during the earlier part of the day, had been gradually dropping, and was now little more than a mere breathing, but the sky still continued overcast and gloomy, its shadow, falling upon the sullenly heaving but no longer breaking seas, causing the tumbling waters to look almost black where they were not veiled by the drifting smoke wreaths or slowly moving patches of fog. It was the obscuration caused by this combination of smoke and fog that had produced the interval of comparative inaction of which I have spoken, for it rendered accurate firing difficult, and our s.h.i.+ps, in accordance with Togo's determination not to waste ammunition, were only firing occasional single shots, when the hull of an opponent became distinctly visible, although the Russians were blazing away at us as recklessly as ever, thus enveloping themselves in an almost continuous veil of smoke, which was renewed as quickly as it drifted away.

It was now that the _Asama_, having effected temporary repairs, came up and resumed her place in our line of battle, which was thus once more intact, our s.h.i.+ps keeping station with the most perfect regularity with the Russian line, such as it was, some four thousand yards distant about a point abaft our starboard beam. The roar of the enemy's artillery was incessant, the continuous cras.h.i.+ng _boom_ of the guns reminding one, as much as anything, of a tremendous thunderstorm, while the flash of their guns, seen through the gloom of the louring afternoon, not altogether inadequately represented the accompanying lightning.

I looked round to see if I could discover either of the silenced Russian battles.h.i.+ps. Yes, there they were, all three of them: the _Osl.a.b.i.a_ about three miles away, broad on our starboard quarter; the _Suvaroff_ about half a mile astern of her; and the _Alexander Third_ about a mile astern of the _Suvaroff_, all astern of their own line, and all being vigorously attacked by our protected cruisers. The _Osl.a.b.i.a_ was low in the water and had a heavy list to port; the _Suvaroff_, still apparently on fire, had lost both her funnels and her foremast; and the _Alexander Third_, from which clouds of smoke, were still rising, also had a heavy list and was steaming ahead very slowly, although she, like her sisters in misfortune, still replied with the utmost gallantry to our fire.

But, so far as the _Osl.a.b.i.a_ was concerned, her race was evidently run, for even as I watched her it became apparent that she was fast settling in the water, while with every roll her list to port became stronger, until at last I found myself holding my breath in momentary expectation to see her roll right over. The catastrophe was not long delayed.

There came a moment when, having rolled heavily to port, she failed to lift again, but heeled steadily more and more until, watching her through my powerful gla.s.ses, I saw a number of objects go sliding away off her decks into the water with a heavy splash; over she went until her masts and funnels lay along on the water, her two after-turret guns spoke out defiantly for the last time; and down she went in a great swirl of foam, while the Russian destroyers closed in upon the spot to save such of her crew as might contrive to remain afloat.

I now turned my attention to the _Suvaroff_, and was just in time to witness a very plucky attack upon her by a squadron of our destroyers, which, notwithstanding her disabled condition, she beat off in most gallant fas.h.i.+on.

Next, I turned to have a look at the _Alexander Third_. Her crew appeared to have extinguished the fire aboard her and got her back into something like her former trim. She was now heading to rejoin the Russian line--which was re-forming after a fas.h.i.+on, and presently I saw her drop into third place in the line, between the _Orel_ and the _Sissoi Veliki_, which latter also seemed to have extinguished her fire.

Meanwhile the mist had thickened into fog, which rapidly became so dense that we presently lost sight of the enemy altogether.

Shrewdly suspecting that the Russians would seize this opportunity to effect their escape, Togo now led his battle-line round in a sweep from North-East to South-West, and then to south for a distance of some eight miles, during which we sighted and sh.e.l.led the enemy's cruiser squadron and some of his auxiliary s.h.i.+ps heading to the south-west. At this point Togo decided to turn northward again, but before doing so he detached the six armoured cruisers--of which the _Yak.u.mo_ was one--under Admiral Kamimura, with orders to pursue and destroy the s.h.i.+ps of which we had just lost sight.

This was about four o'clock in the afternoon. By this time the wind had dwindled away to a mere nothing, and the sea had so far gone down that our torpedo craft could keep pace with the larger craft without being swept by seas from stem to stern; still, the weather continued to be very dismal and dreary, the sky still lowering and overcast, not a solitary gleam of suns.h.i.+ne, and the fog gathering so thickly that it was difficult to see anything beyond a two-mile radius. The heavy gun-firing had by this time died down to nothing; but a pretty lively cannonade of lighter weapons down in the south-western quarter told us that the engagement between our cruisers and those of the enemy was still proceeding briskly although nothing could be seen. Accordingly, the _Idzumo_ led her five armoured sisters in that direction, at a speed of fifteen knots.

Suddenly, as we pushed along, guided on our course by the sounds of the firing, the thunder of heavy guns, easily distinguishable from the sharper report of the lighter weapons, burst forth ahead, to our amazement, for we fully believed that the whole of the enemy's battles.h.i.+ps had fled northward. Clearly, however, we were mistaken in so believing, and Kamimura at once recognised that capricious fortune was unexpectedly holding out to him the opportunity to wipe off some of the utterly undeserved opprobrium that had attached to him earlier in the war, because of his failure to bring the Vladivostock squadron to book, and which his later success had by no means effaced; accordingly, he signalled the squadron to increase speed to eighteen knots, which was supposed to be the maximum attainable by the _Asama_ and ourselves, although the others were capable of an extra knot. This inferiority of speed on our part had always been rather a sore point with me, and I had had many a talk with Carmichael, the _Yak.u.mo's_ Engineer Commander, about it, who had felt the reproach as keenly as I did, and had a.s.sured me that if ever the worse came to the worst, he would undertake to get the extra knot out of the s.h.i.+p, although it would be at the peril of what he elegantly termed "a general bust-up in the engine-room." So now I called to him down the voice-tube, begging him to speed her up as far as he dared; and a few minutes later I noticed that we were gaining upon the _Iwate_, our next ahead, while the _Asama_, our second astern, was also stoking up. Thereupon I signalled the flags.h.i.+p that we had speed in hand, if required, and the order was at once given to increase speed by half a knot.

It was not very long afterward that we had ocular demonstration of the value that extra spurt of speed might prove to be; for while we were still plugging along in the direction of the firing, we suddenly sighted two craft coming slowly in our direction. They proved to be the _Kasagi_ escorted by the _Chitose_, making for the j.a.panese coast, the former being holed below the waterline and making so much water that it was doubtful whether it would be possible to save her. She signalled that matters were going badly with the protected cruisers, eleven of them being then hotly engaged by twelve of the enemy, one of which was a second-cla.s.s battles.h.i.+p, while three others were battles.h.i.+ps of the third cla.s.s! Admiral Dewa, who was on board, concluded his communication by urging us to hasten to the rescue.

The steadily increasing distinctness with which the sound of the firing reached us, proved that we were rapidly overhauling the contending squadrons, and some twenty minutes later we sighted the rearmost s.h.i.+ps on both sides, blazing away at each other "hammer and tongs." Our own cruisers were to the southward of the Russian line, therefore Kamimura led his force to the northward of the enemy, thus placing the latter between two fires, at the same time signalling us to concentrate our fire upon the four Russian battles.h.i.+ps, which we did with a vengeance, and within five minutes we were all enveloped in a roaring tempest of flame, smoke, and bursting sh.e.l.ls.

But the precision of our fire was infinitely superior to that of the Russians. They fired at least three times as rapidly as we did, but whereas every one of our sh.e.l.ls reached its mark, the bulk of theirs flew wide. They were rapidly growing demoralised, and when the fight had been in progress some twenty minutes, their line suddenly broke up into little groups of twos and threes and made off to the northward at top speed, those of us whose speed permitted, following them and keeping up a brisk fire with our forward guns.

Suddenly, as we pursued, two s.h.i.+ps were sighted ahead, evidently in difficulties, and a few minutes later we identified them as the Russian battles.h.i.+p _Suvaroff_ and the repair s.h.i.+p _Kamschatka_. Immediately, Kamimura signalled, ordering their destruction. Then, while we were in the very act of training our guns upon them, another battles.h.i.+p was sighted in the distance. She, too, was evidently in a parlous state, so much so, indeed, that we scarcely had time to identify her as the _Alexander Third_ when she capsized and sank!

Then we opened fire vigorously upon the other two s.h.i.+ps, while our destroyers closed in upon the _Suvaroff_, now listing so heavily that she was almost on her beam-ends. But although she was in such a sorry plight her crew displayed the utmost gallantry, defending themselves from the torpedo craft with the only gun which they could bring to bear.

It was a hopeless fight, however; our boats dashed in, time after time, discharging torpedoes at her, and at length two of the missiles got home, one under her stern, and the other in the wake of her engine-room, blowing a great hole in her side. This last finished her; the water poured into her in torrents, and a few minutes later she rolled right over and disappeared. The _Kamschatka_ followed a few minutes later.

Meanwhile, the s.h.i.+ps which we had been pursuing had disappeared in the fog, heading northward, _in which direction we knew our battles.h.i.+ps had preceded them_. Therefore, since the hour had now arrived when, according to arrangements, our torpedo flotillas were to take up the game, Kamimura signalled us to reduce speed to ten knots and to shape a course for our appointed rendezvous near Matsus.h.i.+ma Island.

The night which followed was an anxious one for all hands, for we were steaming through a dark and foggy night, with all lights out. Nothing untoward happened, however, and with the appearance of dawn on the following morning a little air of wind sprang up and swept the fog away.

It was shortly before three bells in the morning watch (half-past five o'clock a.m.) of 28th May, and the six s.h.i.+ps of the j.a.panese armoured cruiser division were steaming northward in line abreast, when the _Tokiwa_, which was the easternmost s.h.i.+p, reported smoke low down on the eastern horizon. At once the course was altered eight points to the eastward, and the s.h.i.+ps proceeded in line ahead, closing in upon the _Tokiwa_--the leading s.h.i.+p--as they did so, while Kamimura reported the circ.u.mstance by wireless to Togo, who, with his battle squadron, was some sixty miles away to the northward of us. Some twenty minutes later, after a lively bout of signalling by the wireless operators aboard the j.a.panese s.h.i.+ps, it became certain that the smoke seen must proceed from enemy s.h.i.+ps, and all our dispositions were made for dealing with them, the instructions of the armoured division being to close slowly in upon the enemy from the westward, while the battles.h.i.+ps rushed down at full speed from the north, and the protected cruisers did the same from the south.

The result was that, a few hours later, four Russian battles.h.i.+ps, namely, the _Orel, Apraxin, Nicolai First_, and _Seniavin_ found themselves completely hemmed in by our s.h.i.+ps, while the light cruiser _Izumrud_, availing herself of her superior speed, just managed to escape by the skin of her teeth.

I will say this for them: outnumbered though they were, and hopeless as was their situation, with their ammunition running short, and their crews almost in a state of collapse from nerve strain, those four s.h.i.+ps made a gallant defence, and it was not until they were reduced to the very last extremity that Admiral Nebogatoff ordered the white flag to be hoisted over his squadron in token of surrender. Prize crews were at once put aboard the prizes, and they were ordered south to Sasebo under an escort of cruisers, of which the _Yak.u.mo_ was one. The _Orel_ was such a wreck that she was incapable of steaming more than eight knots, consequently we did not arrive in harbour until the afternoon of the following day, when, our wireless messages having prepared the inhabitants for our arrival, we received such an ovation as it thrills me yet to remember.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

REINSTATED.

It was not until nearly a fortnight later that the full results of the battle of Tsus.h.i.+ma became known; then, tabulating the intelligence that came to hand from various points, we were at last in a position to realise the surprising character of the j.a.panese Navy's achievement.

Briefly and baldly summarised, it amounted to this: Of the eleven Russian battles.h.i.+ps which went into action on that memorable 27th May, four were captured, while the remaining seven were sunk. Of nine cruisers, five were sunk. Of nine auxiliary cruisers, four were sunk and one was captured; while, of nine destroyers, one, the _Biedovy_, was captured with Admiral Rojdestvensky, seriously wounded, on board, and four were sunk. Twenty-six of the thirty-eight craft which composed the much-vaunted Baltic Fleet were thus accounted for. Of the remaining twelve, three--the small cruiser _Almaz_ and the _Grosny_ and _Bravy_, destroyers, succeeded in making their way to Vladivostock, while the remainder escaped to Manilla, Shanghai, and Madagascar, where--with the exception of the auxiliary cruiser _Anadyr_, at Madagascar--they were duly disarmed and interned.

I had fully made up my mind that with the destruction of the Russian Baltic Fleet the war must of necessity come to an end. But I was mistaken; no overtures of peace were made by Russia, and it was not to be expected that, after her signal triumphs on land and sea, j.a.pan would jeopardise her prospects of securing a satisfactory settlement by being the first to open negotiations; therefore, in pursuance of their land campaign, it was decided to attack the Russians from the north by way of the great river Amur, which the j.a.panese had ascertained was navigable by light-draught vessels for at least a thousand miles during the late spring, when the thaw and the spring rains caused the river to run full.