From Libau to Tsushima: A narrative of the voyage of Admiral Rojdestvensky's fleet to eastern seas, including a detailed account of the Dogger Bank incidentPolitovskii, Evgenii Sigizmundovich
History
From Libau to Tsushima: A narrative of the voyage of Admiral Rojdestvensky's fleet to eastern seas, including a detailed account of the Dogger Bank incident
Politovskii, Evgenii Sigizmundovich
Russo-Japanese War, 1904-1905
We are not going to Saigon, but to Kamranh. It is a small bay, lying
about 350 versts north of Saigon. On shore there is a fort and a
small settlement. There is no telegraph, but apparently there is a
post-office. The fleet will pass in view of Singapore.
Many officers have begun to hide their things behind the armour, in
order to be able to dress themselves after the battle. I do not know
whether to hide anything. We have begun to feel the proximity of the
enemy. I have not yet selected the place where I shall be during the
fight. Of course, during torpedo attacks one should be on deck, so
that, should the ship be blown up and begin to sink, one would not
have to come up from below. A ship in this event may go down almost
instantaneously, like the _Petropavlosk_ and the _Hatsuse_.
_March 20th_ (morning).--Coaling has not taken place to-day. Many
officers confidently rely on the fleet. They look on the four new
battleships, _Suvaroff_, _Borodino_, _Alexander_, and _Orel_, as
invincible. The Japanese will put forth all their power to destroy the
_Suvaroff_, in which is the admiral commanding the whole fleet. The
torpedo attacks and the fire of all guns will be concentrated on the
_Suvaroff_. She will be exposed to the greatest danger. It will be less
dangerous in the other ships, especially in the _Borodino_ and _Orel_.
The Japanese will try to kill the admiral. And what will happen then?
Our ships can scarcely fly to various neutral ports and be disarmed, as
has been done before.
We have been eighteen days at sea, and our port is still far away; but
with each turn of the screw we are nearer and nearer our goal. It is
five and a half months to-day since the fleet left Libau. Scarcely any
one would have supposed that nearly six months would be necessary to
get as far as the straits of Malacca.
The _Donskoi_, _Oleg_, _Orel_, and _Terek_ report that they have seen
lights. Hitherto the appearance of every light interested us; but
now that we are near the theatre of war we regard them with complete
equanimity. Is it not all the same? Would that it were sooner ended!
There are people who are satisfied with the existing state of affairs.
I am surprised at them. Just now there are officers sitting at table
drunk--they are singing. Nothing like it is possible in the Japanese
ships. There, they are preparing for another feast and for other songs.
When shall we get our letters? Hardly before we reach Kamranh Bay.
_March 21st._--There still remains 3,000 versts to Kamranh Bay. They
say that Japanese cruisers are waiting for us there. It will be ten or
twelve days' journey if nothing happens. From there to Vladivostok I
think we shall go at greater speed than now, to get over 5,000 versts.
They are coaling to-day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account