"Our fleet, with the battleship _Mikasa_ leading, proceeded toward the Russians in vertical line formation. The _Souvaroff_ opened fire first and then suddenly turned, reversing her course. Almost simultaneously the _Mikasa_ opened fire with her big guns, and thus the curtain rose on the great sea battle. The hostile fleets gradually closed in toward each other, exchanging a vigorous fire. The armored cruiser _Asama_ approached within 3,000 metres of the Russian fleet and carefully observed its action. "After a short but fierce fight the _Admiral Oushakoff's_ deck was observed to be ablaze, and the ship left the line. By 4.30 in the afternoon the Russian line was disordered and its fire slackened. The _Borodino_ and _Kamchatka_ had been disabled and soon sank. The _Borodino_ continued to fire bravely until the ship was submerged. "The Japanese fleet continued to maintain enveloping positions from sundown until dawn. Sunday morning opened misty, but the weather soon cleared, and the search for the remnants of the Russian fleet was begun. Five Russian ships were discovered in the vicinity of Liancourt Island, and they were immediately surrounded. One, supposed to be the _Izumrud_, escaped at full speed. The remaining four offered no resistance, and hoisted the Japanese flag over the Russian colors, apparently offering to surrender. Captain Yashiro, commanding the _Asama_, started in a small boat to ascertain the real intentions of the Russians, when Admiral Nebogatoff lowered a boat and came on board the _Asama_, where he formally surrendered. The prisoners were distributed among the Japanese ships, and prize crews were selected to take possession of the captured vessels." [Sidenote: The Capture of Rozhdestvensky] To have destroyed the Russian armada was, of itself, an amazing feat; but to have captured the commander-in-chief, and to have compelled the surrender of an admiral of the line, add vastly to the glory of Togo. The story of Rozhdestvensky's capture is dramatic. The destroyers, _Kasumi_, _Usugumo_, _Sazanami_ and _Kagerou_, were ordered to attack the Russian warships on the night of May 27 and were steaming ahead when they suddenly encountered a number of Russian ships. The _Kasumi_ narrowly avoided a collision with a Russian cruiser, the closeness of which seems to have saved the destroyers from being damaged by the heavy fire which the Russians directed on them.