The Japan-Russia War: An Illustrated History of the War in the Far EastTyler, Sydney
History
The Japan-Russia War: An Illustrated History of the War in the Far East
Tyler, Sydney
Russo-Japanese War, 1904-1905
Summarizing scattered reports, the results of the battle may be
accurately stated to be annihilation for Russian sea power in the Far
East. Thirty-seven Russian warships of all classes entered the Korean
Straits. Of these, three, a cruiser, and two destroyers, reached
Vladivostok; three armored cruisers reached Manila; two battleships and
two coast defence ships were captured and were taken to Sasebo; one
destroyer, found helpless at sea, was towed to Shanghai; leaving a
total of twenty-six ships that were sent to the bottom, five of them
battleships. The Russian loss in life reached a total of 6,500 men, one
admiral and ten captains among them. The loss to Russia in gold
amounted to $75,000,000. Japan's loss in ships was three torpedo boats
and a few more than 400 men. Experts the world around failed to find
adequate explanation for this amazing disparity. As summarized at
Tokio, these are reasons which in part contributed to Admiral
Rozhdestvensky's defeat:
[Sidenote: Why the Russians Were Defeated]
"First. An imperfect reconnaissance and incomplete, faulty and
misleading intelligence.
"Second. An imperfect battle formation, which indicated that
Rozhdestvensky did not expect to meet Togo off Tsushima.
"Third. The weather, the direction of the wind and the sunlight were
unfavorable to the Russians, Togo having the sun behind him and firing
with the wind, while the Russians had the sunlight in their eyes and
fired against the wind.
"Fourth. The Russians wasted their ammunition and eventually their
supply ran short. It is believed that the surrender of Nebogatoff was
necessary because his ammunition had been expended.
"Fifth. The marked inferiority of the Russian gunnery."
[Sidenote: Japan Honors Togo]
Japan hailed Togo as the nation's hero. A popular subscription will
raise to him a giant lighthouse on lofty Tsu Island, commanding the sea
for a radius of eighty miles, the area through which the battle was
waged.
[Illustration: PEACE ENVOYS IN SESSION AT PORTSMOUTH.
Copyrighted by Brown Bros., New York, 1905.
The Russians, from left to right are C. Berg, M. Pokotiloff, M. Witte,
Baron Rosen and M. Nabokoff. The Japanese from left to right are Mr.
Adatchi, Mr. Otchiai, Baron Komura, Minister Takahira and Mr. A. Sato.]
CHAPTER XX.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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