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. Shells were by this time falling pretty thickly all around us, while hits were becoming steadily less infrequent. The first to come aboard the _Yakumo_ was a 12-inch shell 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 _Yakumo_, suffered very much more severely than we did, three heavy shells hitting 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 _Oslabia_ 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 ship 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 harassing 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 ships, 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 _Oslabia_ all out of the line and practically out of action.