Also in this battle the poor quality of the Japanese artillery was impressively shown. Four armoured cruisers, one protected cruiser and nine torpedo boats failed to score a single hit on the three Russian cruisers. At least not so far.
On the contrary – the Russians dealt out – and with serious consequences for the Japanese torpedo boats!
+ + +
+ + +
The Japanese commanders could hardly believe that, despite clear Japanese superiority, the enemy had already shot down three torpedo boats without being hit themselves.
The Japanese 2nd Torpedo Boat Flotilla turned away due to severe combat damage. Another attack simply made no sense as long as the torpedo boats could not get into a usable firing position.
The Furutaka continued to pursue the enemy and Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi tried to pincer the enemy between his cruisers and the Tokiwa, so that the latter had to spread their fire. That had an effect and the Tokiwa was finally able to score a goal.
+ + +
The Russians, however, dealt out the deal, as it were, and in turn hit the Tokiwa.
+ + +
Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi is still watching the steering maneuvers of the Tokiwa, which had fallen behind. Apparently, the goal was harder than expected. At that moment, a violent blow shook the furutaka and knocked some men off their feet.
There was a hole in the hull, but fortunately the enemy shell detonated in one of the coal bunkers, where the damage from the charge was minimized. Nevertheless, there was a leak and water penetrated.
+ + +
It was as if bewitched, but the Japanese artillerymen almost exposed themselves to ridicule.
+ + +
The distance to the Pallada-class enemy cruiser was only a few thousand yards, but this seemed to benefit only the Russian, who was able to score more hits on the Furutaka. The worst part was that this ruined the work of the leak barrier and water continued to penetrate the hull of the Furutaka.
+ + +
Then there was a real bang and Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi could not believe that the most modern ship of the Imperial Japanese Navy was hit so hard by a protected cruiser.
He decided to turn around and assess the damage.
+ + +
The damage was significant. In particular, the water ingress could not be stopped, but the cruiser was capable of fighting and so Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi decided to intervene in the fight again.
It was already almost half past three o'clock when the Furutaka and the Yakumo finally made the first heavy hits on the Russian cruiser.
+ + +
Then another well-known problem occurred, a mechanical malfunction on a turret robbed the Yakumo of its firepower.
+ + +
The Furutaka gun crews seemed to finally get a grip on their artillery when the enemy was able to score a hit in the engine room.
+ + +
What the torpedo boats had failed to do, Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi now tried to do with his cruisers, to torpedo the enemy. Even before this led to results, the Furutaka scored further hits with their 11inch guns.
+ + +
Finally, the artillerymen had found a way to deal with the inadequate guns, and the hit rate increased significantly from two to three to ten percent. It almost seemed that the slight and increasing pitch due to the water ingress made things easier for the artillerymen. However, the also significantly higher hit rate of the undamaged Yakumo spoke against this.
+ + +
Nevertheless, the enemy cruiser remained dangerous!
+ + +
The enemy protected cruiser slowed down noticeably. His two companions were almost out of sight and once again these ships made no attempt to provide assistance. If their commanders had noticed the damage that had already occurred on the Japanese ships, the decision might have been different.
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The battle developed into give and take. Overall, however, the Furutaka had the larger caliber and the enemy cruiser less resistance than the Japanese armoured cruiser. In this way it was only a matter of time before the Russian was wrestled down. Only the leak, which is still unsealed, worried the Furutaka crew.
+ + +
To the chagrin of the gunners, Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto ordered Hiroshi to take the hard-oar to port, because there was a risk of torpedoing with the approach to the broadside of the enemy ship. At the same time, he himself ordered the attack with his remaining torpedoes on the cruiser, which had now almost come to a standstill.
+ + +
At the short distance, this finally led to an effective hit and probably to the sealing of the fate of the Russian warship.
+ + +
The enemy was defeated and the Japanese 1st Cruiser Division was able to let off steam with its guns at the target. As is so often the case, there were hardly any better targets to give the artillerymen practice. The cruiser showed the first signs of sinking when it began to sink with the stern.
Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi continued to fire, but scanned the horizon for the other enemy cruisers, which had disappeared. The armored cruisers from Sasebo had also lost contact and his own torpedo boats were on their way to the next port.
The enemy cruiser was defeated, but as long as it floated on the surface of the water, it was a risk that had to be put to an end. At least that's what Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi wanted to try.
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The hit rate was now extremely pleasing, the Russian ship did not want to sink alone.
+ + +
Nothing was left of the remaining enemy ships, so the defeated cruiser continued to serve as a training target and with each attempt the performance of the torpedo teams as well as the artillery improved.
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The final point was set by the Yakumo. As soon as it was about to leave, the cruiser followed up with the 5inch guns, which caused the cruiser, which was already half below the surface of the water, to break apart.
+ + +
Now it was a matter of catching up with the other two cruisers, or looking for the enemy on their own. Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi was undecided!
+ + +
Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi decided to catch up with the rest of the ships in order to be able to react with enough firepower in the event of another encounter. Water was still penetrating the hull of the Furutaka, even though the leak was almost closed. The protected cruiser of the Russians had not only caused considerable damage but also left a lasting impression.
+ + +
At about seven o'clock Tsushima came into view, but there was no trace of the enemy ships. Even Tokiwa, which has been so successful in tracking down so far, had no luck finding the opponent.
Soon dusk would fall, then it would be impossible to find the enemy!
+ + +
Shortly before eighteen o'clock it finally got dark and Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi had to decide whether he should continue his search or run with the damaged Furutaka to Sasebo to have the damage to the hull repaired.
+ + +
Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi entered Asō Bay, where the Tokiwa and her companions were already located. Unlike these ships, Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi didn't want to wait for the night here, but actually wanted to walk to Sasebo.
At eighteen-thirty, the Furutaka and Yakumo passed the Manzekiseto Channel and headed for Sasebo.
But then Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi had doubts as to whether he could withdraw from the battle so easily, or even if he was allowed to? Sure, he had sunk a protected cruiser, but the Furutaka had also been significantly damaged. The sealing of the leak had taken far too long and there was still a significant amount of water in the hull of the cruiser. He was now sure that the retreat to Sasebo would be interpreted as cowardice and remembered to continue looking for the enemy.
The latter essentially had two options. To walk north towards Vladivostok or west towards Port Arthur.
The third possibility – that the enemy had bypassed the Japanese cruisers and headed for Sasebo – was not considered by Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi.
Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi was now sure to circle the island of Tsushima in the north and continue searching there.
The idea of being able to detect anything in the prevailing darkness was a fallacy. At half past nine in the evening, the Furutaka circled the northern tip of Tsushima and Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi was again faced with a choice: Continue towards Vladivostok or south back to the Yellow Sea?
+ + +
Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi decided to walk south. Course Vladivostok carried the risk of encountering other Russian forces that were still fully ammunition and ready for combat. Furutaka and Yakumo, on the other hand, were half empty and alone.
At midnight the two cruisers sailed through a wide field of debris and were back at the sinking site of the enemy's protected cruiser.
Wherever the enemy might be, there was no realistic chance of re-establishing contact and Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto ordered Hiroshi to set course for Sasebo.
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From the War Chronicles of Imperial Japan:
>> Excerpt from the petition of Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi
to the Commander-in-Chief of the Rengō Kantai Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō
of November 6, 1904 <<
I hereby humbly request my replacement as Commanding Officer of the Battleship Furutaka and discharge from active military service in the Imperial Japanese Navy.
To the reasons: Contrary to my unconditional demand not to send the brand new armored cruiser Furutaka into active fleet service only a few days after the seaworthy report, I was given the order to sail.
At my urgent request to postpone the delegation of the cruiser Furutaka for active duty to participate in the Russo-Japanese War for at least two months, I was accused of a lack of will to fight and cowardice in the face of the enemy.
As was shown during the battle of November 5, 1904, the armored cruiser Furutaka, as I predicted, was not ready for battle in any whites.
The armored cruiser Furutaka ran into battle with its eyes wide open and had to accept heavy hits, while its own accuracy was not even remotely present. And this despite the fact that the Furutaka was put into service with the most modern and best guns in the entire fleet.
During the battle of 5 November 1904, the armoured cruiser Furutaka was severely damaged and a sinking of the cruiser on its first voyage ever was within the realm of possibility. The largely untrained crew was not prepared to deal with combat damage and especially hits below the waterline. The leak, caused by enemy action, could only be sealed after many hours and even then only completely inadequately. The crew also had great difficulty removing the water from the ship. When entering Sasebo, there were still large quantities of seawater in the hull of the Furutaka. At any time, the leak fuse would give way, which could have resulted in the sinking of the Furutaka.
This irresponsible action by the naval leadership could thus have led to the loss of the newest and most powerful ship of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
Since the commanding officers show a lack of confidence in my judgment of the operational readiness of a warship, my position as commanding officer of the armored cruiser Furutaka can no longer be foreseen.
Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi – November 6, 1904
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From the War Chronicles of Imperial Japan:
>> Response of the commander of the great fleet Tōgō Heihachirō to Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi
of November 6, 1904 <<
Dear Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi, the events surrounding a possible but unlikely loss of the armored cruiser Furutaka will be honored by the Minister of the Navy as part of a commission of inquiry.
In the current situation, I have to reject your request to withdraw your command of the armored cruiser Furutaka and to dismiss you from the service of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
The war with Russia is far from over and we need our best and most experienced captains at sea.
Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō – November 6, 1904
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Editors of the Tōkyō Shinbun – Monday, November 7, 1904
Osaki Satoshi came to the editorial office completely overtired and much too late. The twins had not rested over the weekend and caused sleepless nights. That had to change. He would send his wife and children to his grandparents in the countryside. The family came from a small village near Uramachi in Aomori Prefecture, right on the northern tip of Honshū.
The climate there was certainly much better but also much colder than in the Kantō Plain with the prefecture and capital Tōkyō.
At least it seemed that Osaki Satoshi would find some sleep in the editorial office after the last few weeks had been quite uneventful. The Russians seemed to avoid the fight and supposedly only the diplomatic wires were running hot at the moment.
"Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi – the commander of the Furutaka is dead – you wrote about him recently – that must interest you!"
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Ministry of Navy of the Imperial Japanese Navy – Monday, November 7, 1904
Minister of the Navy Yamamoto Gonnohyōe was sitting in one of the armchairs at the heavy, gold-decorated wooden table that had adorned the Office of the Ministers of the Navy for years when Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō entered the room.
Prime Minister Katsura Tarō stood at the large window and looked outside. Interior Minister Yoshikawa Akimasa sat on a chair in front of the massive desk of the Minister of the Navy and was engrossed in a document that he read attentively. Justice Minister Hatano Takanao stood in the middle of the room and fixed Tōgō Heihachirō with even narrower eyes than is normal for Japanese anyway and Teishin-daijin Ōura Kanetake sat puffing cigar opposite the Minister of the Navy.
Teishin-daijin Ōura Kanetake was the first to speak:
"Nice mess, a clear victory and the winner is dead! How am I supposed to explain that to the press pack?"
Interior Minister Yoshikawa Akimasa cleared his throat and looked around:
"According to what is written here, it is not the fault of the Kaigun-chūjō."
Yamamoto Gonnohyōe replied, "Of course, the Kaigun-chūjō did not wield the sword himself, but words can be sharper than any sword in the world!"
"Is the condition of the Furutaka really that bad?" asked Prime Minister Katsura Tarō.
"Of course not," Yamamoto Gonnohyōe remarked, "But that doesn't change anything. Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi was a very honorable, tradition-conscious man. A scratch in the paint of the cruiser would have been enough for him to offer his resignation."
"Very introverted, I mean," added Ōura Kanetake.
"Yes – and more than that! In his entire career, there is not the slightest mistake – not one!" Tōgō Heihachirō now began to take part in the conversation.
"So the hit in the hull was something like the greatest conceivable misfortune for Sakamoto?" asked the Prime Minister.
"That is to be assumed, Mr. Prime Minister," Yamamoto explained.
"So I can assume that this report here is correct and not a diversionary tactic?" the Minister of Justice wanted to know.
"Am I supposed to appear in front of the reporters with this?" the Teishin-daijin was annoyed.
"Oh right – you don't even know the report yet," Yoshikawa interrupted the Kaigun-chūjō, stood up, ran up to Tōgō Heihachirō and pressed the papers into his hand.
- - - Preliminary investigation report on the death of Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi on November 7, 1904
The officer in charge of investigating the death of Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi comes to the following preliminary conclusion. Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi caused his death by seppuku himself. According to the current state of knowledge, there are no signs of external influence or coercion.
The exact circumstances are still to be clarified, how Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi managed to be the only person present on the bridge of the armored cruiser Furutaka for quite some time to perform the seppuku there.
A farewell letter was found in the cabin of the Kaigun-daisa, indicating that Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi was no longer able to live with the shame of the near-loss of the brand-new armored cruiser Furutaka during the battle of November 5, 1904. The lack of confidence of his superiors in his experience as a commander was the greatest insult in his career as an officer in the service of the Japanese Empire and the seppuku was the only way to maintain or restore his honor.
…
- - -
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"So Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō – do you have your report ready?"
Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō took a stance: "Yes, Mr. Minister!" Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō reached into the brown leather bag he was carrying and handed over the documents to the Minister of the Navy, Yamamoto Gonnohyōe.
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From the War Chronicles of Imperial Japan:
>> Memorandum of Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō on the attack on Sasebo on November 5, 1904 <<
Distinguished officers and members of the 大本営 (Daihon'ei), based on the events of November 5, 1904, the following findings should be highlighted:
It is only thanks to the life-threatening risk of one of our spies that we learned of the attack by the Russian naval unit. This is not a matter of course, especially since the number of our spies is far too small. If the Russian commander had taken a greater risk, the bombing of the Japanese coast could have succeeded.
Although the enemy's protected cruisers were discovered far off our islands, it was a complete coincidence that a corvette managed to pass on this message. It was also a coincidence that we had four armored cruisers within reach to deal with the enemy.
With only two armoured cruisers, which are usually on patrol duty, this battle could have been different. The fact that our guns – as hard as that may sound – are not used enough is not a new insight. This is our Achilles' heel.
In addition, this time we had to accept that our torpedo boats, which have been so successful so far, are inferior to fully battle-ready protected cruisers, and were not able to maneuver into a position that would have allowed the torpedoes to be used.
I have to tell the 大本営 (Daihon'ei) that we were very lucky how the battle ended. This does not take into account the events surrounding the honorable Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi. These are to be considered separately.
Thus, the officers of the 軍令部 (Gunreibu) of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the 参謀本部 (Sambō hombu) of the Imperial Japanese Army, as well as the 海軍省 (Kaigun-shō) may take note of the prepared and illustrated course of the battle of the attack on Sasebo on November 5, 1904.
Editorial office of the Tōkyō Shinbun – Monday, November 7, 1904
Osaki Satoshi came back to the editorial office. In the Ministry of the Navy, Communications Minister Ōura Kanetake had made a statement that smelled of dead fish from front to back.
But he would play along. Much of the information he had received apart from the public announcements had been correct. He knew only too well that in return he was obliged to print one or the other exaggeration if the reason of state made it necessary.
In the evening, for example, there would be an extra sheet about the heroic death of Kaigun-daisa Sakamoto Hiroshi, which would explain that the Kaigun-daisa died of a wound he had sustained in battle.
Satoshi didn't believe it himself, but whoever was asked, you got this explanation as an answer. The Imperial Navy had its sailors well under control, because even the reporter of the Tōkyō Shinbun in Sasebo had not managed to find out otherwise. There were also strange disruptions with the telegraph line to the south. That was certainly no coincidence either.
After all, the navy had to admit that its ships were not invulnerable. That was a serious loss of face and yet it was accepted. So the Navy had something much more serious to hide.
What could that be? Compared to the enemy, the losses of the Imperial Fleet were hardly worth mentioning. That could not be it, if the line-up was complete.
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There was also something else to think about. Reports came from Hokkaidō that the farmers complained that the army was eating away all their winter supplies. In fact, it turned out that large parts of the Imperial Army were gathered on Hokkaidō, but did not move there. In the port of Wakkanai numerous steamers had been talking for weeks without loading or unloading anything.
There were rumors that these ships were to be used for an invasion, but the army refused to board.
Rather, the naval leadership visibly proudly announced the commissioning of more ships than to address the question of an invasion.
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From the War Chronicles of Imperial Japan:
>> Logbook of the hunter cruiser Iwate dated 29 December 1904 <<
At noon on 29 December 1904, Kaigun-daisa Taketomi Kunikane encountered the enemy with the armoured cruiser Iwate. This was the first opportunity in the Russo-Japanese War to test whether the Iwate-class ships could serve their purpose as "Lone Hunters". In the navy, the ships of the Iwate and Furutaka classes had to fulfill a special role from the beginning, which the then Minister of the Navy Saigō Tsugumichi referred to as hunter cruisers.
These ships should be fast enough to escape ships of the line and heavily armed enough to make short work of enemy armored cruisers. In the planning of the Navy there were two occasions on which these qualities were necessary.
On the one hand, it was the task of the hunter cruisers to find and sink enemy merchant ships and on the other hand, it was the task of the hunter cruisers to thwart enemy warships on this mission as trade disruptors. The hunter cruisers should be able to do this worldwide.
On the twenty-ninth of December 1904 there was an artillery duel – armoured cruiser against armoured cruiser!
6:47 a.m. – After bunkering coal three days ago, the armored cruiser Iwate is now north of Hokkaidō in the Sea of Okhotsk since leaving Wakkanai. The order is unchanged to prevent enemy merchant shipping to and from Sakhalin.
Twenty minutes ago, the lookout reported smoke on the horizon, which turned out to belong to the freighter Komatsu Maru. The captain of the Komatsu Maru handed us pieces of debris from an obviously Japanese ship, which he had found floating in the sea three hours earlier.
The order is to set course for the site and from there begin the search for a suspected Russian trade disruptor.
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11:23 hrs – After leaving the debris area, the Iwate is now heading northwestwards towards Sakhalin, where the enemy would probably retreat after its successful sinking.
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12:57 hrs – Lookout reports smoke plume on the horizon in a northwesterly direction. Take an interception course.
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1:09 p.m. – The ship to be intercepted is addressed as an armored cruiser of unknown design. The enemy spotted us a few minutes ago and is now on an escape course.
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1:13:13 hrs – Unknown cruiser now classified as a Russian Gromoboi-class armored cruiser. The enemy tries to flee.
>> Logbook of the hunter cruiser Iwate dated 29 December 1904 <<
1:39 p.m. – First goal scored on Gromoboi class. However, with the 5inch secondary artillery and not with the main artillery. The accuracy of the 12inch main artillery leaves a lot to be desired.
+ + +
1:46 p.m. – After several minutes of parallel driving and firing at each other without hitting, the enemy is now turning away. Hunter cruiser Iwate takes up pursuit.
+ + +
2:21 p.m. – After more than thirty minutes of pursuit and shelling without hitting, a hit has now been scored with the main artillery. Hunter cruiser Iwate was hit and damaged by secondary artillery of the enemy ship, but no impairment of combat capability occurred.
+ + +
2:24 p.m. – Due to the significantly reduced distance to the enemy, more hits are now received from enemy artillery.
14:45 hrs – Malfunction in the mechanics of the forward turret of the 12inch main artillery. Main weapon system thus failed and unusable for an indefinite period of time. Rear 12inch gun is not in position to the enemy. Continue pursuit and shelling with secondary artillery.
14:50 hrs – Heavy hit in the Iwate's superstructure largely stopped by the armor.
14:54 hrs – Enemy hits the hull on the Iwate, no damage occurred.
14:57 hrs – Enemy scores hits on the forward secondary artillery. And close hits on the fuselage.
+ + +
15:02 hrs – Scored isolated hits with your own secondary artillery on the enemy ship. No hit effect recognizable. Enemy scores hits in the engine room of the Iwate. Speed can be maintained, continue to chase the enemy and desperately try to make the front main turret ready for battle again.
+ + +
15:09 p.m. – Front main turret is back in battle and since repairing the mechanics there seems to be a bit better accuracy. Hit with main artillery and reported significant hit effect from the lookout. The enemy seems to be losing momentum.
+ + +
15:09 hrs – Actually better accuracy available, Hunter cruiser Iwate scores more hits with the 12inch guns on enemy Gromoboi class. However, the enemy is still capable of combat and in turn hits the Iwate again. No serious damage reported.
+ + +
15:19 hrs – Enemy ship is losing speed significantly and is now regularly hit by the main artillery of the Iwate. Enemy fire increases noticeably.
3:21 p.m. – Now several hits have been scored on the enemy armored cruiser, which has almost come to a standstill. Order given to change course to get into position for the starboard torpedo launchers.
3:27 p.m. – Despite the enemy seemingly beginning to sink, the enemy guns are still active, scoring hits on the lower edge of the Iwate armor belt. There are still no impairments of combat capability.
15:29 – Enemy scores numerous hits on the Iwate, but all of them can be stopped by the armor.
+ + +
15:30 hrs – Heavy mutual fire at the shortest distance with numerous hits in each case. The effect of the Iwate's 12inch guns is now unmistakable, while the enemy 6inch shells can be largely deterred by the Iwate's armor. The Gromoboi class lies almost still in the water.
+ + +
3:40 p.m. – Enemy sneaks on at a small speed, but is constantly hit by our grenades. Further hits on Iwate have no effect.
+ + +
15:57 hrs – The enemy is finally in the sea with an increasing pitch. In the last twenty minutes, countless difficult goals were scored. Now the order to use the torpedoes has been given to accelerate the sinking of the enemy ship. Torpedoes almost hit the sinking ship through the deck, as the hull is already almost completely under water on the port side.
4:01 p.m. - Enemy Gromoboi-class armored cruiser capsized at sixteen o'clock after heavy fire. The torpedo hits only accelerated the sinking and had no causal significance for the sinking.
>> Memorandum of Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō
to the logbook of the hunter cruiser Iwate of 29 December 1904 <<
Honored officers and members of the 大本営 (Daihon'ei),
all in all, the armoured cruiser Iwate has fulfilled the expectations placed on this special ship design. But this had more to do with luck than with the superiority of the material.
The accuracy and reliability of the 12inch main guns is completely inadequate. The hit effect of the enemy's 6inch guns is also more extensive than intended. It may have been pure luck that the enemy Gromoboi class was underarmed for an armored cruiser with only 6inch guns. Other enemy and wider armoured cruiser designs have typical 8inch or 9inch main caliber, some even 10inch main caliber.
The design of the Iwate as a super-heavily armed armoured cruiser with high speed but only light armour for the main purpose of use as a trade disruptor would most likely not have withstood a better armed opponent.
The naval command is urged to ensure significantly better main artillery for future merchant jammer designs. In particular, the number of only two bow guns and one stern gun can be described as far too small.
Although the specification of the Iwate-class never intended to enter into combat with an enemy armored cruiser or ship of the line, the maximum speed of only 22 knots is not sufficient to escape an enemy armored cruiser. On the other hand, the battle with enemy protected cruisers, auxiliary cruisers and torpedo boats was absolutely planned, as these are all faster than the Iwate except for the auxiliary cruisers and therefore a run away generally does not seem possible. It is precisely in this case that the mighty caliber is to be used to make short work of protected cruisers and torpedo boats comparatively quickly.
However, this requires sufficient precision, which is not given with the current guns. At the same time, the hit effect of typical calibers of protected cruisers is too extensive to be ignored.
I note that the naval command of the Imperial Japanese Navy must urgently improve the following characteristics for future ship classes with the purpose of serving as trade disruptors:
- The reliability and precision of the main artillery must be significantly improved. If necessary, by reducing the caliber of the main artillery.
- The number of guns of the main artillery must be increased, which can also be achieved by reducing the caliber.
- The maximum speed is to be considered sufficient for the current requirements, one or two knots more would be desirable to be able to safely track protected cruisers.
- The armor of the Iwate-class was never intended to withstand calibers larger than 6 to 7inches. However, it was shown during the battle that 6inch calibers are sufficient for impact hits, especially at very short distances to the enemy. This is unacceptable for the intended use of the Iwate-class.
- Future designs must be equipped with armor that can withstand 6inch calibers even at the shortest combat distances. It is advisable to provide armor that can offer resistance even to 8-inch calibers at close range long enough until the enemy has been reliably wrestled down.
Thus, the officers of the 軍令部 (Gunreibu) of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the 参謀本部 (Sambō hombu) of the Imperial Japanese Army, and the 海軍省 (Kaigun-shō) may take good note of the prepared and illustrated course of the battle on December 29 of that year.
Long live the Rengō Kantai, long live the Imperial Japanese Navy, long live the Emperor!
Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō, December 31, 1904
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Editorial Board of the Tōkyō Shinbun – Saturday, December 31, 1904
That would cause trouble! Osaki Satoshi was still sitting in the editorial office. At home, the traditional soba noodles were certainly already waiting, which should be eaten before the turn of the year, if you didn't want to have the bad luck in the new year.
The also traditional house cleaning had to take place without his help and that would certainly not let Natsuko forget him.
New Year is one of the most important holidays in Japan and on this day he certainly couldn't work in the editorial office. That was out of the question. So he now had to deal with everything that was supposed to be in the Tōkyō Shinbun on Monday at the latest.
Finally, the secret of the Iwate-class had been revealed. So it was a highly-bred trade disruptor. Other nations entrusted this task to specially converted merchant ships, perhaps even old warships into otherwise useless warships, but not to the Imperial Japanese Navy.
No, the Imperial Japanese Navy built the largest warships it owned especially for this task. So it was again this typical Japanese feeling of superiority that must have given the impetus for this. This thinking was widespread among the officers of the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces, whether in the Navy or the Army. Yes, it even led to the fact that the army and navy preferred to fight each other instead of the enemy.
It was probably only a matter of time before this would have negative consequences for Japan. Satoshi also thought he knew when this could be the case. He held in his hands a copy of the Roosevelt Corollary which he had promulgated three weeks before.
This could only mean one thing: The United States of America wanted to do the same as its European ancestors and secure a piece of the pie in the world. A glance at the globe was enough to know where there was still something to distribute – in the Pacific!
The very Pacific that the Japanese military began to see as its own personal bathtub. The conflict was therefore inevitable. Satoshi didn't know when that would happen, but he already knew the accompanying headline of the Tōkyō Shinbun: War in the Pacific!
America! This was a completely different dimension than the rather backward Tsarist Empire.
A look at the economic opportunities and the fleet in peacetime already showed what the United States of America
would be able to accomplish in times of crisis or even war.
+ + +
Editors of the Tōkyō Shinbun – Monday, January 2, 1905
The navy began the new year with a cornucopia of reports. Above all, the seaworthy report of the ship of the line Suwo overshadowed everything else. The Minister of the Navy was visibly proud of the latest monster without really being able to prove it with facts. Osaki Satoshi quickly realized that he wanted to distract from the rather inglorious reports about Russian trade disruptor operations.
Hadn't this same Minister of the Navy declared just a few days ago how successful the Iwate had been in sinking Russian trade disruptors?
The army praised itself effusively for successes in the field and must have meant maneuvers, because the invading forces were still only besieging Hokkaidō. There were probably the first dead limbs, as the north of Japan rarely exceeded the temperature scale above zero from the end of December, even during the day.
While the navy has indeed been successful, the army's operations to date have been a farce.
Gensui Ōyama Iwao had probably finally understood this and reports came from Hokkaidō that the soldiers were finally beginning to dismantle the camps.
So should there really be an invasion?
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From the War Chronicles of Imperial Japan:
>> Battle of the Keelung troop transport from 7 to 8 January 1905 <<
In fact, at the beginning of 1905, the army leadership was trying to finally do something for the Emperor's honor. Since, to the horror of the generals, many soldiers who were ready to invade had to deal with the consequences of the North Japanese winter, the army decided to call in freshly recovered troops from the supposedly safe Formosa.
Shortly before the end of January 7, a convoy of troops left the port city of Keelung on course for the Japanese home islands. These transports were to join forces with the actual invasion force before Wakkanei and continue directly to Sakhalin.
The High Command of the Imperial Japanese Army was sure that the Russians did not expect an invasion from the sea at this time of year. One storm chased the next and those who could stayed in the harbor. Far south of Formosa, however, the weather conditions were much more relaxed, which is why this part of the crossing should be calm.
The convoy had barely set sail when the Tsar's navy demanded retribution!
>> Battle of the Keelung troop transport from 7 to 8 January 1905 <<
The Japanese armed forces – whether navy or army – felt safe. The enemy was badly battered and the weather conditions were anything but suitable for carrying out major operations. The assumption that a troop transport from Formosa would be a safe bet was a foregone conclusion. Russia had no bases in the immediate vicinity and, apart from "small" units, nothing to lead into battle. So there was no reason to escort the convoy so far south with heavy units.
The convoy consisted of 3 line merchant ships that had been hastily equipped to transport infantrymen. All in all, sixteen ships. In addition, there were four torpedo boat flotillas with a total of eleven torpedo boats as escort.
The Japanese 7th Torpedo Boat Flotilla had the task of close cover and sailed directly in the convoy.
The Japanese 10th Torpedo Boat Flotilla had the task of advance reconnaissance and was also part of the direct convoy defense.
The actual combat units belonged to the Japanese 2nd Torpedo Boat Flotilla with the torpedo boats Oboro and Asanagi. The Oboro served as the flagship and was under the command of Kaigun-Chūsa Tanaka Daisuke, who formally commanded the entire force.
The most important element was the Japanese 3rd Torpedo Boat Flotilla with the torpedo boats Akebono, Satsuki, Nagatsuki, Mochizuki and Mikazuki.
These two flotillas were to carry out long-range reconnaissance in order to push potential enemies as far away from the cargo ships as possible. If this did not succeed, the mission was to attack the enemy and, if possible, to engage them in a battle that offered the freighters the opportunity to escape.
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It was pitch dark night and Kaigun-Chūsa Tanaka Daisuke had just reached the meeting point. At least it had to be the meeting place. So far, a single cargo ship has been identified and even this only with a lot of imagination.
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Another ship came into view, but could not yet be identified. The only conspicuous thing was its high speed level, which is why it was discovered in the first place. The foaming bow wave was clearly visible in the pale moonlight, which just broke through the cloud cover.
This ship was too fast for a freighter and too big for a torpedo boat...
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Kaigun-Chūsa Tanaka Daisuke decided to take a closer look at this ship. It might have been a backward freighter that was looking for the connection. Surely the captain would get what was possible out of his plane there. So this freighter would be collected and assigned a place.
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The collection was easy to say, as the ship suddenly turned away as it approached. They probably had to help a little with the searchlights.
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The searchlights were not yet aligned and switched on when the enemy opened fire. The muzzle flash hit Kaigun-Chūsa Tanaka Daisuke like a punch.
This was not a Japanese transport ship, this was an enemy cruiser!
The first shells fell around the Oboro and dark glittering water fountains rose into the air.
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Kaigun-Chūsa Tanaka Daisuke ordered the 2nd and 3rd Flotillas to launch a frontal attack while the convoy was about to turn away.
He knew instinctively that this would be a terrible night. A superior enemy was practically in the middle of the convoy – how could that happen?
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An exchange of blows with the artillery quickly developed, but none of the opponents managed to score. But then a bright gleam of light flickered on the Akebono. That must have been a bull's eye.
Something seemed to have exploded on the Akebono. Kaigun-Chūsa Tanaka Daisuke could not see what that was.
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Then the light cones of several spotlights allowed a view of the Akebono. The torpedo boat had a pitch, the stern was almost under water and a crack in the hull was clearly visible amidships. The Akebono seemed to be on the verge of breaking in two.
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The enemy cruiser gratefully accepted the illumination of the other Japanese torpedo boats and continued to fire at the Akebono from all cylinders.
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In the meantime, the Akebono was on fire, but the boatman did not want to give up. The ship lost speed, but he still tried to get into position for a torpedo attack. The Akebono hardly obeyed the rudder, but swung slowly around.
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Kaigun-Chūsa Tanaka Daisuke had to watch helplessly as the Akebono swerved out of the formation and was shot down!
>> Battle of the Keelung troop transport from 7 to 8 January 1905 <<
Giving up was not an option for the commander of the Akebono. If the Akebono sank, the enemy had to be taken with it. Before losing momentum, the Akebono attempted a ramming shot. However, the enemy cruiser, now addressed as belonging to the Posadnik class, was too fast for the badly hit torpedo boat.
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The Akebono was out of the race and the enemy cruiser turned to the next torpedo boat.
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But then the enemy also remembered that only a definitively sinking enemy is a good enemy and fired at the Akebono again. With success! The Akebono drastically lost momentum and began to sink.
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Enraged by the loss of the Akebono, all Japanese torpedo boats began to attack the cruiser with their artillery and scored their first hits. The enemy shot back just as violently.
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Kaigun-Chūsa Tanaka Daisuke ordered a disengagement maneuver in order to be able to regroup. The cruiser was far superior to the torpedo boats and another stubborn attack would only cost more torpedo boats. At least the enemy could actually be pushed away from the cargo ships. The Oboro approached the Akebono's sinking site to search for survivors, but in the darkness and spreading fog, no one had been seen. Now it was necessary to block the enemy's way to the convoy.
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For the moment, the maneuver was successful and the cruiser moved away from the troop transports. Kaigun-Chūsa Tanaka Daisuke could not do more at the moment.
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Then finally the time had come to be able to use the main weapon of the torpedo boats. But this did not prevent the Russian cruiser from continuing to fire massively at the torpedo boats with its guns.
The cruiser was aware of the danger of Japanese torpedoes and therefore constantly changed course. The torpedoes went nowhere.
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Kaigun-Chūsa Tanaka Daisuke was horrified to discover that the last heading rates had put the enemy out of sight. If he did not find the cruiser again and occupy it, the freighters would be in great danger.
However, finding one's own convoy was just as difficult as searching for the enemy.
In addition, the Satsuki and Mikazuki were badly hit and were not able to go at full speed.
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The Russian cruiser suffered a similar fate and its search course led it back into sight of the Oboro. The sighting was for both sides and the Russian cruiser immediately sought battle.
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The cruiser needed less than five minutes before the Asanagi was a floating wreck.
>> Battle of the Keelung troop transport from 7 to 8 January 1905 <<
Kaigun-Chūsa Tanaka Daisuke had to watch as one torpedo boat after the other was attacked by the enemy cruiser. The fighting power at his disposal was steadily declining. He could only hope that the convoy would get away fast enough to escape.
The fog had largely disappeared, as had the clouds. A clear, but fortunately still very small crescent moon threw a pale light over the scenery. It was probably lucky that it was one day after the new moon and that there was no large full moon disk in the sky.
It didn't help, Kaigun-Chūsa Tanaka Daisuke turned away to at least pull the badly damaged boats out of the battle and then intervene again. Maintaining the formation was simply not possible with the battered boats. They were much too slow for that.
However, this maneuver led to the loss of contact with the enemy.
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Kaigun-Chūsa Tanaka Daisuke couldn't risk that. He left the asanagi behind in order to be able to re-establish visual contact with the enemy. But the cruiser had disappeared.
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The Japanese 10th Torpedo Boat Flotilla came into view, which was to serve as an outpost, but the unit leader aboard the Sazanami had not sighted the enemy either. It is possible that the Russian cruiser had turned around and was looking for the convoy in the wrong place.
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The reports of the torpedo boats hit were also not very reassuring. Although the greatest danger was averted for the time being and none threatened to sink acutely, this could change at any time.
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Kaigun-Chūsa Tanaka Daisuke now ordered all units to establish their own contact with the troop transports and to escort the ships back to Keelung in close formation. To do this, however, he had to find the convoy himself.
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When muzzle flashes flashed far south, it was clear where the convoy was and the enemy cruiser had found the transports first.
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All torpedo boats rushed towards the flashes of light, but it could be too late by the time they got there, because a first explosion indicated hits on the transports.
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Kaigun-Chūsa Tanaka Daisuke came closer and slowly black shadows appeared on the horizon, which were illuminated again and again by short flashes of light. But the cruiser itself was not really visible. But it had to be where the muzzle flash was seen.
Further explosions lit up the combat area. It was only a matter of time before it would tear apart a first freighter.
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The first convoy ships came within range, but the cruiser fired from the far side and still could not be fought.
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Then finally the first torpedo boats were back at the enemy and were immediately taken under fire by him.
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Kaigun-Chūsa Tanaka Daisuke saw only one chance to save the troops:
Frontal attack!
Whatever the cost and even if he himself and the other crews should die tonight. The disgrace of having accepted the loss of the transporters in order to survive himself would never be erased from the history books. And this disgrace would be interwoven with his name for all time.
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The enemy immediately recognized the tactical situation and set course for the cargo ships. Knowing full well that every Japanese shelling became a risk for the Japanese freighters. So the Russians had also learned this from the past battles.
The commander of the Satsuki – who was now in command of the Japanese 3rd Torpedo Boat Flotilla – recognized the Russian commander's intention and immediately tried to put himself between the enemy and the transports.
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Immediately a new artillery battle began. But the Satsuki's maneuver was successful. Like the commander of the Akebono before him, the commander of the Satsuki tried to ram the enemy if the torpedoes could not be used.
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Then finally the Satsuki was able to release the torpedoes at less than 300 yards. Around both ships, enemy and friendly shells crashed down and the spray slapped on the decks of the opponents.
As fast as an arrow, the torpedo shot towards the hull of the cruiser and pierced it exactly amidships, only to explode only fractions of a second later.
A huge hole gaped in the hull of the cruiser, which turned and immediately lost speed.
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Immediately, the Satsuki targeted the cruiser with the second torpedo to chase this enemy to the fish.
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Kaigun-Chūsa Tanaka Daisuke didn't notice any of this, as he was still out of sight with the Oboro. Only the constant flashing of the guns testified to a fierce battle.
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The second torpedo tore off the entire stern of the cruiser, which in a desperate last manoeuvre now also started to ram the Satuski.
With a quick turn, the Satsuki escaped the danger and the enemy cruiser rolled around its longitudinal axis directly behind the stern of the Satsuki and capsized.
>> Memorandum of Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō
on the battle for the Keelung troop transport from 7 to 8 January 1905 <<
Honored officers and members of the 大本営 (Daihon'ei),
I would like to inform you that Shōshō Tōyama Itagaki – Commander of the Kempeitai-Formosa Division – and his Taisa Mineo Shinozaki – have committed seppuku.
Both officers had succumbed to arrogance and considered it impossible that enemy warships could be deployed near Formosa or on the shipping route between Formosa and Japan.
This was not only a criminal misjudgement, but also a violation of the unspoken rules of intelligence activities. According to this, it would of course have had to be clarified whether the enemy is also espionage in ports in regions where it does not maintain any bases itself.
It is now clear that our enemy was well informed about the Keelung troop transport. Attacking our convoy with only a single protected cruiser was as bold as it was right. If a larger convoy with several cruisers and torpedo boats had left its berths in Port Arthur or Vladivostok, this would have given our spies there pause for thought. A single cruiser, however, was apparently no cause for concern for our reconnaissance.
Dear officers and members of the 大本営 (Daihon'ei), this must change. We must always be fully aware of all of our opponent's ship movements.
The fact that nothing dramatic happened to our convoy was solely due to Kaigun-Chūsa Tanaka Daisuke and the heroism of his torpedo boat crews. In the best Japanese tradition, these sailors pounced on the enemy without fuss and made the greatest sacrifice to save the infantrymen of the army.
Gentlemen, I would also like to see such a commitment from the Supreme Army Command of the Imperial Japanese Army. Instead of joining in the lamentations of their soldiers on Hokkaidō, it is finally time to order the invasion.
Thus, the officers of the 軍令部 (Gunreibu) of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the 参謀本部 (Sambō hombu) of the Imperial Japanese Army, and the 海軍省 (Kaigun-shō) may take good note of the prepared and illustrated course of the battle from January 7 to 8 of that year.
Long live the Rengō Kantai, long live the Imperial Japanese Navy, long live the Emperor!
Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō, January 10, 1905
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Editorial Board of the Tōkyō Shinbun – Monday, January 16, 1905
The eighth month of the war was approaching! If there really was once a belief in a short war, the latest announcements of the Imperial Navy left no doubt that an end to the hostilities was not in sight.
The Naval Academy began the year by training more personnel for newly ordered warships, while the shipyards began to expand the docks in order to be able to carry out these orders at all.
It took Osaki Satoshi a few minutes to formulate the headline:
War – and no end!
It would be. And he could already see the tears in the eyes of mothers and wives at the sight of these words. After all, it was certain that more soldiers would never come home.
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Extra sheet of the Tōkyō Shinbun from Wednesday, February 01, 1905
>> RUSSIANS SINK NUMEROUS JAPANESE MERCHANT SHIPS <<
Navy Minister Yamamoto Gonnohyōe had to admit that the Imperial Japanese Navy has not been able to do anything about the Russian cruiser war in recent weeks. Although attempts were again made to bring about a final decisive battle, the Tsar's navy knew how to prevent this.
Despite all the progress and newly commissioned warships, the Russians have taken the reins of action and are forcing a kind of partisan warfare at sea on the Empire.
Japan is not yet feeling any elementary bottlenecks, but this is only a matter of time, a high-ranking officer hinted behind closed doors.
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Extra sheet of the Tōkyō Shinbun from Tuesday, February 7, 1905
>> SEVERAL WARSHIPS EN ROUTE TO SOUTHEAST ASIA <<
In response to the heavy losses of the merchant navy, Minister of the Navy Yamamoto Gonnohyōe announced that the deployment of the fleet would be massively changed. Several cruisers are already on their way to Southeast Asia. As soon as these ships have arrived there, advances will be made from there along the shipping routes to India and the South Seas in order to deter the Russian fleet from further attacks on our cargo ships.
At the same time, the Navy intensified its efforts to emulate the enemy and ordered more submarines for the trade war.
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Ministry of the Navy of the Imperial Japanese Navy – Tuesday, February 14, 1905
Editor-in-chief Kamata Itachi and Osaki Satoshi were now quite familiar with the interior design in the office of the Minister of the Navy. Apart from Yamamoto Gonnohyōe, however, none other than Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō was present this time. There was rarely an opportunity to have a confidential conversation with Japan's great hero in person.
"Dear Kaigun-chūjō," Osaki Satoshi began the conversation. "Our readers—no—the entire Japanese people desire to know what you intend to do about the problem of Russian trade disruptors?"
"Well, Mr. Osaki, I can guess that." Was the simple and meaningless answer of the admiral. After a seemingly endless silence, he added: "We are planning big things!"
"Great Mr. Admiral?"
"Yes, big – a completely new ship – a completely revolutionary design. A ship with a hitherto unthinkable striking power that can take on any enemy trade disruptor and does not even have to be afraid of ships of the line."
"How is that supposed to be possible?"
"You are allowed to take a look at this sketch, but you are not allowed to take the documents with you this time!"
"A battlecruiser?"
"Yes, Mr. Kamata – a battlecruiser – something completely new that is currently on everyone's lips in all design offices worldwide."
"So we don't have that exclusively, Mr. Admiral?"
"No, Mr. Osaki, but we are at the forefront. That much is certain!"
"Sure?"
"Yes, we have reliable sources."
"But – but – how long will it take to build this monster?"
"Two years if there are no delays."
"Two years – that's how long is this war supposed to last?"
"No, gentlemen, this war will be decided beforehand, but your headlines alone will cause panic among the enemy when you write that the construction of the Tsukuba is well advanced."
"We are supposed to lie?"
"Yes, of course – like the other times, gentlemen."
"But is that credible?"
"It's not, but our opponents won't be left alone by the uncertainty. In upcoming negotiations, this could be the decisive piece of the puzzle."
"And if the Russians don't fall for it?"
"We still have a superior fleet that we continue to strengthen."
"Promptly?"
"It depends on the fact that there will also be construction here."
"But this new cruiser type also has a long construction time?"
"Too long, yes, but he appreciates the experiences of the last few weeks."
"How long will this war last, Mr. Admiral?"
Now Navy Minister Yamamoto Gonnohyōe intervened in the conversation:
"Gentlemen – I am afraid we have already overrun the time. Urgent business is already waiting and the admiral has to return to the fleet today."
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Visibly agitated, Kamata Itachi and Osaki Satoshi left the Navy Ministry. Satoshi began to recite his thoughts aloud:
"The two of them don't know how long this war will last!"
"That's how you could interpret the reaction, yes."
"What should we write about it?"
"Nothing - that was also clear from the reaction."
"Nothing?"
"Nothing! – and that's how it stays."
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Editorship of the Tōkyō Shinbun – Wednesday, March 8, 1905
February had gone as it had come. The Japanese Navy announced great advances that would surely soon bring victory, but it was the Russian Navy that determined when and where a battle would take place. And at the moment, fighting took place only between Japanese merchant ships and Russian cruisers.
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Editorship of the Tōkyō Shinbun – Wednesday, March 8, 1905
The war that had begun so promisingly dragged on and the initial successes increasingly faded in the face of countless fallen or interned sailors of the merchant navy. In addition, there was the unexpectedly rapid rearmament of the Tsarist fleet, which now again knew how to try to prevent an invasion with strong forces.
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From the War Chronicles of Imperial Japan:
>> Battle of La Pérouse Strait, April 17, 1905 <<
In mid-April 1905, the dispute between the Imperial Navy and the Army escalated because still no Japanese infantryman had set foot on enemy soil. The Imperial Navy still claims that an invasion is possible without danger, while the army was sure to fall into a deadly trap.
Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō personally wanted to prove the opposite to the entire army command and thus humiliate the entire generals. On the morning of the seventeenth of April 1905, he set out with the two armoured cruisers Furutaka and Yakumo and five torpedo boats of the
Japanese 2nd Torpedo Boat Flotilla towards Sakhalin.
The admiral was sure - if at all the enemy would have some torpedo boats here - in the afternoon he was in battle with enemy ships of the line.
The naval battle in the La Pérouse Strait took its course...
Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō had lined up to prove to the "gentlemen" of the army the security of an invasion of Sakhalin. Of course, this included carrying out this shock operation not with the entire fleet, but with a simple reconnaissance squadron.
Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō thus commanded the armored cruiser Furutaka, which, together with armored cruiser Yakumo, commanded the
Japanese 1st Cruiser Division and was accompanied by five torpedo boats of the Japanese 2nd Torpedo Boat Flotilla.
Before noon, the ships had left the port of Wakkanai, steered a southerly course for a short time to mislead any informants in the harbor or on the coast, and then set off westwards with a course for Vladivostok.
Out of sight of the Japanese coast, the convoy turned northeast heading for Sakhalin. Now around half past two o'clock
Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō into La Pérouse Street.
His goal was to advance to the port of Korsakov to control the presence of Russian naval units and then return to Wakkanai.
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At about fifteen o'clock an unknown ship came into sight in the middle of La Pérouse Street.
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Initial speculation revolved around a freighter, but when the unknown contact had also spotted the Japanese ships, it immediately turned away and picked up speed.
He was too fast for a freighter!
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The ship made no attempt to move away, nor did it actively come closer. It sailed with its broad side turned towards the Japanese squadron and seemed to wait and see what might arrive there.
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Almost half an hour had passed when, based on the superstructure, one had to assume a larger warship. Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō was thinking of an armored cruiser when a second ship came into view.
The afternoon would therefore be different than planned. There was no longer any question of a leisurely fishing trip.
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It took only minutes for it to become clear that the smoke plumes must have come from significantly more ships. The Japanese squadron now steered an interception course to the suspected enemy.
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Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō flinched. From the lookout came a precise sighting message:
Enemy Ship of the Line Gangut-Class Ahead
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According to everything that was known about the Russian fleet, the Gangut was a serious opponent. With four 12-inch guns and twelve 6-inch guns, this ship could easily compete with the Furutaka. In addition, this class had sixteen 3-inch guns and thus posed a serious danger to the torpedo boats.
The Russian commander had probably also recognized the nominal superiority and now turned on a direct course to the Japanese ships.
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The last sighting reports foreshadowed evil. According to this, the operation developed into a stab in the hornet's nest, because the ship of the line was accompanied by several protected cruisers and opened fire on the Japanese torpedo boats.
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Only moments later, the first water fountains sprayed high out of the water along the Furutaka and pattered back onto the water surface.
With gritted teeth, Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō had to admit that the army leadership had been right.
Now all that remained for him was the order to return fire!
With some relief, the Japanese cruisers realized that the supposed protected cruisers were only torpedo boats, even if this only marginally improved the situation.
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As so often before, the different approaches to combat became apparent. While the Japanese torpedo boats stormed forward in death-defying whiteness and the armored cruisers acted from a distance, the Russians behaved exactly the other way around. The detected ship of the line headed alone towards the Japanese squadron, while the torpedo boats kept their distance.
Author's note: Unfortunately, here you can see once again a very unpleasant behavior of the AI. If the torpedo boats would shield their "big ships", RTW2 would be a really difficult game...
Additional Information for Matrixgames Readers: This was an early version of RTW 2
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As is so often the case, the Russians recognized their problematic situation. And Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō wondered if the same teachings were taught everywhere in the European naval academies and training centers?
Seeking direct confrontation with the ships of the line may have been normal in the age of sailing ships, but it was by no means the case with the modern steam-powered steel monsters.
Anyway – Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō could only be happy with this behavior. It increased his chances of emerging victorious from the battle. The Japanese 2nd Torpedo Boat Flotilla was preparing its torpedo attack.
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Of course, at this distance the hits on the torpedo boats were not lacking, but the Russians seemed to have the same quality problems with their 12inch guns as Japan with its 11- and 12-inch guns.
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It took a while for the Japanese 2nd Torpedo Boat Flotilla to get into position to have any chance of hitting. In the immediate vicinity of a heavily armoured and armed ship of the line, the principle applied here: eels in the water and run away. With a bit of luck, some enemy officer would carelessly steer his ship into the trajectory of one of the torpedoes.
The Ikazuchi was hit hard during this attempt.
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At least the torpedo attack brought disorder to the opponent's formation. This was useful because the Japanese torpedo boats were already badly battered, but the enemy could not take a direct advantage of it.
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The Japanese 2nd Torpedo Boat Flotilla took advantage of the enemy's disorder for a second attempt, while the armored cruisers covered the entire area with scattered fire to keep the enemy busy. Now or never was the motto, because the Japanese 2nd Torpedo Boat Flotilla would only be able to make a third attempt with a lot of luck.
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The courage was rewarded and a torpedo drilled into the hull of the Gangut and exploded!
Now they had to step up their game as long as the opportunity was so favorable.
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Through his binoculars, Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō saw several explosions at the same time. It was not possible to make out exactly who had hit whom. Smoke wafted over the surface of the water and blocked the view. But it seemed to him as if the enemy ship of the line was dramatically losing speed.
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The battle now resembled a wild brawl and at the shortest distance they fought each other in the hardest way. In their emerging panic, the Russians resorted to their well-known tactic of ramming strikes. The already battered Yugure was the victim of a Russian torpedo boat.
Instead, the Japanese torpedo boats hit their counterparts with torpedoes.
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The Yugure remained motionless in the water. But the crew was not willing to give up. The water was bubbling as if in a witch's cauldron. And the remaining torpedo boats did everything they could to sink the battered ship of the line once and for all.
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Three more torpedo hits tore open the hull of the Russian ship of the line and sealed its fate. This ship would not be able to survive five torpedo hits under any circumstances, the sailors of the Japanese 2nd Torpedo Boat Flotilla were sure of that. Now it was time to take a step back and regroup.
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Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō had observed the water columns directly on the hull of the Gangut class and also concluded that this enemy was finished. He set course for this position to provide artillery support to his departing torpedo boats.
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The Yugure might have been finished, but that didn't stop the crew from continuing the fight with the guns as long as they were still ready for action. The remaining torpedo boats now also targeted the enemy torpedo boats. Only the Ikazuchi crept out of the combat zone, badly damaged, until its commander decided that this could be interpreted as cowardice.
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The commander of the Yugure also did everything without regard for himself and his crew. With a knot, the torpedo boat crept into position to torpedo the ship of the line again. The same was done by the Nenohi, which in the meantime had taken command of the Japanese 2nd Torpedo Boat Flotilla. The commander steered the Nenohi through the middle of two enemy torpedo boats, so that they could not shoot back without running the risk of hitting their chamberlains.
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By the time Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō had come within effective combat distance with his two armored cruisers, there was already nothing more to do. The Gangut-class ship of the line had received eight or nine torpedo hits and was lying on its side in the water. The two nearby torpedo boats had also received fatal torpedo hits and the third enemy torpedo boat was on the run.
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The battle was decided and Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō used, as so often before, the sinking enemy ships as training targets for his crew.
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The last intact enemy ship kept a respectful distance and had to watch as the ship of the line to be protected was finally shot down.
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Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō pursued the last torpedo boat, which immediately fled.
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The last torpedo boat sought its salvation on the coast, but had to let the Japanese armored cruisers come up for it. That was a serious mistake, but it was able to make up for it with its superior speed.
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The Russian torpedo boat was able to break away, and without its own torpedo boats, Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō could not advance further in this direction without now risking encountering further enemy fleet units.
At eighteen o'clock, Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō broke off the pursuit and set course for Wakkanai.
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A short time later, the first torpedo boats reached the harbour in the approaching twilight. Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō didn't know how to evaluate the day. On the one hand, the army had been right that the Russians were also a danger to an invasion at any time up here with heavy units. On the other hand, he had won another clear victory and had so far sunk another ship of the line without any losses of his own. However, Yugure's condition could at any time mean her end in the last nautical miles.
A good hour later, the cruisers reached the Yugure, which was laboriously dragging itself towards Wakkanai at a speed of two knots. Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō decided to sail wide circles around the Yugure to prevent this heroic boat from becoming the victim of a pursuing Russian.
>> Memorandum of Gensui Ōyama Iwao
on the demands of the 大本営 (Daihon'ei) for an invasion of Sakhalin <<
Honored officers and members of the 大本営 (Daihon'ei),
as the generals of the Imperial Japanese Army predicted, the invasion of Sakhalin is a suicide squad at this time. As you can see from the report of Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō, the navy is brimming with incompetence and arrogance. For the second time, the navy was subject to a catastrophic miscalculation.
The fact that the Keelung troop transport escaped without major losses was solely due to the heroism of the lower ranks. The same was observed in La Pérouse Street. I have marked the relevant passages for you in the report of the Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō. Here, too, the crews of the torpedo boats were sacrificed, while Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō, cowardly as he is, held back with his armored cruisers. You can clearly see this from this:
The army will never agree to an invasion of Sakhalin or anywhere else under these conditions. With this admiral as commander-in-chief, the failure of such an undertaking is guaranteed.
The leadership of the Imperial Japanese Army demands the resignation of Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō.
If he does not voluntarily comply with this step, 大 本営 (Daihon'ei) must depose the admiral!
Gensui Ōyama Iwao, April 18, 1905
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Extra sheet of the Tōkyō Shinbun from Tuesday, April 18, 1905
>> RUSSIAN SHIP OF THE LINE SUNK <<
In a heroic naval battle, Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō has succeeded in sinking an enemy squadron of ships of the line in La Pérouse Strait. The Russian squadron is said to have had the order to bomb Wakanai. Kaigun-chūjō Tōgō Heihachirō was able to mobilize some cruisers and torpedo boats at the last moment to prevent the cowardly attack of the Russians on the coastal town with its thousands of civilians.
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Editorial Board of the Tōkyō Shinbun – Tuesday, April 18, 1905
Osaki Satoshi didn't really want to believe the information of the Minister of the Navy, but what was he supposed to do? The Extrablatt sold better than any other since the outbreak of hostilities. Battles on the high seas were one thing, but an attack on a Japanese port in which hundreds or even thousands of civilians could lose their lives was a shock for the Japanese population.
If it had been a Russian attack? Sure, the Tsar had sent more ships from Europe to Asia, but that was a maximum of parity. There was no superiority. So why sacrifice ships of the line unnecessarily in an unimportant attack and not seek the decision with all their might in another naval battle?
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It was also interesting that the last session of the 大本営 (Daihon'ei) is said to have been broken off in a violent dispute. Even if no details have been made public, it could only be the old conflict between the army and the navy. It was known that the army stubbornly refused any invasion of Russian territories.
The army leadership insists on destroying the entire Russian fleet in Asia first, while the navy insists that there is no danger from the Russians.
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Extra sheet of the Tōkyō Shinbun from Monday, April 24, 1905
>> CRUISER NISSHIN RECEIVED WITH GREAT POMP IN YOKOSUKA <<
The cruiser Nisshin arrived in Yokosuka last Saturday to the cheers of thousands of enthusiastic spectators. During her two-week deployment in the Sea of Japan and the Kuril Islands, Nisshin managed to capture no fewer than six enemy merchant ships. The courage and commitment of the crew are in the best tradition of Japanese virtues.
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Extra sheet of the Tōkyō Shinbun from Friday 19 May 1905
>> IS RUSSIA FINALLY DEFEATED? <<
One can assume that the long-lasting war has passed its climax. In recent weeks, the Tsarist Navy has avoided all conflicts. Voices were raised around the Tennō that the time had come for a peace treaty on Japanese terms.
Navy Minister Yamamoto Gonnohyōe then announced that he was not aware of any negotiations. On the contrary, the Navy would increase its armament efforts to increase the number of battle-ready ships. Navy Minister Yamamoto Gonnohyōe said that there was enough to do for the fleet and that the Japanese people would soon hear of new great deeds.
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Extra sheet of the Tōkyō Shinbun from Thursday, June 1, 1905
>> EVERYTHING WITH THE OLD – WAR! <<
It became known from the Tennō's entourage that secret negotiations with Russia had failed.
Despite all the clear defeats, Russia is not ready to capitulate in Asia.
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Extra sheet of the Tōkyō Shinbun of Monday, June 5, 1905
>> INVASION! <<
INVASION – INVASION – Events have come thick and fast in La Pérouse Street this morning! Our reporter on the ground was able to observe this morning how Marine Troops were hastily embarked on the transport ships to the applause of thousands of army infantrymen.
The infantrymen are said to have been highly derogatory and wished the marines a quick but painful death in the water.
We were able to learn from the Minister of the Navy, Yamamoto Gonnohyōe, that the Navy had already begun to train its own combat troops since the army's first refusal after an invasion of Russian territories. According to the minister, these are now ready for use! Until now, the ground forces of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which have been in existence since 1870, have mainly been entrusted with the security tasks of bases.
Navy Minister Yamamoto Gonnohyōe said that in the future it was planned not only to send regular marines into battle, but also to set up so-called 特別陸戦隊 Tokubetsu riku sentai (Special Naval Landing Forces - SNLF). However, this is a task for the future.
Much more decisive, however, is the fact that Russian warships appeared on the horizon in the middle of embarkation. The navy must have been aware of the danger, because out of nowhere the entire 聯合艦隊 (Rengō Kantai) suddenly appeared and blocked the way of the Russian squadron, which then fled. All this could be observed from a completely incredulous crowd from land, which is said to have erupted in thunderous cheers after the flight of the Russian fleet.
A short time later, the troop transports left the port of Wakkanai. At the time this extra sheet was printed, the first marines must have set foot on Russian soil!
Long live Japan – long live the emperor – long live the 聯合艦隊 (Rengō Kantai)
