The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-27
Retired When Japanese Fleet
Advanced Toward Them.
AN OFFICIAL REPORT
Admiral Togo Describes the En-
gagement in Detail.
In Which the Enemy Suffered
Loss of Battleship.

I
Port Arthur last Thursday night
reached Toxic today.
The report confirms the reported
/ destruction of a Russian battleship OF
the Peresviet type, the disabling of a
battleship of the Sevastapol class and
J a protected cruiser resembling the
Diana and the injuring Of a torpedo
destroyer, but throws no light on the
Russian plan.
The entire Russian feet steamed
out to sea in line of battle. Suddenly
when within fourteen thousand
meters Of the japanese feet, the Rus
sian fleet refused to give battle. and
| steamed back to an anchorage outside
! the harbor, where during the night
the japanese destroyers and torpedo
boats made eight desperate attacks
upon it. The Russian vessels re-
entered the harbor on Friday, since
| which time it has failed to reappear.
In his report Admiral Togo says.
'-The exit of the Russian fleet from
Port Arthur harbor began early
| Thursday. The battleships Peresviet,
Poltava, Sevastapol. the armored
cruiser Bayan, the protected cruisers
Pallada, Diana. Askold and Novik
came first, the steamer leading them
| clearing mines.
"A warning flashed by wireless
telegraphy by the japanese patrol
| brought up Admiral Togo's feet at
full speed to a series of prearranged
stations
Three fotilIas of Japanese de-
stroyers and torpedo boats steamed
close to the harbOr entrance and
| WATCHED the Russian vessels. At IL
o'clock the Russian battleships Care
/ witch, Retvisan and Pobedfa Joined
| the other Russian ships outside the
harbor Several steamers and boats
were engaged in clearing and ex-
ploding mines in order to make
passage seaWard-
Captain Asia, Commanding the
II Japanese torpedo hotilla. attacked the
vessels engaged in clearing out the
mines and hampered the work. At
o'clock seven Russian destrOyers ap-
peared and the Japanese vigorously
attacked them One OF the Russian
destrOyers, which was hit and set on
fire, retreated to the harbor burning.
The Novik attacked the japanese, who
in clearing the harbOr finally made a
passage and the Novfk led the Rus
sian fleet seaward- In the meantime
Admiral Togo concealed the positions
of his ships and at 4 o'clock sent the
third squadron out into the vision Of
the Russians with the object Of draw
ing them seaward. The Russian feet
| stood southeastWard and then south
ward. During this time Admiral
Togo concealed his first squadron
Il south of Guegan rock. As the Rus
! SANS aUDrOaCneQ AQInlral IOEO as
sembled his feet and prepared to at
tack. At 6:15 D m the Russians
were in plain sight eight miles north
west of Gugan rock. The Czarevitch
led and the nine others followed in 4
single line. The Novik and several
destroyers were placed at the right
of the line. Admiral Togo waited,
p | with battle flags flying from all the
, tops The japanese heet formation
represented the first letter of the Jap
anese alphabet inverted At 1880 p
]
anese and Admiral Togo veered
slightly to the right in order to bring
/ pressure against the head of the Rus
sian formation At . m the Rus
SLAMS changed their course and head
/ ed northward. Admiral Togo fol-
! lowed in a long single line ordering
the destroyers and torpedo boats to
prepare for an attack after sundoWn-
s-At S:22 .. m, the small fiotillas
swung around the rear of the fleet and
headed toward the Russians at full
speed
cat $3.50 the fourteenth hotilla deliv-
cred the first attack on the Russian
feet now in the rear Of a point five
miles outside the entrance to Port Ar
thur Immediately afterward the fifth
: hotflla delivered a second attack The
Russian fleet was confused and IL was
impossible for it to retreat quickly into
the harbor on account of the narrow
2 ness of the channel and possibly the
AT 1920 o. m. the Russian fleet an
] the foot Of Wantsuncing fort to the
base of Chentaorhan- During the night
' torpedo fotillas kept up constant at
tacks on the Russian feet going in
: eight times.
I FThe most effective attack was that
Of the sixteenth flotilla which at 11.30
; .. IN. caught the Russians rounding
Shen Shen. The first class torpedo
boat Shirataka. Commander Waka bay
ashi. sent two torpedoes into 4 batt.e-
: ship OF the Peresveit class She was
? seen to sink in a volume OF smoke and
FIRE. Other effects Of the attack were
not observed on account of the heavy
firing which cast columes of water over
the fotflla and the heavy cannonadiI4g
Y which rent the air. The searchlights
2 from the ships and forts also blinded
e the japanese
AT dawn Friday a reconnaissance OF
the entrance was made by the fourth
and fifth fOtillas whose report confirm
ed that of the patrol ships as to the
Russian loss"
ii Admiral Togo says the moonlight and
: the narrow line Of the enemy prevent
: ed his fleet from inflicting great dam
= age.
: The japanese loss was unexpectedly
small. The destroyer Shirakump was
struck i'm the cabin and three Of her
crew were killed and three wounded.
The first class torpedo boat Chfdori
n pedo boats s.. 66 and So were DANCED.
j. The others engaged were uninjured- In
s concluding his report Admiral Togo
2 says;
g sThe erect Of the attack and the
o small loss must be attributed to the il
IustriOus virtues Of his majesty"