The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-03-15
TOLD ~ ADMr-AL TOGO.

TOLD BY ADMr-AL TOGO.
Japanese Commander Describes Bonn.
bardment Of Port Arthur.
Toxic, March A.-Oncial and pri-
vate reports both indicate that Adj
miral Togo's fourth attack on Port
| Arthur on March 10, was the most
| effective since the first assault of a
month ago. One Russian torpedo
| boat destroyer was sunk, and several
Russian torpedo boat destroyers Sc
| riously damaged. The fortificatiors
and city were subjected to a heavy
| bombardment lasting nearly tcGs
| hours. The naval bombardment OF the
| land works have generally been in
effective, yet the peculiar Topographic
| cal conditions of Port Arthur make
immunity from serious loss from bonn
bardment almost impossible.
The bombardment of the inner har-
Dor by the Japanese battleships was
deliberate and carefully planned. In
/ order to aid in perfecting the firing,
Admiral Togo stationed the cruisers in
a position due east of the entrance to
the harbor and at right angles to the
battleships. The Cruises observed
the range and effect of the firing and
signalled the results and suggestions
by wireless telegraphy. These obser-
vations and reports greatly aided the
gunners in their effort to make every
shot count and 120 twelve-inch shells
were fired at the city.
Admiral Togo's report Of the fourth
attack on Port Arthur by the Japanese
feet is as follows:
"Our squadron, as prearranged, at,
tackled the enemy at Port Arthur on
March 10. Our two torpedo fotillas
reached the mouth of the harbor at
Port Arthur at / o'clock on the morn
ing of March 10. Finding no enemy
and waiting until Gavin, one flotilla an
gagged in sinking sTecial mines in the
harbor entrance. Notwithstanding the
enemy's fire our iotilla succeeded in
sinking the mines. The other flotilla
Met the Enemy's Torpedo FlotiIIa,
consisting of six boats, in the Lao
thieshan channel south of Port Ar
thur at 4:3O o'clock. A hot engage
ment occurred at close range for thirty
minutes. The enemy then took flight.
"Our fire greatly damaged the Rus
sian ships. one of which was badly
crippled by a shot through the boil
ers, and another al observed to be
on fire. So close were the two flotil-
las to each other than our destroyers,
the Asashio, Kasumi and Akatsuki,
nearly touched the enemy's ships and
our crews could even hear the cries
of agony of the injured men on them.
We sustained some damage and loss.
The Akatsuki had a steam pipe bro
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thereby. Our loss was seven killed
and eight wounded. Among the lat
ter is Chief Engineer Minamisawa of
the Kasumi.
sour other ~flotilla, while leaving the
harbor entrance, observed two Rus
sian torpedo boats coming from sea-
ward and Immediately engaged them,
the battle lasting one hour. After
causing them severe damage n of
them effected it's escape, but our de-
stroyer, the Sasanami, captured the
other boat, which proved to be the
Steregushtchi.
Notwithstanding the land batteries
pouring q heavy fire on our ~f1otilla,
the captured vessel was taken in tow.
Owing to the high sea the tow line
soon parted and the Sasanami found it
necessary to take the crew from the
Russian boat and abandoned the
Steregushtchi, which finally sank at
1880.
Russian Cruisers Retreated.
"The enemy's cruisers, the Novik
and the Bayan, steamed out Of the en-
trance of the harbor toward us, but OBJ
serving the approach of u cruiser
squadron, retired to the harbor. Our
flotilla suffered some damage, but not
heavy. The Sasanami and the Akat-
suki had two sailors killed and Sub
Lieutenant Shima of the Akatsuki and
three sailors were wounded.
"Our main cruiser squadron arrived
off Port Arthur at 8 o'clock and the
cruisers Immediately advanced toward
the harbor entrance to protect the tor
pedo fotilla. The main squadron ad-
vanced near Laothieshan, and opened
an indirect cannonade against the in
ner harbor from 10 o'clock to 1:40.
According to the observations made
by one of our cruisers facing the en-
trance, the bombardment was re-
markably effective. During our can
nonade the enemy's land batteries
fired, but none of our ships suffered
any damage. Another cruiser squad
ron went to Tailenwan and lombard
ed the enemy's fortress on Samshan-
tao, damaging the buildings thereon.
"The cruisers Takasago and Chihaya