The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1905-07-11

on the enemy's retreat. the cruiser
squadron, which was proceeding north
wards at a distance OF go nautical
miles in the rear. discovered the enemy
and reported that several streaks OF
smoke were observed, in an eastern
direction. Immediately afterwards. the
squadron approached tie enemy ana re-
ported that the enemy's squadron con-
sisted of four battleships (two were
subsequently discovered to be coast de-
-fense ships) and two cruisers, and that
II was taking a north terly direc-
tion. 1t wasSevident that the squadron
was the main force of the remaining
enemy. Our battleships and armored
cruiser squadrons therefore changed
their course. and gradually turning to
the east pressed hard on the line of the
enemy's advance. The Togo and Uryu
| fighting detachments also Joined the
cruiser squadron and guarded the enc
my's rear. At 10:3O a. m. at a point
is nautical miles south of Takashima
the enemy's vessels were completely
enveloped. They consisted of the battle
ships Nicolas I. and Orel, the coast de-
fense ships General Admiral Apraxine
and Admiral Seniavin. and cruiser
Izumrud. Another cruiser struggled
far behind in the south and finally dis
appeared. The enemy's vessels had been
severely damaged and were no match
against our superior force so that
Immediately after the opening of gun
fire by our battieship and crui er squad
rons. Rear Admiral Nebogatoff, COM
mander of the enemy's squadron, and
his subordinate officers expressed their
desire to surrender. I therefore ac-
cepted this proposal and specially per-
mitted the officers to wear their swords.
But the enemy's cruiser Izumrud, avail
ing herself of her high speed. escaped
southwards prior to the surrender, but
being checked by the Togo fighting de-
tachment. she then ran eastwards. The
Chitose, arriving from Aburatani Bay
after sinking en- route the same morn
ing one of the enemy's destroyers, set
out at once in pursuit of the Izumrud.
which, however. made good her escape
in northerly direction.
Prior to this the Uryu detachment,
while proceeding northward, discovered
at a. m.~a Russian warship in a west
ern direction. Thereupon section,
consisting of the Otowa and Niitaka
under command of Captain Arima,
commander of the former vessel, was
ordered to attack the Russian ship.
This section approached the enemy Mt
a. m. and found that the ship was
the Svletlana, which was also accom-
panied by a destroyer. The enemy's
vessels We're Immediately pursued and
attacked, the engagement lasting about
an hour At 11:06 a. m. the Svietland
was sunk off Chuk-pyon Bay. The
Niitaka, acting in cooperation with our
destroyer Murakumo. which had Just
arrived on the scene, pursued the enc
my's destroyer Bystri and at 11:5O a.
m. the latter ran aground and was
destroyed in an unnamed bay about
nautical miles north of Chukpyon Bay.
The survivors from these two Russian
vessels We're taken on board our spe-
cially commissioned ships America Ma
ru and Kasuga Maru.
The main portion of the Combined
Fleet which had received the enemy's
offer of surrender was still in the
neighborhood of the place of surrender.
engaged in the disposal of the four sur.
rendered Russian ships, when at about
3 p. m. the Admiral Oushakoff was
sighted coming from a southern direc- |
ton. The Iwate and Yakumo dashed
forward in order to encounter the Rus
sian ship. The latter then attempted
to escape southward. but was overtaken
at little past p. m. and was at once
called on to surrender. The enemy
made no reply, but at once opened fire
on us. We therefore returned the
enemy's fire and finally sank the vessel.
About 800 survivors were rescued
by us. Our destroyer Sazanami and
Kagero discovered at about $3.50 p. m. |
at point some 40 nautical miles south
west of Ullondo Island, two Russian
destroyers coming from an eastern
direction. Pursuing them at full speed,
our vessels overlook the enemy at
4:45 p. m. and opened fire on them. The
enemy's second destroyer thereupon
hoisted a white flag as a sign of sur
render. The Sazanami took possession
of the destroyer, which proved to be
the Bedovi. and found on board Ad-
miral Rojestvensky and his staff, who,
with the crew of the destroyer, were
taken prisoner by the Sazanami. The
Kagero continued her pursuit of the
other Russian destroyer until $3.50 p.
M, when the latter succeeded in es-
Gaping northward. The Uryu detach-
ment and the YAKIMA destroyer fiotil-
la, while searching for the enemy in
western direction, discovered at p.
m. the Dmitri Donskoi steaming north
ward. The Russian vessel was imme-
diately pursued and on reaching a
point some 80 nautical miles south of
Ullondo Island at Z p M, the Otowa
and Niitaka, together with the destroy
ers Asagiri. Shirakumo and Fubuki.
were sighted in front of the enemy,
coming from the direction Of Chuk-
pyong Bay. They pressed the Russian
cruiser from a western direction and
opened fire on her, thus placing her
between two fires. The heavy firing
continued till after sunset. The enemy's
ship though greatly damaged was not
sunk, and when night came she was
lost sight of. After the firing was over,
the Fubuki and the YAKIMA destroyer
fiotilla repeatedly attacked the Rus
sian shin Though the raslIlt Of the