The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-08
HOW 1T WAS FOUGHT
Russians Describe Battle of the sea OF
Japan.

Manila, June S.-From the stories
told by the Russians who escaped
from the sea fight in the Korean
straits, it appears that the Japanese
completely surprised the Russian fleet.
The Russians were Steam1ng peace
fully along. There was no sign of the
Japanese fleet and the Russian ships
were not cleared for action, nor were
the batteries manned. The attack
came with a suddenness that made the
unpreparedness of the Russians for
battle a glaring mistake that never
could be corrected. Two lines of tor
circled the Russian fleet. The rapid
fire batteries were turned loose, but
with apparently little effect on the
! japanese boats. Over the approach
| ing torpedo boats came a hail of 10
/ and 13 inch shells from the Japanese
war vessels in the distance.
The torpedo boats advanced at full
/ speed, one division going in a westerly
and another in an easterly direction.
/ The Russian cruisers and battleships
prepared to repel the attack. The
cruisers manned their port batteries
and the battleshiDs their starboard
/ batteries No attempt was made to
prepare the batteries on the other
| side of the ships, and it was here the
Russians blundered. When the Jap
lanese torpedo boats came within fir
/ ing distance the Russians opened fire.
Then it was the Japanese executed a
maneuver that threw the Russians
into confusion The two encircling
lines met south of the Russians, but
instead of continuing in that direc-
/ ton, they turned at a signal from
/ Togo and at full speed charged be-
tween the three lines of Russian slsips,
| one division passing between the cru1s-
! ers and the line of hospital ships and
transports. and another division pass
! ing between the transports and the
battleships on the other side. The
Russian ships We're unprepared for an
attack of this character, and for a
| time were helpless against the dis
charge of Japanese torpedoes- Hardly
a cruiser or battleshiD remained un-
scathed. The Russians were com
| pletely demoraIized and during the
| last dash of the torpedo boats not a
shot was fired to stop them.
In the meantime, Togo, with his
| battIeships and cruisers, encircled the
Russian fleet and with his big guns
completed the work of destruction
Russian Losses $4,000.
Gunshu Pass. Manchuria, June s.
According to reports received by Cen
eral Linevitch from naval officers who
have arrived at Vladivostoks the losses
of Admiral Rojestvensky' fleet We're
from nine to ten thousand officers and
men killed or drowned and about nVe
! thousand prisoners.
! General Batjanoff, commander OF
the third Manchurian army, address
ing the troops yesterday on the oc-
casion of the empress birthday, told
them he hoped soon to be able to tele-
graph the news of a Russian victory
to her majesty Later, in conversation
with the correspondent of the ASSo-
/ ciated Press, the general declared that
the defeat of the feet was a sad and
hard blow but it wouldn't affect the
morale of the troops, who with the
4 dogGedness of the Russian soldier
" ere prepared to fight on as long as
the emperor gave the word.
''If the sea is lost" he added. Rus
sia can still be victorious on land
I Peace unless Japan is reasonable is
impossible"