Los Angeles herald., 1905-06-13
UGLY STORIES TOLD
Russian Fleet Completely DemoraIlzed
Almost From the Start

VLADIVOSTOK, June ia series
Of interviews which the correspondent
OF the Associated Press has had with
naval officers who survived the battle
Of the Sea of Japan has developed a
most sensational story of the causes
Of the Russian disaster first of all
and the complete Generalization which
followed the sinking Of the flagship
Kniaz Souvaroff and the wounding of
Admiral Rojestvensky.
It is explained that not a single Of
ficer Of the fleet knew the commander
in chiefs plans. The admiral in COM
mand of the divisions knew no more
than the sub-lieutenants and had to
rely only on the signals of the flag
ship. Admiral Nebogatoff. upon whom
the command devolved, had seen Ro-
jestvensky only once after the juno
ture of their squadron, and then only
for a few minutes.
All the stories of extensive target
practice in Madagascar, it seems, were
false. During the entire voyage there
practically was no training in gunnery
worthy of the name and the big gun
practice was confined to three shots per
vessel. Ugly stories are told Of the
happenings at Madagascar. Some Of
the crews certainly were unframed in
gunnery and, exhausted by the eight
months voyage under trying moral and
physical conditions, were no match for
the veteran Japanese, whose marks
manship was wonderful. They coll
centrated their fire on one ship until
she was placed out of action and then
on another, thus successively sinking
the Oslagia, Alexander III and Kniaz
Souvaroff.
Grave Structural Defects
Some ships developed deplorable
structural defects. The Oslabia sank
without having a single hole below the
water line. Heavy seas entered the
vessel above the water line and the
water tight compartments, which were
changed several times during the voy-
been calculated for and burst, flooding
and keeling the vessel over until she
turned turtle.
Lack of homeogenity among the ships
harmony. The Vladimir Monomach,
Admiral Oushakoff and Admiral Sc
niavin had to lag behind, thus becom-
ing easy victims. Finally. the ammuni-
tod na Arcf
days fighting.
Even the very morning of the battle,
while the buzzing of the wireless in
struments on the Russian ships showed
that the japanese scouts were commu-
nicating his dispositions to Admiral
Togo, Admiral Rojestvensky continued
his careless maneuvering, and when the
Japanese actually appeared the Rus
slams were caught in an impossible
formation and were attacked on three
fronts. Rojestvensky's position was
cramped and his transports were badly
placed and caused confusion, so that
while the Japanese were raining pro-
jectiles even from machine guns on the
Russian ships the latter were huddled
together, blanketing each others fire.
Mines and Torpedoes Work Havoc
Only the leaders of the columns could
bring their guns to bear, and those the
unframed gunners fired wildly. The
mines and floating torpedoes sown in
the paths of the Russian divisions add
ed to the confusion. The Borodino, Ad-
miral Nakimoff and Vavarin fell VIC
Tins to these distractions.
1t is a heartrending narrative that
Russia and the world should know. The
sailors and officers were not altogether
to blame, for the main fault lay else
where. There were many heroes among
the Russians. Capt. Berkh of the Os-
labia committed suicide on her bridge
as the ship sank rather than save him
self. There were thousands of other
heroes whose names the world will new
er know.