Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-06-03
CAUSES OF DEFEAT.

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discussion in Toxic. One japanese ex-
pert gives the following analysis;
First, an imperfect reconnaissance and
incomplete, faulty and misleading intel
ligeDce.
"Second, an imperfect battle forma-
ton, which indicated that Rojestvensky
did not expect to meet Togo off Tsn-
shima.
'Third, the weather, the direction OF
the wind and the sunlight were unfav-
orable to the Russians, Togo having the
sun behind him and firing with the
wind, while he Russians had the sun
light in their eyes and fired against the
wind.
Fourth, the Russians wasted their
ammunition and finally ran short. 1t is
believed that the surrender of Nebogatoff
was necessary, because his ammunition
had been expended.
"Fith, the marked inferiority of the
Russian gunnery"
FEELING IN the Ru sian admiralty a ,aiDst
Rear Admiral Nebogatoff continues to
run high, the majority Of the naval au'
thorlies being deaf to the appeals of the
few who insist that the admiraPs action
in surrendering his warships should not be
condemned until the circumstances be-
come fully known. The majority says
they could forgive anything but surrend-
er, and point to the precedent set in
the case OF the Russian warship Raphael,
which In 1929, during the Russo Turkish
war, struck its c0Ors to three Turkish
ships which surrounded it.
Nicholas | meted out terrible punish
ment TO the officers and crew Of the Ra-
phael, ordering that all Of them should
be shot after their exchange, and direct
ing that if the ship should ever be re-
captured i;s infamous history should be
blotted out by the total destruction OF
the vessel. The Raphael, strange to say,
WAS recaptnred twenty-fOur years later at
Sinope, during the Crimean war, son
of the captain who surrendered her tax
ing part il the battle, and 10 this sou
fell the task of executing the dead En-
peror's orders to destroy her.
Many naval authorities declare that
the Gar should reserve the same fate for
Admiral Nebogatoff
That mutiny, treachery and cowardice
prevailed OH some of the Russian war
ships during the recent engagement in
the sea of Japan now seems certain, as
information concerning the charge comes
from various sources.
A horrible story is in circulation in
Toxic concerning the wounded on the
Orel. 1t is said that at the opening of
the fight 500 men were killed and
wounded, and that the groans and
shrieks of the wounded exercised 80
harmful an effect that it was decided to
throw the mortally wounded into the sea.
One hundred and forty it is said, were
thrown overheard. Those slightly
wounded were then fastened to the mast
to prevent their interference with the
fighting of the ship.
Ugly stories are circulating in St.
Petersburg of the decentralization, and
even treachery, of the crews of several
of the Russiyn ships during the battle,
and it is even said that the crew OF the
baiteship Orel bound their officers and
hoisted the white flag.
The origin of these stories which are
discredited by naval men in st. Peters
burg cannot be traced, as the only direct
information comes from Japan, but
doubtless they are based on the trouble
among the crew of the Orel before her
departure for the far East.
She was sunk at her dock before she
left Cronstadt, and later at Libau The
crew were mutinous.
All censorship is now removed from
foreign dispatches, and the people are
appalled, at the horrible stories Of slaugh-
ter on board the Russian ships. The
admiralty has not yet been able to es-
tablish even approximately from the
foreign adviees the loss OF men, but as
the ships we're over rather than under
manned. the total will be greater than
the ordinary complement of the vessel
would indicate, and probably will ex'
ceed 10, 900, if only about 1000 were
saved
With the destruction Of Russia's nava
power interest is returning to militar,
operations on land. Togo's victory tire
mendously alters the military situation
and removes all limits of offensive opera
tions against Russia's S maritime provinces
1t is now possible TO effectively clos,
Vladivostok, seize Sakhalin, the moutl
of the Amur river, Kamtchatka and am
point between the Tumen river and th'
Arctic circle the japanese may desire.
A foreign military observer in discuss
ing the question says ..
tTogo's victory may drive Russl
away from the Pacific coast of Asia. ia
nan now has free hand in Ru u'sia'
maritime provinces, and her ofiensiy
~.pability is limited. Nothing bars tn b
Z av except the Russian force at V!adi
vostok whose speedy isolation is nossible
The Amur river is open to the Japanes
and Russia's defensive capabilily is nov
entirely limited to the capacity of tn
Chinese.
Sprained Ankle. Stiff Neck Lam
shoulder.
rrbo.o 80 ,braa common ailments 10