New-York tribune., 1905-06-05
THE FIRST DAYS ACTION
SWIFT WORK By TOGO.
Il Description of the Battle as Seen
bu Russian SurTiUOrS.

X,
participants in the battle of the Sea OF Japan
,,iot,,ra of tba first day of the lighting can be
constructed
On the morning of May 81, when the RUSSIAN
feet found itself 120 miles south OF Tsu lsiahd
it was heading for the strait in three columns
the battleships and five cruisers on Tue iei'
the light cruisers the right and the transports
and torpedo boats between them Ihe "ea'her
was foggy.
At $50 o'clock in the morning the RUSSIAN
fleet was discovered by the japanese cruiser
Idzu7no which blundered upon 1t III the log am
narrowly escaped capture.
At 1920 O'Clock four Japanese cruisers, the
Chitose, the Kasuga. the Tsushima and the
Niitake were discovered to the northeast of the
fleet and were fired on by the battleships Tne
Japanese cruisers disappeared and the Russian
feet proceeded through the strait
Suddenly at 12O o'clock in the afternoon
silhouette of Japanese vessels, their gfeehlsh
blue paint making them scarcely visible IN the
fog doomed up to the westward of the RUSSIAN
vessels These japanese vessels were four oattie-
ships and the armored cruisers Tokiwa, Nisshln'
Kasuga Iwate and Idzumo. They immediately
opened a heavy fire, which was especially dl-
rected against the fiagships of the various squad
rons of the Russian fleet.
Admiral Rojestvensky signalled to the trans
squadron of light cruisers to increase their
distance from the fighting part of the heet'
which was now hotly engaged and sufferlng
under the well aimed fire of the Japanese
TWO BATTLESHIPS QUICKLY SUNK
| Thanks to the precision of the japanese gun
| ners and the concentration of their fire on the
fagships, within an hour and a half the kniaz
+! souvaroff and the Oslyabya were reduced to
wrecks and soon sank.
| Almost at the same time as the opening of the
engagement between the battleship divisions
! column of light Japanese cruisers appeared from
| the eastward and fell the retiring Russian
| transports and the light cruisers. The cruisers
Vladimir Monomak and Dmitri Donskoi were
detached from the left column and sent to their
aid They were repulsed by the Japanese cru1s-
| ers but not before the Ural had been brought
to sinking condition.
The battle continued until D o'clock without
any further noticeable change in the situation.
| Soon after the battleshp Alexander III began
to list badly and dropped out of the line, but
was quickly repaired resuming her place ana
| reopening fire. The battleship Borodino was
then heading the line. The Japanese notle1ns
the condition of the Alexander III. concentrated
their fire on her and she again dropped out OF
the line this time finally, and disappeared
inch guns was then directed against the Boro-
dino that she was disa bled and sunk This was
at 7:3O o'clock in the evening.
TORPEDO BOATS COMPLETE WORK.
The battleship sissoi valiky now ablaze.
but was firing every available gun. At this
hour the onslaught Of torpedo boats from the
coast of Japan and the closing in Of the battle
ships from the left broke up the Russian fleet,
| all of which, except four battleships and the
converted cruiser Ural, still held together.
During the night the Japanese torpedo attacks
continued. Their result was not known here
until the report OF the commander OF the cru1s-
er Isumrud was received from Vladimir Bay.
In the course of the battle mass Of Japanese
iunks is said to have obstructed the movements
of the Russian fleet. The Russian officers assert
that these tunks scattered mines in the path OF
their vessels.
The bodies of a lieutenant of the cruiser Al
maz, and OF other officers and sailors brought
here by the Alnnaz and the destroyers. were
buried to-day.
l. Captain Rolf of the destroyer Grozny, de-
seribng the capture of Admiral Rojestvensky
said that his vessel, in company with the
destroyer Biedovy, on which Admiral Rojestven.
sky escaped was steaming northward wher
he encountered two Japanese destroyers. The
Biedovy sgnalled the Grozny How many knots
can you make! ana on receiving the reply
Twenty three" ordered full speed for Vladi-
| vostok.
The Grozny instead of obeying this signal en-
| gaged one of the Japanese destroyers. but the
Biedovy raised the white flag and the Red Cross
flag While doing battle with her opponent the
Grezny was unable to go to the aid of her con
sort which was taken In tow by the other Jap
| anese destroyer. The Grozny succeeded ir
shaking off her opponent, but later encountered
another japanese destroyer which she sank il
a running fight
1t is expected here that a Japanese attack OF
the fortress will not be long delayed There is
however O calm and determined spirit mani
tested by the population in face of the forth
coming crisis. The defences of Vladvostok OF
which steady work has been done since the be
ginning of the war are now considered as hav-
ing been completed.