Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-06
TORPEDOWORK IN WAR
Reviewing the Efforts of the
Japanese.
MANY ATTACKS MADE
NO RUSSIAN BATTLE SHIP OR
CRUISER DISABLED.
Value of the Services of the Torpedo
Craft During the Hostilities
in the Orient.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

iIilfS nave IOl DttH eIIeCtlNe IN tne present
war is sustained by the facts. While they
have been useful as scouts and dispatch
boats aud in picking up and placing mines,
they have done practically nothing else,
ard as attacking forces have been failures
At the beginning of the war Japan had
eighty-four torpedo boats of the first and
second classes in active service and nine
teen destroyers, total of 1O3 torpedo YES
sel>. not counting the third-class boats on
the battle ships, Most of these were I'M
doubtedly around Port Arthur They were
organized into twenty-one hotillas, had a
speed of from twenty-seven to thirty knots,
and each carried two torpedo tubes, three
three-pound guns and from fifty to sixty
men.
The Russians had twenty-eiSht destroyers
of from $50 to $50 tons displacement and
tWenty-seven knots speed, but the number
of torpedo boats in their Port Arthur fleet
is unknown They probably had not less
than thirty.
Reported Torpedo Attacks.
Taking the engagements in order, we find
on the Japanese side the following results
February S-9-Russian battle ships ana
cruisers Retvizan, Czarevitch and PalIada
torpedoed; all compelled to beach Retvi-
IAN aground about one month Other two
foated in less than twenty-four hours,
taken inside and repaired. Askold reported
torpedoed damaged, but probably by
gun fire. All these vessels rejoined the
fleet, in fighting shape, in less than four
months.
February 14-Adrniral Togo reported two
ships attacked by torpedo boats, but no
damage done.
February 23-Admiral Togo reported tor
pedo attack on ship of Amur type. No
damage done.
February 25-Admiral Togo reported tor
pedo launched at unknown Russian ship
Result not reported. Probably no hit
June 23-25-Eight attacks by Japanese
torpedo fotillas upon Russian ships at
anchor officially reported. japanese claim
one battle ship sunk and three other ships
injured. Russians deny any loss. Russians
claim japanese lost two torpedo boats.
Afterward disclosed that battle ship Sc
Vastopol was injured, but she was repaired
and on duty in two weeks
June 2T-Admiral Togo reported Russian
cruiser sunk by japanese torpedo boats.
Proved to be a mistake. All Russian ships
previously reported destroyed went out
from Port Arthur for the engagement of
July Admiral Kamimura reports the
failure of an attempt of his torpedo iotillas
TO close in on Russian ships at sea. No tor
pedoeS were fired.
anese torpedo fotiilas attacked Russian
cruiser Askold. She could not have been
injured. for she went out in good condition
a month later.
July 11-AdmirsI Togo reports torpedo
fotillas attacked Il ship of the Diana class.
Result unknown but all ships of that class
in Russian squadron went out in good con-
ditiOn a month later.
July 24-Admiral Togo reports attack of
torpedo fiotilla on Russian cruiser Pallada.
Reported unintured four days later.
August 1o-Nine torpedoes discharged at
flagship Czarevitch; no hits. Four torpe-
does fired at Askold; no hits.
The above are all of the torpedo attacks
officially reported by the Japanese. Those
made by the Russians are as follows:
March 10-Russian torpedo boat reported
to have sunk japanese torpedo boat. De-
Ilied by Japanese.
March 2T-Russian torpedo boat sank two
old merchant hulks while they were at
tempting to sink themselves, to blockade
the entrance to Port Arthur harbor.
April 25-Japanese transports Kin-shu
NIaru and Goya Maru sunk by Russian tor
pedo boats.
June 15-Japanese transport Sado Maru
sunk by Russian torpedo boat
June 16-Russian destroyer sinks mer-
chant steamer Hipsang.
July 26-Togo reports Japanese gunboat
attacked by Russian torpedo boat. No hit.
August Recommending officer of Rus
sian cruiser Rurik reports having discharg-
ed torpedoes a japanese ship, but no hits.
More Ineffective Attempts.
In the bate of February SO the Japanese
discharged not less than thirty torpedoes
and. according to the best evidence, made
only three hits. 1t is believed that they
were eighteen-inch torpedoes. carrying $50
or 1876 pounds of dry gun cotton. The con-
ditons of the attack were extremely favor
able to success. 1t was complete sur
prise; the weather was good; the ships
could be clearly distinguished and the tor
pedo boats got within short range; so near,
In fact that they were hailed by the Rus
sian ships and answered in Russian.
During the next three months the Japa-
nese torpedo fiotillas were kept very busy,
but the admiral does not report any dam
age done by them. On the 23d Of June the
entire fighting fleet OF the Russians came
out of Port Arthur, preceded by cloud
of steamers and tugs to clear away mines.
Admiral Togo signaled his torpedo fotillas
to attack, and they made straight for the
enemy. They threw the Russian fleet into
confusion. and Admiral Togo reports that
Il retreated 'in disorder" Unable to enter
the harbor in the darkness, on account of
the ships that had been sunk there by the
Japanese, the Russians were exposed until
daylight to eight separate attacks by the
Japanese torpedo fotillas. The Japanese
report that 1.-THE effect OF our attack was
not very great" If each boat fired only
one torpedo, more than fifty were launched
that night, and there Is no evidence that a
single one of them had any effect.
On the night OF June p the japanese tor
pedo hotillas attacked the Russian patrol
vessels outside of Port Arthur. Admiral
Togo reported that 'one of the Russian de-
Stroyers inclined. gave out white smoke,
eapsiZed and went down. but he must
have been mistaken, because the next time
the fleet came out every vessel was account
ed for. The Japanese reported the Askold
TO have been sunk by the attack of their
torpedo fiotilla during fog on the night
of July 8, but she was in the battle of Au-
gust 10 On July IL hfty-nine torpedoes
were launched without any result whatever
and on the oath there was another general
attack in which one Russian destroyer
seems to have been sunk" according to
official Japanese reports.
When the flagship Czarevitch fed from
the fight on August 10 her offensive and de-
fensive powers were badly broken; her
steering gear was disabled and her speed
was reduced TO about four knots an hour.
a. which rate she crawled along toward
Tsing-tau, where she arrived twenty-four
hours after the engagement. She was pur-
sued nearly the entire distance by Japanese
torpedo fotillas. and during the night was
attacked not less than five and probably
eight times. but not one torpedo took effect
III Admiral Togo is entitled to everything
ne claims the only damage done thus far
during the war by the 103 torpedo craft in
the japanese fleet has been easily repaired
with the exception OF two destroyers, which
were sunk. According to the most reliable
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