Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-04
SERIES OF MISTAKES
japanese Naval Operations
Before Port Arthur.
TOO GREAT CAUTION
OPPORTUNITIES WERE REPEAT
EDLY THROWN AWAY.
Experts Declare That the Strategy Has
Been Bad, the Workmanship Poor
and the Torpedoes Ineffective.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

AsecoIuGeTalu.
Admiral Togo has withdrawn all of his
fleet except a few blockading vessels from
the entrance to Port Arthur, and has termi-
mated one of the most memorable naval
campaigns in history. The experts at the
Navy Department are now reviewing the
operations with renewed interest; are writ
ing reports concerning the strategy, gun
merry, torpedo work and other features, and
are discussing the several events from a
professional standpoint. While they have
the highest admiration for the patriotism,
courage. endurance and seamanship of the
officers and men of the Japanese fleet and
recall several exhibitions of nerve and hero
ism which are unsurpassed they criticise
Admiral Togo for excessive caution and for
failing to take advantage of his opportuni
ties. They criticise Admiral kamamura of
the Vladvostok fleet even more severely,
because the only time he overlook the
enemy he was satisfied to get a single ship
and let the rest run away after they were
partially disabled.
At the same time the critics admit that
this has not been due to any lack of cour
age or seamanship They have a theory
that the extreme caution practiced has been
a part of the strategy of the war for the
purpose of saving their battle ships The
japanese have been comparatively weak in
that particular and realizing that there
would be another and perhaps two more
fleets to deal with, and that it was imposSi-
BILE for them to obtain new battle ships.
they have considered discretion the better
part of valor, and have sent out their tor
pedo boats and destroyers to do the close
work. American officers consider this
mistake. They believe that if the japanese
had sent their strongest ships to close
quarters on at least two occasions they
would have saved many men and much
money and shortened the war 1t is recall
ed that similar tactics were adopted ny
Admiral Ito in 1895. when, at the battle of
Yalu, he had the entire Chinese fleet at his
mercy, but allowed 1t to escape ana ma
refuge in the harbor of Chefoo, just as sew
eral Russian cruisers and battle ships nave
found refuge at Using tau. Shanghai and
Saigon. ,
Togo's Lost Opportunity.
American officers do not understand why
Admiral Togo did not fight the first battle
to a finish He could have had it all his
own way The Russians were practcaily
helnless On the Sth of February the en-
tire Russian fleet, composed of seven Dat
tie ships. eight cruisers and twelve or more
-destroyers, were at anchor IN the outer
road AS one of the experts describes the
situation: A.
THE night was calm but very dark An
officer of the Russian fleet remarked: one
could not help thinking that it was very
good opportunity for torpedo attack
The Russian torpedo fiotilla had leit cary
in the morning to maneuVer ana at :.o
nm had not returned. AT that hour the
flagship signaled that orders to repel tor
pedo attack would be issued later but
meanwhile the guns should not be loaded
The fleet was to leave for certain piace
the following morning, but at pm orders
were given that steam should not be made
ready. Admiral Stark. In command was
entertaining his captains and some of the
Junior officers on shore, in honor OF ms
wife's birthday, and many other officers
were also ashore enjoying themselves IN
the clubs and cafes, entirely unsuspiclous
of danger. They did not expect war
They believed that diplomacy would post
pone it.
"a few months before EUROPA kin, then
minister of war, had visited Japan, ana
upon his homeward journey, had CONFER
ence with the viceroy, the ministers 10
Pekin and Tokyo. the chief officers of the
secret service and other Russians VINO
should have known the situation. They De
cided that Japan dare not hsht SO powerdai
a nation as Russia. Vigilance was relaxed,
and the aggressive policy of Russia toward
China was more rigorous than ever. ms
feeling of security pervaded the entire meet.
The admiral was evidently preparing lot
some great demonstration. Perhaps he In
tended to overawe the japanese by dls-
play of his formidable fleet. However, ne
made a mistake, and If the Japanese had
taken full advantage of it they might have
DESTROYED him utterly. Not a single pre-
caution was taken by the Russians: they
did not even have patrol boats out. Yet the
,JaDaQeSe aQmlTdi sent O1Iy ii'liStOch va
pedo boats against the entire Russian array
and kept back the rest of his feet.
The Japanese Attack.
LAS the Russian torpedo Aotilas had not
returned during the evening the japanese
were mistaken for them and were able to
approach near enough to talk with the Of
ficers on guard At range of not more
than 400 yards they ran through the entire
Russian fleet, discharged their torpedos at
the nearest vessels as they passed, escap-
ing to sea without injury before "a single
searcflight was turned on. The greatest
confusion prevailed on all OF the RUSSIAN
vessels. and their searchights seeking the
enemy simply blinded their own men on
other vessels. 1t was not until the ott1cers
of the Pallada actually saw the bubbles OF
three torpedoes passing by that they sus-
pected the situation and went to quarters
when they opened fire Admiral Witgeft
signaled: What are you firing at?
IF the Japanese had known how com
pletely unprepared the enemy was they
might easily have sunk or disabled his en-
tire fleet: and their bad Workmanship and
the ineffectiveness of their torpedos was
demonstrated by the fact that out of
twenty-four eight-inch torpedoes discharged
only three took effect The only and insig-
nificint results were:
II The Retvizan was struck abreast her
forward turret about eight feet below
water line; inner and outer skins were
blown through; bulkheads in vicinity buc-
killed. and water-tght matches in protected
deck sprung out of shape and made leaky.
She was afterward beached and repaired
by means of cofferdam fitted TO her side
(the dry dock being too small for her ac-
commodation) and she subsequently took
part in other engagements. Her repairs, |
completed on March %, were made with |
boiler plates. The armor plate was taken |
of and afterward replaced. Her six-inch |
and 12-pounder guns were landed and used |
in shore defenses
"2. Czareyitch; Her injury was similar to |
that of the Retvizan and was similarly re- |
paired It was located on the port side |
aft under after edge of turret. She was |
also beached and repaired in time to ac-
company the feet on August 10.
..3 Pallada: Struck by torpedo on port |
side abreast OF after smokepipe. about two |
bunker with the hoist of a twelve FOUNDER |
magazine running through the bunker. A |
hole was broken through the outer skin |
about seven feet in diameter. roughly. and |