The Russian ship destroyed was Admiral Makaroff’s flagship, the Petropavlovsk; the second ship injured was the battleship Pobieda. In the action in which she engaged the third squadron, the Bayan also was damaged, and the effective Russian fleet for the moment reduced to the Peresviet, Sevastopol, Askold, Diana, Novik, and some five destroyers.
Another attempt to block the harbour followed, no less than ten ships being employed. In Japan this attempt was accepted as completely successful; but there are few grounds for believing that it was more than temporarily so.
Too little is yet known of the real facts of the war for many conclusions of value to be drawn; indeed, only one thing is as yet fully clear, and that is the importance of battleships. Russia’s failure lay here. Lacking a battleship superiority, she was unable to support her cruisers, and these consequently unable to support the destroyers. As a result, despite the extraordinary activity of the Russian cruiser Bayan, the naval war followed the exact course that any one cognizant of naval affairs could have predicted on February 10, 1904. Only the battleship can confer command of the sea.
Later events to the end of May included the loss of the battleship Hatsuse, by contact with a Russian mine, and the sinking of the cruiser Yoshino, after collision with the Kasuga in a fog.
APPENDICES
THE SINKING OF THE
KOW-SHING
Official Report of Captain Togo of the Naniwa
“At 9.15 a.m., coming close to the Kow-shing, I signalled J. W. (to stop immediately) and twice fired blank shot. The next signal was L. P. (to anchor), which she obeyed. I was at that time very anxious to catch the flying Chinese warship, and I turned a little while in that direction. At that time the Kow-shing signalled D. N. W. R. (may I proceed), which I answered by the signal J. W.
“At 10.40, I sent Lieutenant Hitomi and others as prize officers to her. On seeing all the papers and other things, they found that she was carrying contraband persons. So I ordered her to follow me, which her captain consented to do. When I hoisted the signal L. R. (slip or weigh anchor immediately), she asked me by signal to send a boat for communication. I thought that the captain wished to tell me that he was prevented by the Chinese soldiers from obeying my order. So I ordered Lieutenant Hitomi to go again to her, giving him instructions to bring the Europeans on board the Naniwa, if the Chinese generals were resisting the carrying out of my order. When the lieutenant came alongside, the captain came to the gangway and said that the Chinese generals asked to be allowed to return to Taku, as they did not know that war had broken out. The lieutenant informed me that, when he went there, the Chinese soldiers were in a condition of the greatest confusion and excitement, so that the captain intentionally came down to the gangway and would not let him go on deck. Four hours had been consumed in these fruitless negotiations, and there was no longer room for hesitation, so I signalled M. L. (quit the ship immediately). To this the captain again answered by the signal demanding a boat. At that time I thought it would be rather foolish to send our officers, as the Chinese were in such an excited state. Accordingly I signalled H. J. (boat cannot come). It seemed to me that she was awaiting the arrival of the Chinese fleet; moreover, it was very dangerous to hesitate any longer, so I again hoisted the signal M. L., and at the same time a red flag on the foremast. At 1.10 p.m. I ordered one torpedo and shells to be discharged. The latter hit the engine-room.