Battle of Tsushima

[Ariecho]

Background:

At the end of the 19th century, European powerhouses had already recognized the significant expansionism views of the Japanese Empire, which were manifested in 1895 by Japan's victory over China.

 

Russia, also determined to expand its empire, took advantage of that political background, and decided to perform its own expansion, starting with the occupation of Manchuria in 1898, including ports that were necessary for the Russians to have a naval presence in the Pacific Ocean.

 

In 1904, Japan who was itself becoming increasingly worried by the Russian advance, sent an ultimatum to Russia, which fell on deaf ears.

 

On February 8th, 1904, Admiral Togo, without any warning launched an attack on Port-Arthur, where part of the Russian fleet was docked.  Two days later, Japan declared war on Russia, and started its offensive by the occupation of Korea.

 

 

 

A long, long trip:

 

 

With part of its fleet blockaded in Port-Arthur, Russia decided to send its Baltic fleet to relieve it.  It took the fleet 8 months to complete the journey, including some skirmishes with the Royal Navy (allied to Japan) on October 21st, and also some diplomatic tensions with France who reluctantly agrees to let the Russian fleet use French harbors (Madagascar and Cam Ranh, Indochina).

 

The Russian fleet eventually reached the island of Tsushima on May 27th, 1905, just to be destroyed by Admiral Togo’s fleet.

 

 

 

Order of battle:

Sources differ about the order of battle of both the Japanese and Russian navies.  The most detailed order of battle I could find came from “The Russo-Japanese War research society” web site, which produced the following document.

The Fleets at Tsushima

The Japanese Combined Fleet

First Squadron

First Division:

• Mikasa (Mikasa class OBB) Flag of Admiral Togo

• Shikishima (Shikishima class OBB)

• Fuji (Fuji class OBB)

• Asahi (Asahi class OBB)

• Kasuga (ex-Italian Mitra class CR)

• Nisshin (ex-Italian Roca class CR) Flag of Vice Admiral Misu

• Tatsuta (Tatsuta class CS) dispatch vessel

1st Destroyer Division:

• Harusame (Harusame class ODD) Broad Pennant of Captain Fujimoto

• Fubuki (Harusame class ODD)

• Ariake (Harusame class ODD)

• Arare (Harusame class ODD)

• Akatsuki II (ex-Russian Puilki class ODD)

2nd Destroyer Division:

• Oboro (Ikazuchi class ODD) Broad Pennant of Captain Yajima

• Inadzuma (Ikazuchi class ODD)

• Ikazuchi (Ikazuchi class ODD)

• Akebono (Ikazuchi class ODD)

9th Torpedo-boat Division:

• Aotaka (Aotaka class TB) Broad Pennant of Commander Kawase

• Kari (Aotaka class TB)

• Tsubame (Aotaka class TB)

• Hato (Aotaka class TB)

Third Division:

• Kasagi (Chitose class OCR) Flag of Vice Admiral Dewa

• Chitose (Chitose class OCR)

• Otowa (Otowa class OCR)

• Niitaka (Tsushima class OCR)

4th Destroyer Division:

• Asagiri (Harusame class ODD) Broad Pennant of Commander Suzuki

• Murasame (Harusame class ODD)

• Shirakumo (Shirakumo class ODD)

• Asashiwo (Shirakumo class ODD)

• Note: Each vessel was carrying 8x100lbs. Mines

Second Squadron

Second Division:

• Idzumo (Idzumo class CR) Flag of Vice Admiral Kamimura Adzuma (Adzuma class CR)

• Tokiwa (Asama class CR)

• Yakumo (Yakumo class CR)

• Asama (Asama class CR)

• Iwate (Idzumo class CR)

• Chihaya (Chihaya class CS) dispatch vessel

5th Destroyer Division:

• Shiranui (Murakumo class ODD) Broad Pennant of Commander Hirose

• Murakumo (Murakumo class ODD)

• Yugiri (Murakumo class ODD)

• Kagero (Murakumo class ODD)

3rd Destroyer Division:

• Shinonome (Murakumo class ODD) Broad Pennant of Commander Yoshijima

• Usugumo (Murakumo class ODD)

• Kasumi (Akatsuki class ODD)

• Sazanami (Ikazuchi class ODD)

Fourth Division:

• Naniwa (Naniwa class OCR) Flag of Rear Admiral Uriu

• Takachiho (Naniwa class OCR)

• Akashi (Suma class OCR)

• Tsushima (Tsushima class OCR)

Third Squadron

Fifth Division:

• Itsukushima (Matsushima class OCR) Flag of  Vice Admiral Kataoka

• Chinyen (ex-Chinese Chen Yuan class OBB)

• Matsushima (Matsushima class OCR)

• Hashidate (Matsushima class OCR) Flag of Rear Admiral Taketomi

• Yaeyama (Yaeyama class CS) dispatch vessel

11th Torpedo-boat Division:

• Number 73 (Number 67 class TB) Broad Pennant of  Lieutenant-Commander Fujimoto

• Number 72 (Number 67 class TB)

• Number 74 (Number 67 class TB)

• Number 75 (Number 67 class TB)

Sixth Division:

• Suma (Suma class OCR) Flag of Rear Admiral Togo Masaji (no relation)

• Chiyoda (Chiyoda class CR)

• Akitsushima (Akitsushima class OCR)

• Idzumi (ex-Chilean Esmeralda class OCR)

10th Torpedo-boat Division:

• Number 43 (Number 39 class TB) Broad Pennant of Lieutenant-Commander Odaki

• Number 42 (Number 39 class TB) Number 40 (Number 39 class TB)

• Number 41 (Number 39 class TB)

15th Torpedo-boat Division:

• Hibari (Aotaka class TB) Broad Pennant of Commander Kondo

• Sagi (Aotaka class TB)

• Hashitaki (Aotaka class TB)

• Uzura (Aotaka class TB)

 

 

The Russian Second and Third Pacific Squadrons

First Division:

http://c.gcaptain.co.../09/image10.png

• Knyaz Suvorov (Borodino class OBB) Flag of Vice Admiral Rozhdestvenski

• Imperator Alexandr III (Borodino class OBB)

• Borodino (Borodino class OBB)

• Orel (Borodino class OBB)

Second Division:

• Oslyabya (Peresvyet class OBB) Flag of Rear Admiral Baron Felkerzam

• Sisoi Veliki (Sisoi Veliki class OBB)

• Navarin (Navarin class OBB)

• Admiral Nakhimov (Admiral Nakhimov class OBB)

Third Division:

• Imperator Nikolai I (Imperator Alexandr II class OBB) Flag of Rear Admiral Nebogatov

• General Admiral Apraxin (Admiral Ushakov class OBB)

• Admiral Senyavin (Admiral Ushakov class OBB)

• Admiral Ushakov (Admiral Ushakov class OBB)

Attached Cruisers

• Zhemchug (Izumrud class OCR)

• Izumrud (Izumrud class OCR)

• First Cruiser Division:

• Oleg (Bogatyr class OCR) Flag of Rear Admiral Enkvist

• Aurora (Pallada class OCR)

• Dmitri Donskoi (Dmitri Donskoi class CR)

• Vladimir Monomakh (Vladimir Monomakh class CR)

Second Scouting Division:

• Svyetlana (Svyetlana class CR) Broad Pennant of Commodore Shein

• Ural (ex-Kaiserin Maria Theresia class AMC)

1st Destroyer Division:

• Byedovi (Boiki class ODD)

• Buini (Boiki class ODD)

• Bravi (Boiki class ODD)

• Buistri (Boiki class ODD)

2nd Destroyer Division:

• Blestyashchi (Boiki class ODD)

• Bezuprechni (Boiki class ODD)

• Bodri (Boiki class ODD)

• Gromki (Boiki class ODD)

• Grozni (Boiki class ODD)

Transport Squadron

• Almaz (Almaz class PY) Broad Pennant of Captain Radlov

• Anaduir (ex-Franche Comte class AP)

• Irtuish (ex-Belgia class AP)

• Kamchatka (Kamchatka class AR)

• Koreya (Koreya class AE)

• Rus (ex-Verein class AT)

• Svir (ex-Zwartezee class AT)

• Orel (Volunteer Fleet steamship class AH)

• Kostroma (Volunteer Fleet steamship class AH)

 

The battle:

 

 

Minute by minute (source wikipedia)

27 May 1905 (JST)

• 04:45 The Shinano Maru (Japan) locates the Russian Baltic Fleet and sends a wireless signal.

• 05:05 The Japanese Combined Fleet leaves port and sends a wireless signal to Imperial Headquarters: "Today's weather is fine but waves are high. (Japanese: 本日天気晴朗なれども波高し)".

• 13:39 The Japanese Combined Fleet gains visual contact with the Russian Baltic Fleet, and sends up the battle flag.

• 13:55 Distance (Range): 12,000 meters. The Mikasa sends up Z flag. (Z flag's meaning: The Empire's fate depends on the result of this battle, let every man do his utmost duty.).

• 14:05 Distance (Range): 8,000 meters. The Japanese Combined Fleet turns to helm aport (i.e. start U-turn).

• 14:07 Distance (Range): 7,000 meters. The Mikasa completes its turn. The Russian Baltic Fleet opens fire with their main batteries.

• 14:10 Distance (Range): 6,400 meters. All Japanese warships complete their turns.

• 14:12 Distance (Range): 5,500 meters. The Mikasa receives her first hit from the Russian guns.

• 14:16 Distance (Range): 4,600 meters. The Japanese Combined Fleet begins concentrating their return fire on the Russian flagship, the Knyaz Suvorov

• 14:43 The Oslyabya and Knyaz Suvorov are set ablaze and fall away from the battle line.

• 14:50 The Emperor Alexander III starts turning to the north and attempts to leave the battle line.

• 15:10 The Oslyabya sinks, and the Knyaz Suvorov attempts to withdraw.

• 18:00 The two fleets counterattack each other (distance (range): 6,300 m), and begin exchanging main battery fire again.

• 19:03 The Emperor Alexander III sinks.

• 19:20 The Knyaz Suvorov, Borodino, and Sisoy Veliki are sunk.

28 May 1905 (JST)

• 09:30 The Japanese Combined Fleet locates the Russian Baltic Fleet again.

• 10:34 The Russian commander signals "XGE", which is "I surrender" in the International Code of Signals used at the time.

• 10:53 Admiral Tōgō accepts the surrender.

 

Excerpts from Vladimir Semenoff's book "Battle of Tsushima":

 

"Now the fun will begin," thought I to myself, going up to the after-bridge, which seemed to be the most convenient place for carrying out my duty of seeing and noting down everything, as from there i could see both the enemy and our own fleet.  Lieutenant reydkin, commanding the after starboard 6-inch turret, was also there, having dashed up to see what was going on, as the fight was apparently to commence to port, and his turret would not be in action.

 

We stood side by side, exchanging now and again abrupt remarks, not understanding why the Japanese intended crossing to our port side, when our weak spot - the transports and cruisers covering them - was astern, and to starboard of us.  Perhaps, having commenced the fight while steering on the opposite course, and having taken advantage of their superior speed, they calculated on rounding us from the stern, in order to fall at the same time on our transports and weak rear!  If so, a raking fire would present no difficulties.

 

"Hullo!  Look! What are they up to?" said Reydkin, and his voice betrayed both delight and amazement.

 

I looked and looked, and, not believing my eyes, could not put down my glasses.  The Japanese ships had suddenly commenced to turn "in succession" to port, reversing their course!

 

If the reader recollects what has been said previously on the subject of turns, he will easily understand that this maneuver made it necessary for all the enemy's ships to pass in succession over the point on which the leading ship had turned; this point was, so to speak, stationary on the water, making it easy for us to range and aim. Besides - even with a speed of 15 knots, the maneuver must take about fifteen minutes to complete, and all this time the vessels, which had already turned, would mask the fire of those which were still coming up.

 

"How rash!" said Reydkin, who could not keep quiet.  "Why, in a minute we'll be able to roll up the leading ships!"

 

"Please god, we may!" thought I.

 

It was plain to me that Togo, seeing something which he had not expected, had suddenly changed his mind.  The maneuver was undoubtedly risky, but, on the other hand, if he found it necessary to steer on the opposite course, there was no other way of doing it.  He might have ordered the fleet to turn "together," but this would have made the cruiser Iwate the leading ship in action, which he evidently did not wish.  Togo accordingly decided to turn "in succession," in order that he should lead the fleet in person, and not leave success at the commencement of the action to depend upon the presence of mind and enterprise of the junior flag-officer. (the Iwate flew Rear-Admiral Shimamura's flag.)

 

My heart beat furiously, as it had never done before during the six months at Port Arthur.  If we succeeded!  God grant it!  Even though we didn't sink one of them, if we could only put one out of action!  The first success - was it possible?

 

Meanwhile Rozhdestvenski hastened to avail himself of this favorable opportunity.

 

At 1.49 p.m., when the maneuver had been performed by the Mikasa and Shikishima (two only out of the twelve), the Suvorov fired the first shot at a range of 6,400 yards, and the guns of the whole fleet thundered forth.  I watched closely through my glasses.  The shots which went over and those which fell short were all close, but the most interesting, i.e. the hits, as in the fight of 10th august, could not be seen.  Our shells on bursting emitted scarcely any smoke, and the fuses were adjusted to burst inside after penetrating the target.  A hit could only be detected when something fell - and nothing fell!  In a couple of minutes, when the Fuji and Asahi had turned also and were following the first ships, the enemy began to reply.

 

The first shells flew over us.  At this range some of the long ones turned a complete somersault, and could clearly be seen with the naked eye curving like so many sticks thrown in the air.  They flew over us, making a sort of wail, different to the ordinary roar.

 

"Are those the portmanteaus?" asked Reydkin, smiling.

 

"Yes. Those are they."

 

But what struck me most was that these " portmanteaus," curving awkwardly head over heels through the air and falling anyhow on the water, exploded the moment they touched its surface.  This had never happened before.

 

After them came others short of us- nearer and nearer.  Splinters whistled through the air, jingled against the side and superstructure. Then, quite close and abreast the foremost funnel, rose a gigantic pillar of smoke, water and flame.  I saw stretchers being carried along the fore-bridge, and i leaned over the rail.

 

"Prince Tsereteli!" shouted Reydkin from below, in reply to my silent question, as he went towards his turret.

 

The next shell struck the side by the center 6-inch turret, and there was a tremendous noise behind and below me on the port quarter.  Smoke and tongues of fire leapt out of the officers' gangway; a shell having fallen into the captain's cabin, and having penetrated the deck, had burst in the officers' quarters, setting them on fire.

  

And here I was able to observe, and not for the first time, the stupor which seems to come over men, who have never been in action before, when the first shells begin to fall.  A stupor which turns easily and instantaneously, at the most insignificant external shock, into either uncontrollable panic which cannot be allayed, or into unusually high spirits, depending on the man's character.

 

The men at the fire mains and hoses stood as if mesmerized, gazing at the smoke and flames, not understanding, apparently, what was happening. I went down to them from the bridge, and with the most commonplace words, such as "Wake up!  Turn the water on!" - got them to pull themselves together and bravely to fight the fire.

 

I was taking out my watch and pocket-book to make a note of the first fire, when something suddenly struck me in the waist, and something large and soft, though heavy, hit me in the back, lifting me up and hurling me on to the deck.  When i again got up, my note-book and watch were in my hands as before. My watch was going; but the second hand was slightly bent, and the glass had disappeared. Stupefied by the blow, and not myself, i began carefully to hunt for it on the deck, and found it unbroken. Picking it up, i fitted it in to my watch-and, only then realizing that i had been occupied with something of no importance, i looked round.

 

Ari

[Tanz]

Great one Ari...would have hated to be a sailor on the Russian ships  :Smile_ohmy:  at that time...I can see the Mikasa right across the way from me here in Yokosuka.

[Jager_Panther1]

Tanz, on 05 November 2012 - 08:30 PM, said:

Great one Ari...would have hated to be a sailor on the Russian ships  :Smile_ohmy:  at that time...I can see the Mikasa right across the way from me here in Yokosuka.

https://aloftyexiste...u-this-much.jpg

... no im not jealous

[JeeWeeJ]

Well, what can i say?

:Smile_great:

[Ariecho]

Thanks!  I was lucky enough to find some good illustrations for this report.  What amazed me was the journey of the Baltic fleet!  8 months, just to be sunk upon arrival.

 

Speak about some serious suckage!

[JeeWeeJ]

Ariecho, on 05 November 2012 - 09:55 PM, said:

Thanks!  I was lucky enough to find some good illustrations for this report.  What amazed me was the journey of the Baltic fleet!  8 months, just to be sunk upon arrival.

Speak about some serious suckage!

Yeah, and -as i understood it- that trip was pretty bad for the performance of the Russian ships. Something with stuff sticking to the hull and boilers not being as efficient due to not being cleaned for a long time. Not to speak of crew morale after such a long journey. :Smile_hiding:

[xthetenth]

The Russians made serious mistakes. First they split the fleet that they could send, so they lost the Battle of the Yellow Sea and the Battle of Tsushima. That caused a lot of turmoil back home and brought them to the table. They would've fared much better if they'd kept the fleet together rather than sending it in piecemeal, or they could've just skipped the fleet entirely and ran the entire war as a land campaign. The Trans-Siberian railroad would've allowed them to supply a significantly superior force in Korea and they could've bled Japan dry and gotten peace on their terms. The Russians screwed up big and it showed.

[PhilJD_NA]

what can I say.... excelent post.

 

I was on board the Mikasa 2 weeks ago - even had my one and only Moss burger on the way back to the train station.

[Ariecho]

So, can we say that Jutland was inspired by Tsushima, tactically?

[PhilJD_NA]

Not really - the biggest single driver/limiter at Jutland was Torpedo's which just don't have the same impact at a tactical level at Tsushima.

 

I say this due to the almost paranoia about torpedo's at Jutland that ultimately prevented Jellico from following up the HSF's withdrawals - according to naval weapons theory at the time of Jutland 1 in 3 torpedo's launched at a battleline were expected to hit, hence the caution.

[xthetenth]

What exactly are you suggesting was inspired by Tsushima at Jutland? The significant increase in gunnery range between the wars had significantly changed the tactical picture.

[Ariecho]

xthetenth, on 06 November 2012 - 09:35 AM, said:

What exactly are you suggesting was inspired by Tsushima at Jutland? The significant increase in gunnery range between the wars had significantly changed the tactical picture.

The battle formation itself, reverse of directions, crossing the T?

[PhilJD_NA]

Ariecho, on 06 November 2012 - 01:59 PM, said:

The battle formation itself, reverse of directions, crossing the T?

My response to this would be:-
Battle formation/crossing the T - very little different from the age of sail, so 'standard' battle tactics from before Tsushima.
The reversing of direction is a mechanical aspect that just was not possible in the age of sail, so if the use of engines in the first real 'battleship v's battleship' action lays claim to such a tactic, then perhaps it is so, although the 'battle turn away' is not so new, refer to the loss of the Victoria and Camperdown in RN mediteranean manouevers where an about turn of course led to tragedy.

[Gigaton]

In the first place, while it's often mentioned, the crossing of the T at Tsushima was not really important for the outcome of the battle. Tôgô had even previously mentioned, after the Yellow Sea battle, that it allows the enemy to get away. Tôgô came into contact ahead of the Russian fleet so there were plenty of theoretical options available. His eventual maneuvers, the bold (or simply well caluclated) turn that put his fleet on parallel course in particular, were more valuable for preventing Russian escape and for providing good gunnery than for enabling some neat tactical trick. Due to higher speed of his force, this eventually did allow him to cross the T in a way and also practically put the Japanese fleet between the Russian fleet and Vladivostok.

 

Parallel course minimized the gunnery problem. The Japanese battleships had Barr & Stroud rangefinders, electrical equipment for transmitting the ranges to the turrets and settable telescopic gunsights for "firecontrol". While this is more than what they had during the Sino-Japanese War, guns were still under local control, and they were fired at rangefinder range rather than gun range (that is, at present range rather than future range). This meant that easy gunnery problem was needed for decisive effect, and the parallel course was a mean to achieve that.

 

Naturally, this meant that Russian gunnery would be more decisive as well. In effect Tôgô took the initiative and forced a straight brawling fight on the Russians. Due to qualitative superiority of the Japanese fleet over the weary Russian one, the latter had no means of surviving such a fight.

[Capcon]

I can't really imagine what that  long long trip must have been like in a 400 ton Boiki class DD. Egad.