Expenditures of the Russo-Japanese war / by Gotaro Ogawa.

I6 EXPENDITURES OF THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR

PROGRESS OF THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR
Japan and Russia were now pitted against each other.
The main force of the Pacific fleet of Russia was concentrated
in Port Arthur, only four ships remaining in Vladivostok.
The Japanese fleet gathering at Sasebo started for Port
Arthur, early in the morning of February 6, under the command of Admiral Togo. On the way, a detachment of the
Japanese navy, under Rear Admiral Uryu, entered Chemulpo
on the afternoon of February 8, escorting a number of our
military transports. After a slight engagement with the two
Russian warships lying in the harbor, the landing of troops
was finished. At noon on the following day an engagement
was opened outside the port, and after a fight lasting thirty
minutes the Russian vessels were so badly injured that they
retreated into the port and later were blown up by their own
crews. Two battalions of Japanese troops, landing at Chemulpo, entered Seoul on February 9 and garrisoned the town.
The Japanese fleet sent against Port Arthur steamed on,
reconnoitering en route, its destroyer squadron delivering an
attack upon the Russians on the night of February 8. Pressing on to Port Arthur, our destroyer squadron sank two Russian battleships and one cruiser. On the following day the
Japanese fleet made a general attack upon the Russian squadron at Port Arthur. The enemy vessels, assisted by the land
batteries, poured shells upon our fleet, which prosecuted the
attack with utmost vigor and put out of action four of the
enemy ships. The Russians retreated into the harbor one
after the other. Several days later, on February 14, our
destroyer squadron tried a night attack on the enemy squadron off Port Arthur for a second time, in spite of the heavy
seas, and skilfully resisting the onslaught of the enemy, succeeded in inflicting great injury upon the Russian flagship.
In these several engagements the Russian squadron had
sustained heavy damage and lay concealed in the harbor,
declining to come out to fight. Taking advantage of this
opportunity, the Japanese fleet decided to shut up the enemy