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

INTRODUCTION

27

of the Sea of Japan. But on August 14, when three Russian
vessels again appeared in the Straits of Tsushima, they met
with an attack by our second squadron, which was then off
Ulsan. Fire started on all of the Russian ships, one of which
went to the bottom. After the complete destruction of the
Port Arthur squadron, our navy tightened its hold on Vladivostok, keeping watch over the smuggling ships and cutting
off the supply by sea of munitions and provisions to the
enemy.
Seeing that the Pacific fleet was fast declining, Russia dispatched a second Pacific squadron in October, 1904, and a
third Pacific squadron in February, I905. On May 12, these
squadrons all assembled on the sea of Annam. Entering the
China Sea, the whole fleet of more than forty vessels steamed
northward. The Japanese fleet, finishing its preparations,
was awaiting the enemy in the Straits of Tsushima. At 5
A.M., on May 27, the Japanese scouts sighted the Russian
fleet steering for the east channel. At 2 P.M., the Russian
ships reached the vicinity of Okinoshima, moving in double
columns, while our battleships and armored cruisers, steaming in a single column, pressed the head of the Russians from
the west, delivering a severe attack upon the enemy. Violent
fires soon breaking out on the flagship and two other battleships of the enemy, the Russian fleet, in disorder, attempted
escape. The Japanese main force never ceased to press the
enemy to the south. Meanwhile, our cruiser squadron and
three other flotillas attacked from the south, the ships forming
the enemy's rear dispersing them with heavy damage. Our
fleet pursued the scattered enemy until sunset. During the
day, the Russian flagship Swaroff and three other battleships
and one special service vessel were sunk. In the night, our
destroyers and torpedo boats attacked the enemy in spite of
heavy seas. So far as the results could be told, these Japanese
ships deprived at least one battleship and two armored cruisers of fighting and steaming power and sank one battleship.
The Japanese losses were only three torpedo boats. With the
dawn of May 28, the Japanese squadrons searched for and