*
He radioed Togo, who was at sea, to set up a meeting on this new situation, but by the time they met, at the end of the month, a great deal had happened. ‘The Russians have got themselves into all sorts of trouble with Great Britain,’ Nicholas told the Commander-in-Chief, when they sat down together in the Admiral’s day-cabin on board Mikasa, which, with the rest of the fleet, barring the detachment watching Port Arthur, was moored in Pusan Bay, on the south-east extremity of Korea. This was a very fine natural harbour, and separated from Shimonoseki by only the narrow Straits of Tsushima. ‘It appears they lost their heads when crossing the North Sea, and fired into a British fishing fleet under the impression that it was a squadron of Japanese torpedo-boats.’ He grinned. ‘That does not give a very good impression of their morale.’
‘What are the British doing about it?’ Togo asked.
‘Making diplomatic noises. I don’t imagine they’ll take it much further, save that they won’t let the Russians use any British coaling stations. But the important news is that Rozhdestvensky has divided his fleet. He and the battleships are coming round the Cape of Good Hope. His smaller ships are using the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal. Presumably they mean to rendezvous somewhere in the Indian ocean.’
‘Cannot the British stop them using the Canal?’ Togo asked.
‘They do not seem to intend to. I suppose that really would cause a diplomatic incident. Now, Heihachiro, as I see the situation, the Russians, are sitting ducks. We know they have four powerful units, but we also know that these are brand-new ships with brand-new crews. Orel, for instance, was only completed last month. I do not believe we have anything to fear from their cruisers and coastal defence ships, so we can ignore those. But if we were to lay a course to intercept the Russian battleships, at the earliest possible moment . . .’ he paused, because Togo was frowning as he surveyed the world chart on the table between them.
‘You mean we should take the fleet away from the Sea of Japan? Away from the theatre of war, from the blockade of Port Arthur?’
‘With respect, Heihachiro, anywhere the enemy fleet is to be found, is our theatre of war.’
‘We do not know where they are to be found. They have all the oceans of the world at their disposal.’
‘That is only true in theory,’ Nicholas pointed out. ‘In fact they have to coal, and fairly regularly. Our last information is that they coaled at Tangiers. Now they are on their way to Dacca; the French are their allies, remember? But the Germans are neutral, so it is possible they will coal again in Luderitz Bay, German South-West Africa. What we do know for certain is that they must coal before attempting to cross the Indian Ocean, and they will do that at St Marie in Madagascar. We could get there before them.’
Togo stroked his beard. ‘What would be the advantage in meeting them there?’
‘The advantage, in a positive sense, are the factors I have already outlined. These are new ships and new crews. Every day they spend at sea the crews will become more used to their ships, more efficient at handling them. You can be sure they are practicing their gunnery at every opportunity. If we allow them to do that all the way here, they will become very formidable indeed. What is more, they already outnumber us by two to one. If they can link up with the five battleships still in Port Arthur, we could have a very serious situation on our hands.’
Togo sat down, his hands together in front of his face. ‘And you are very anxious to get to grips with your wife’s husband. Or is that an unworthy remark?’
Nicholas sat down also. ‘I am very anxious to destroy the Russian fleet.’
‘So am I. It is my intention. But I think we will do it more certainly here. I have the greatest respect for your strategical and tactical ability, Barrett san, while your leadership and fighting qualities are second to no man in the Empire. But I think perhaps you are too much a fighting man. Do you remember a conversation we had, oh, many, many years ago, when you were endeavouring to train the Satsuma samurai to be riflemen. You were astounded because I objected to your wish to choose the ground and confuse the enemy with deceiving manoeuvres. Of course, you were right and I was wrong: Saigo proved this when he allowed himself to be destroyed outside Kumamoto. But I have learned a great deal since then. Hear me out. There are three factors at issue here, all of which are worth a calculated risk. In the first place, at the rate they are progressing, the Russian fleet cannot reach our waters until the spring of next year, at the very earliest; by then, Oku will have taken Port Arthur, and the five battleships there will either have been destroyed or captured on their moorings, or will have come out to fight, and been sunk.
‘The second factor is that while, as you say, the Russians will be practising their guns and their seamanship throughout this voyage, they will also be keeping their ships at sea. They are steaming more than twelve thousand miles, Barrett, without any facilities for docking. You have quoted to me their speeds, which all but match our own, but I will wager you any odds you wish that by the time they get here, we can comfortably deduct two knots from every ship.
‘The third factor is morale. They are coming to save their empire. But they have never fired a shot in anger, except at those British fishing boats, and they are commanded by an admiral who is similarly inexperienced. For all of those twelve thousand miles they will be wondering, to themselves and to each other, what will we do, what will it be like? And do you know what they will also be wondering? Why are the Japanese not reacting to our approach? Why are they waiting so confidently for us to appear in their waters? But most important of all, Barrett, once Port Arthur falls, this so-called Baltic Fleet will be like cut flowers in a vase. It will have sailed twelve thousand miles and be in urgent need of a refit, and it will be in even more urgent need of coal, by the time it gets here. But there will be nowhere for it to go, for refitting or coal, save Vladisvostock. And to gain Vladivostock, it must pass through that very strait out there. The Russians will be at the very end of their tether. We shall be fresh and eager. And we shall annihilate them. By remaining here.’
*
Togo’s confidence was almost alarming; it was also invigorating. And only a few days after the meeting the first part of his prognostication began to come true. On 6 December the Japanese, after some of the bitterest fighting of the war, at last captured 203-Metre Hill. From this elevation they could actually see into the harbour, and once their siege guns were dragged into position and emplaced, they could fire with devastating accuracy. Retvisan was hit by thirteen eleven-inch howitzer shells, one of which penetrated her armour and exploded in a boiler room; she sank. Pobieda was hit by no fewer than twenty-one howitzer shells, and also went down. Poltava received six hits and burst into flames; she was beached but left a burned-out out wreck. Peresviet was hit by at least twenty shells, and scuttled by her own crew. Of the entire Pacific Squadron only Sevastopol survived the bombardment. She was towed into the outer roads and, surrounded by nets and booms, and even held off attacks by Japanese torpedo-boats, but immediately before the surrender of the fortress was scuttled in deep water.
It was on 2 January 1905 that Port Arthur finally capitulated, the most severe defeat suffered by Russian arms since the Crimean War of fifty years before. Nicholas had managed to get home, with Alexander, to celebrate Christmas, but by then the imminent fall of the fortress was obvious, and he hurried back to Shimonoseki to embark for the stricken port. There was a great deal of salvage work to be undertaken. Although Sevastopol was lost, all the other four ships were salvageable and repairable, and work was undertaken immediately.
In the battered town Nicholas met Takamori, who had been one of the leaders of the assault, and had, as usual, covered himself with glory in his willingness to take risks.
‘My congratulations,’ Nicholas told him. ‘You have fought like a true samurai, and this time your honour is untarnished.’
Takamori bowed. ‘The honour belongs to my ancestors, honourable Father. Now, you see, the Army has fulfilled its r
ole. When will the Navy do the same?’
‘Whenever the Russians get here,’ Nicholas told him.
*
The Russian battle squadron had actually reached Madagascar in December, where it not only coaled but rendezvoused with Folkersahm’s cruiser squadron, which had come through the Suez Canal. It remained in Madagascar for four months. This was not only in an effort to do some refitting, but because, just as Folkersahm’s squadron joined it at the turn of the year, news was received of the fall of Port Arthur.
Nicholas and Togo guessed that the ensuing delay was caused by a lengthy exchange of telegrams and a reconsidering of the position between St Petersburg and Rozhdestvensky. The admiral might never have commanded a fleet at sea before, but he had to realise that for him to arrive in Japanese-controlled waters, with exhausted ships and men and no harbour in which they could prepare themselves for battle, would be tantamount to committing suicide; undoubtedly he would be suggesting the expedition be recalled.
However, the Tsar Nicholas II and his advisers in St Petersburg knew even less about sea warfare than their admiral, and were clearly concerned only with the maintenance of Russian prestige: the Baltic Fleet had been despatched to punish the little yellow men for their aggression – this task must be carried out. To return home without firing a shot would be tantamount to admitting the loss of the war.
‘As if losing all their remaining ships will not be the loss of the war,’ Nicholas remarked.
*
The Russian fleet left Madagascar in March, and disappeared into the vastness of the Indian Ocean, but Nicholas and Togo were not worried; the auxiliary squadron had by now passed through the Canal and turned east after rounding Aden, and they knew Rozhdestvensky would have to coal again before entering Japanese waters. That could only be done in Camranh Bay, in French Indo-China, and sure enough, at the beginning of May it was reported that the entire Russian fleet was at last assembled, and proceeding north.
There now followed a very tense three weeks. Togo kept his main fleet, his four battleships and eight armoured cruisers, snugly at anchor in Pusan Harbour, while his light craft, amongst them Yoshino, ranged south to Formosa and beyond for a first sighting of the enemy. But as the days wore on and there was no sign of the Russians nerves began to wear thin, especially as towards the end of the month the wind dropped to a flat calm throughout the area, with the result that sea fog seeped across the surface, reducing visibility to a few yards.
Inside Pusan Bay only the various boatswain whistles and the trumpet calls gave any indication that there was a fleet at anchor; mostly the great ships were invisible to each other.
‘If they do not come soon,’ Togo said, at dinner in the wardroom of Mikasa on the evening of Wednesday, 24 May, ‘you will have to go back to Shimonoseki, Barrett san; there must be a mountain of work on your desk.’
Nicholas knew he was right. But to leave the fleet just as the greatest naval battle in history was approaching . . . next morning a signal was received from the Japanese commander in Shanghai. The Russian fleet had put in to the mouth of the Yangste to leave their transports in safety until after the battle. Then the warships had put to sea again.
‘Now we will not have long to wait,’ Togo said, walking with Nicholas on Mikasa’s quarterdeck.
‘And now, if you do not mind, honourable Admiral,’ Nicholas said. ‘I shall wait with you.’
Togo smiled, and slapped him on the shoulder. ‘I would not have you anywhere else. Do you remember, many years ago, on the occasion of our first meeting, I told you that one day I would command the greatest fleet in the world. Well, of course, it is never that, with the Royal Navy in being. But I am going to command at the greatest naval battle in history.’
‘And you are going to win it, too,’ Nicholas said.
‘Of course.’
*
The next day was the tensest of all. The fog returned, and all word of the Russians was lost. Togo was in a reflective mood that night at dinner. ‘Where are they, do you suppose?’ he asked. ‘Of course, if they decide to go right round Japan I will look very foolish.’
‘We shall still find them,’ Nicholas said.
Togo played with his foodsticks. ‘They wouldn’t have turned back, surely? Not after coming so far.’ It was the first time Nicholas had seen his oldest friend so agitated.
He slept heavily, and it was not yet dawn when a whistle on the voice tube in his cabin summoned him to the bridge, where he found Togo as well as Captain Hamaguchi and the officers of the watch.
‘We have just received an urgent message from the auxiliary cruiser Sinano Maru,’ Togo said.. ‘It seems that at three o’clock this morning, in fog, she all but collided with another vessel, which she has identified as a Russian hospital ship. She then sighted several more vessels. She identified these as warships, and thus sent: Enemy fleet in sight in square 203. Is apparently making for the eastern channel.’
The officers gathered around the chart table.
‘That would make sense,’ said Captain Hamaguchi. ‘He knows where we are, and will hope to pass east of Tsushima Island in the mist and escape.’
‘He is also much closer than we supposed,’ Nicholas observed.
Togo nodded. ‘We must put to sea immediately. You will give the necessary orders to raise steam, Captain Hamaguchi.’
The captain bowed, and summoned his trumpeter.
Nicholas walked to the porthole and looked out. The fog was thicker than ever.
Togo stood beside him. ‘This will lift. It must.’
‘By the time it does,’ Nicholas said, ‘the fleet must be in position.’
‘Yes. We can do nothing more than accept that report as accurate. We will make for the east side of Tsushima Island.’ He snapped his fingers, and his flag-lieutenant hurried forward, note-pad and pencil poised. ‘Send the following signal to His Majesty: I have just received news that the enemy fleet has been sighted. Our fleet will proceed forthwith to sea to attack the enemy and destroy him. Togo. Time.’
‘Zero-six thirty-four hours, honourable Admiral.’
*
The fleet was underway surprisingly quickly, but was not yet at sea when a further message was received from the cruiser Idzuma, on patrol at the bottom end of the straits, that she had made contact with the Russian fleet. No shots had been exchanged, but the cruiser had made off into the mist when the enemy guns had been trained on her.
The weather was about the worst possible for a naval battle. There was a fresh south-westerly breeze pushing up a lumpy swell, sufficient to make accurate shooting difficult, but not as yet doing much to dispel the fog. Further contact with the enemy was reported from cruisers at nine o’clock, but then nothing.
‘All we can do is wait; we know they are coming,’ Togo said, and retired to his day-cabin, where he appeared to be doodling on a writing pad.
Nicholas did not interrupt him; Togo alone had to carry all the weight of responsibility for the coming battle, and even more, for the disappointment if the Russians somehow got past him. But by noon the Japanese were situated north-east of Tsushima, and the order was given to turn into the strait.
By now all the twelve heavy Japanese ships had closed up into line ahead, the four battleships in front, led by Mikasa herself, and the eight cruisers following. Now at last the mist was beginning to thin, and Nicholas could make out all of the Japanese ships, as well as the light cruisers ranging wide to either flank. Of the Russians there remained no sign, and the mist curtain still had visibility down to about five miles.
The crews were piped to lunch, and it was immediately after the meal that a signal came back from Yoshino, still one of the fastest ships in the Japanese fleet. ‘Enemy in sight.’
‘Call the Admiral,’ Nicholas told the flag-lieutenant, and levelled his binoculars, feeling a slow quickening of his pulse as he made out two lines of ships, somewhat straggling, emerging out of the mist, easily identifiable with their black hulls and canary-yellow funnels, in
such contrast to the slate-grey of the Japanese.
Togo came on to the bridge, also levelled his glasses.
‘Course is one-nine-five, honourable Admiral.’
Togo nodded. ‘And he is steering straight for us, in two columns. What is he attempting, Barrett?’
‘I’m not sure. He’s now forming three columns. It looks to me as if he is attempting to form line abreast, but his captains aren’t responding very well.’
‘It is a good formation for us,’ Togo said. ‘What is the range?’
‘Ten thousand yards, honourable Admiral.’
‘Captain Hamaguchi, make to the fleet to alter course two eight zero.’ He glanced at Nicholas with a faint smile. ‘We shall cross his T. All three of them. Is that not the ideal manoeuvre?’
‘Absolutely,’ Nicholas said.
Togo watched the approaching fleet for a few minutes more – no shots had yet been fired – then jerked his head. Nicholas followed him to the rear of the bridge. ‘Just before Trafalgar,’ Togo said, ‘Nelson sent his men a signal which has become immortalised in your history. For Japan, this is no less important a battle than Trafalgar was for England. Tell me what you think of this.’
He gave Nicholas the note pad, on which he had written: The Empire’s fate depends on the result of this battle. Let every man do his utmost duty.
‘I think that is admirable,’ Nicholas said.
Togo nodded and returned on to the bridge, handed the message to the signals lieutenant for transmission to all ships. ‘Range?’
‘Eight thousand yards, honourable Admiral.’
‘Signal the fleet to come about. Course is zero seven zero. Time?’
‘Fourteen hundred, honourable Admiral.’
Nicholas levelled his glasses. The Russians were now definitely in three lines, although the lead ships were not abreast; each ship appeared to be steaming a fast as possible without regard for formation. While the entire Japanese fleet of twelve ships now virtually reversed its course in a perfect manoeuvre.
Bloody Sunrise Page 40
