The Fortnightly Review: No. CCCCLXIII, New Series [‎587r] (64/239)

THE BATTLE OF THE SEA OF JAPAN.
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carried guns of the very latest types, while most of the Japanese
weapons were of older design. The essential difference between
the fleets did not lie in the gun or torpedo equipment, nor in any
numerical deficiencies to be discovered by “paper” contrasts,
but it lay mainly in the crews—in the training which the Japanese
had undergone under fair and foul weather conditions, and in the
absence of training in the poor fellows who were sent, willy-nilly,
to the Russian ships ; many of them were dragged from the plough
in inland provinces and ordered to become naval gunners and
torpedo men. Even an autocrat cannot work miracles, and the
Tsar and his advisers failed.
The Japanese Navy after the War.
Japan entered upon this war as the smallest of the seven
naval Powers of the world, and she will emerge with a naval force
which will be well able to dictate peace in Far Eastern waters. Her
navy on the day when peace is signed will in any event be nearly
twice as powerful as that with which she began the struggle. Never
did any nation in modern warfare acquire such valuable prizes as
have fallen to Admiral Togo and his colleagues. In the course of
the fifteen months he has lost two battleships—-though efforts to
raise the Yashima are being made, it is said—and two effective
cruisers, besides a few torpedo craft and many merchant ships.
This is one side of the account, and on the other we have a long
list of trophies, even if we exclude for the moment the Russian
vessels which have been interned. The credit side of the Japanese
war ledger, showing the Russian men-of-war which she has
actually obtained already, reads as follows :—
Battleships.
Displacement.
Tons.
Port.
Remarks.
Orel
Nicolas I
Peres viet
Poltava
Retvizan
Pobieda
. 13,560
.. 9,700
. 12,674 \
. 10.950 /
. 12,700 )
. 12,674 (
Taken to Maisuru
Taken to Sasebo..
Port Arthur
Port Arthur |
Captured on May 28.
Captured ou May 28.
Both these ships, which were
sunk in shallow water, are
being raised.
These two vessels, it is feared,
cannot be salved ; they are,
at least, doubtful.
Coast Defence Ships.
Gen. Adm. Apraxine
Adm. Seniavin
| 4,126
Taken to Sasebo..
Captured on May 28.
Cruisers.
Bayan (armoured)
Variag
Pallada
7,800
6,500
. 6,630
Port Arthur |
Chemulpo |
Port Arthur
Sunk in shallow water, and
will be salved.
Will be, it is reported, raised
and repaired.
This swift ship is being salved.
Destroyer.
Bedovy
300
Sasebo
Captured on May 29.
VOL. LXXVI1I.
N.S.
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