A Target for Japanese Gunners
Slowly but steadily the two ships held on their course towards the Polynesian Archipelago, where lay in wait their powerful foe. TheVaryaghad reached Round Island, when at a distance of nearly two miles the Japanese flagship opened fire with one of her big guns. The aim of the gunners was true. Right amidships burst the great missile, doing terrible execution, and shell after shell followed with relentless rapidity. TheVaryag, wheeling around in a small circle, responded dauntlessly with her 6-inch guns, but with little or no effect upon the battleship, and now Admiral Uriu's cruisers joined in the cannonade. Within half an hour of this fearful raking fire her bridge was shot away and her sides were gaping with holes, but she kept afloat and still withstood the onslaught, endeavoring heroically but in vain to find an opening by which to break through and escape out to sea. At last, after an hour's terrible pounding, she was compelled reluctantly to give up the attempt as hopeless, and, taking refuge among the islands, with difficulty crept back into Chemulpo harbor, disabled beyond repair and with her decks reduced to veritable shambles. Her desperate struggle had not left the enemy utterly scathless, for there seems no doubt that one of the Japanese cruisers received a good deal of damage.
The Plucky "Korietz"
In the meanwhile the littleKorietz, with extraordinary bravery, but with absolutely pathetic ineffectiveness, had been attempting to imitate the manœuvres of her consort and to do some injury to the big ships of the enemy. As well might a warrior with a popgun try to engage a battery of field artillery. It was magnificent, it certainly was not war. The range was hopelessly beyond her powers, and perhaps it was the bitterest drop in the cup of her commander and crew that the Japanese soon ceased to pay her any attention at all, concentrating all their efforts upon the more dangerousVaryag. When that vessel retreated at length into harbor, theKorietzfollowed her unharmed but undisgraced.
Wounding and Burning
The wounded of theVaryag, numbering 4 officers and 214 men, were removed in boats to the British, Italian and French warships. The dead were left on board, for it was decided to scuttle the ship. At the same time arrangements were made to blow up theKorietz. Just as the Japanese fleet again appeared in sight the latter vessel blew up, and the shattered hull, after one great burst of flame and smoke, sank beneath the waters. TheVaryagrefused to sink so easily, and the Russian sailors therefore again boarded her to set her on fire. After a little more than an hour she had burned down to the water's edge and, heeling over, disappeared. TheSungariwas the next to meet its fate, the Russians setting fire to it also to prevent its falling into the hands of the enemy.
The Japanese fleet then steamed out to sea once more, having left behind it no further obstacle to the landing of troops on the west coast of Korea.
Japan's Handicap
Thus within forty-eight hours of the rupture of diplomatic relations, the first decisive action in the struggle for sea-supremacy had been fought, and the result left to the enterprising and intrepid Navy of Japan not only the immense moral value of a victory well contrived and unerringly accomplished, but the solid material advantage of a superiority in fighting strength which was incontestable.
GENERAL LINEVITCH.GENERAL GRIPENBERG.GENERAL KUROPATKIN.GENERAL KAULBARS.GENERAL RENNENKAMPFF.RUSSIAN GENERALS.
GENERAL LINEVITCH.GENERAL GRIPENBERG.GENERAL KUROPATKIN.GENERAL KAULBARS.GENERAL RENNENKAMPFF.RUSSIAN GENERALS.
RUSSIAN GENERALS.
RUSSIAN GENERALS.