ADMIRAL TOGO’S OPERATION ORDERS FOR THE FIRST BLOCKING EXPEDITION, FEBRUARY 18TH, 1904.
[Japanese Confidential History, I., p. 122.]
(1) According to reports received, the enemy were severely damaged in our First Attack, and have all retired into the depths of the harbour. They seem to have no spirit for coming out, and the outside of the port is guarded by only two or three gunboats or destroyers.
(2) Before the enemy can fully repair their damages the Combined Fleet will render their main force useless by sealing the mouth of the harbour, and at a convenient opportunity will further demoralise them by an indirect bombardment.
(3) Each section of the fleet will act in accordance with the programme of movements and chart of courses attached. (See ante, p. 132.)
(4) The Special Transports will complete at this place their preparations for the blocking operations; at the Fourth Rendezvous1 they will reduce their crews, transferring the excess men to the Kinshu Maru.
Flag-Commander Arima, of the First Squadron, will take sole command of the Special Transports Party.
(5) The escort of each Special Transport is fixed as follows:—
The escorting boats will attack and destroy any of the enemy’s ships which approach to do damage to the Special Transports, and have the duty of saving and looking after the crews of the transports.
(6) From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. of the third day the steaming order of the fleet will be as follows:—
(7) At 5 p.m. on the third day the various units will separate and proceed as follows:—
(a) The 5th destroyer division will become the forward guard. They will increase speed as convenient and proceed towards Port Arthur. If they should happen to meet any scouts of the enemy they are to chase them at full speed, and after sunset to attack and sink them. If it should seem necessary to warn the ships following, the rear destroyer only is to be detached and sent back to inform the Special Transports of danger. The 5th destroyer division, if they do not meet any enemy on the way, are to proceed to the outside of Port Arthur, and from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. on the 4th day are to search for and attack the enemy’s guard boats. At 2 a.m. they are to leave the outside of the port, and, proceeding round the east shore, are to attract the enemy’s attention towards the East. About 4 a.m. they are to observe the result of the blockade, and return at dawn to Round Island.
(b) The Special Transports and their escorts will follow the course directed, and at 3.30 a.m. on the 4th day will carry out to its conclusion the sealing up of the mouth of Port Arthur.
The escorts, when they have rescued the volunteers,2 will assemble at Round Island and will join the First Division at dawn on the 4th day.
(c) The 9th T.B. division (except the Tsubame) will follow the coast line from Liau-ti-shan towards the east, and proceeding slowly in the direction of Port Arthur will pick up any men in the boats of the Special Transports who have not yet been rescued.
(d) The 1st destroyer division will keep a look-out ahead of the Special Transports; if they meet near Liau-ti-shan any of the enemy’s destroyers they are to sink them. When it is certain that the Special Transports have arrived at the harbour’s mouth they are to guard the rear, and having observed as positively as possible the success or failure of the blockade, they are to return to Round Island and join the First Division at dawn.
(e) The First and Third Divisions will take the courses laid down in the chart, and will reach Round Island at 8 a.m. on the 4th day; from there they will proceed to Encounter Rock. But the Third Division will increase speed at 8 a.m. and proceed straight to Port Arthur. They will observe the outside of the port, and having made certain of the effect of the blocking will proceed to Encounter Rock.
(f) The Second Division, with the 4th destroyer division as its advance guard, will follow the courses laid down in the chart. At 9 a.m. on the 4th day they will arrive about 10 miles south of Liau-ti-shan; unless necessary they will not show themselves to the enemy, but will proceed to Encounter Rock.
The 4th destroyer division, however, will reach the south of Liau-ti-shan about 7 a.m., and will keep a sharp look-out for any of the transports’ boats still containing any of the blocking party.
(8) The indirect bombardment will be carried out in the morning of the 4th day at a convenient opportunity. The First and Second Divisions will carry this out independently at a spot about 7,000 metres S.E. of Sen-Sei Cape (Kyohy Point or Lao lui chui), 38° 47′ 6·5″ N.; 121° 18′ 10″ E. Each ship will use her guns of 8-inch and above, and fire so as to hit the Shipbuilding Yard, at the same time using her 6-inch guns to keep down the fire of the Eastern Forts. There is no need to lay down the courses, &c., during this firing.
(9) When ships meet or separate either by night or by day during these movements, care must be taken to use the Confidential Recognition Signals.
(10) If there should be time to spare at the Fourth Rendezvous destroyers and torpedo-boats are to fill up with coal and water from the Kasuga, Maru and Kinshu Maru.
(11) The Fourth Division, with the 2nd and 3rd destroyer divisions and the 20th T.B. division, are to patrol Chemulpho Harbour with Asan as base, and are indirectly to guard the landing of the troops. The Dainan Maru and Daichu Maru, with the 1st T.B. division, are on guard duty at Hakko-ho.
(12) The success or failure of these movements will greatly affect the whole of our strategy: and the whole fleet, putting their trust in Heaven, must work together with hearts and souls to bring them to a successful issue.
(Combined Fleet Confidential Order No. 151, Part I.)
PROGRAMME OF THE MOVEMENTS OF THE COMBINED FLEET FROM FEB. 20 TO FEB. 22.
Third Division; 5th destroyer division; “Kinshu Maru.”
First day (Feb. 20). Leave Hakko-ho at 8 a.m. for the 4th Rendezvous [off Rooper Harbour]. Speed 8 knots.
Second day. Arrive at 4th Rendezvous at noon. Leave at 4 p.m. Proceed slowly from west side of Te-chong-do as convenient for the north. Next morning at 8 a.m. meet the Special Transports. Speed 8 knots. Kinshu Maru anchors at 4th Rendezvous till further orders.
Third day. After 8 a.m. guide the Special Transports. Speed 8 knots. Kinshu Maru at anchor at 4th Rendezvous.
Special Transports.
First day. Leave at 8 a.m. after the Third Division and proceed for the 4th Rendezvous. Speed 8 knots.
Second day. Arrive at 4th Rendezvous at noon. Turn over excess crew to Kinshu Maru. 8 p.m. leave for Port Arthur. Speed 8 knots.
Third day. 8 p.m. Arrive south of Round Island. Proceed to the blocking of Port Arthur.
9th and 14th T.B. Divisions; “Kasuga Maru.”
First day. 4 p.m. leave Asan for 4th Rendezvous. Speed 8 knots.
Second day. 10 a.m. arrive at 4th Rendezvous. Kasuga Maru anchors and awaits further orders. T.B. divisions leave at 8 p.m., following the Special Transports.
Third day. Torpedo-boats escort the Special Transports.
First day. Noon. Leave Hakko-ho for Suni-do.3 Speed 8 knots.
Second day. 4 p.m. Arrive outside Suni-do.
Third day. 6 a.m. Leave, speed 12 knots till the Special Transports are overtaken. After that 8 knots. After 5 p.m. 10 knots.
1st Destroyer Division.
First day. At Asan [3rd Rendezvous].
Second day. 6 a.m. leave Asan. 4 p.m. join up with First Division at Suni-do, speed as convenient.
Third day. Same as First Division, but after 5 p.m. proceed ahead of Special Transports and keep guard.
Second Division: 4th Destroyer Division.
First day. 1 p.m. leave Hakko-ho for Rooper Harbour, speed 8 knots.
Second day. 5 p.m. arrive outside Rooper Harbour.
Third day. 6 p.m. (? a.m.) leave and follow after First Division. Speed until transports are caught up to be 12 knots, afterwards 8 knots After 5 p.m. 12 knots.
Fourth Division: Oshima, Akagi; 2nd and 3rd Destroyer Divisions; 20th T.B. Division.
With Asan as base, guard the entrance to Chemulpho, and indirectly protect the landing of the troops.
The 20th T.B. division leaves Hakko-ho as convenient and proceeds to Asan.
Notes:—(1) If on account of the weather the above programme cannot be fully carried out, ships will anchor at Rooper Harbour after the first day, and the dates will be extended.
(2) The meeting place after all these movements are completed is the Fourth Rendezvous.
The main points in connection with the indirect bombardment were also fixed as follows:—
(1) Order of firing:—(1st) First Division, (2nd) Second Division.
(2) Movements during firing to be as laid down on the chart. (See p. 136.)
One passage past the forts to complete the operations.
(3) Range to be from 9,000 to 11,000 metres.
(4) Shell to fall within the fan-shaped spot marked on the chart.
(5) Sights to be laid on Boku-cho-sho (Lao-mu-chu) Fort or the water’s edge below it.
(6) When sights are laid on the water’s edge:—
For 12-inch add 550 metres to true distance of East Port.
For 8-inch add 500 metres to true distance of East Port.
(7) When sights are laid on Boku-cho-sho (Lao-mu-chu) Fort:—
For 12-inch add 250 metres to true distance of East Port.
For 8-inch add 300 metres to true distance of East Port.
(8) 6-inch guns are to be laid on forts within effective fire at their true range.
(9) To economise common shell, 8-inch and 12-inch guns will fire only two rounds per gun, and 6-inch four rounds a gun.
The other shell used must be armour-piercing.
(10) 12-pounder and 47-millimetre guns’ crews must all be inside the citadel.
(11) The Third Division and the Tatsuta and Chihaya will watch from a position south of the entrance out of range of the forts.
(Combined Fleet Confidential Orders No. 151, Part II.)
1 Off Rooper Harbour.
2 The word in the original means “Brave Warriors.” It is used for Volunteers, and has a sense closely akin to our “Forlorn hope”. —(Translator’s note.)
3 That is, the 4th Rendezvous, off Rooper Harbour.