ADMIRAL TOGO’S OPERATION ORDERS FOR THE SECOND BOMBARDMENT OF PORT ARTHUR, MARCH 4, 1904.
[Japanese Confidential History, I., p. 161.]
(1) According to reports and other information it appears that the Port Arthur enemy are inactive and will not move out, while, on the other hand, the Vladivostok ships frequently cruise as far as Gensan.
(2) The Combined Fleet will despatch its Second Division (except the Tokiwa and Chihaya), with the Kasagi and Yoshino, to threaten the enemy at Vladivostok; the Third Squadron (except the Seventh Division) will guard the Straits of Korea; the Seventh Division with the 20th T.B. division will carry out the work to be done north of Ping-yang Inlet; and the remainder will again take action against the enemy at Port Arthur.
(3) The Tokiwa will be temporarily attached to the Third Division and the Chihaya to the First Division.
(4) The First and Third Divisions with the 1st destroyer division, will leave for the Fourth Rendezvous1 at 8 a.m. on the 5th; the 2nd and 3rd destroyer division and the Nikko Maru will leave Asan as convenient after noon on the 5th, and will meet at the Fourth Rendezvous by noon on the 6th (first day). Speed 8 knots.
(5) The Combined Fleet will leave the Fourth Rendezvous at 6 a.m. on the 6th in the formation shown in paragraph 6. [Editor:—This was afterwards altered to 5 a.m. on the second day.] They will proceed as shown in the accompanying chart of courses (see p. 150).
(6) The formation from the Fifth Rendezvous2 till 7 p.m. on the second day [Editor:—Afterwards altered to 6 p.m.] is to be as follows:—
(7) The 1st and 3rd destroyer division after 7 p.m. on the second day [Editor:—Afterwards altered to 6 p.m.], will act as follows:—
(a) The 3rd destroyer division will proceed to Port Arthur and approach close to the entrance. Should they be certain that they see any of the enemy’s ships, they are to attack them; if not, they are to move about outside the port and let go dummy mines with Holmes Lights attached to deceive the enemy and to cause them to waste their ammunition.
(b) The 1st destroyer division’s chief duty is to attack the enemy’s destroyers on guard outside the harbour. They will be distributed in convenient situations around Liau-ti-shan; they will suddenly turn their searchlights on the enemy’s guard boats and attack them with their guns.
(c) The two destroyer divisions must mutually agree upon their movements so as to avoid confusion and to ensure co-operation between them.
(d) The two destroyer divisions must remain outside the harbour till 5 a.m. on the third day, and in their proper spheres of duty endeavour to disturb the enemy as much as possible. At 8 a.m. next morning they will meet the Main Squadron at a spot about 10 miles west of Pigeon Bay [Editor:—Afterwards altered to 15 miles south of Liau-ti-shan]. They are not to approach the squadron till after daybreak.
(8) The First, Third, and Fourth Divisions will follow the courses laid down, and at 8 a.m. on the third day will show themselves to the west of Pigeon Bay [Editor:—This was afterwards altered to the south of Liau-ti-shan]. Each division will take action as below:—
(a) The First Division will carry out an indirect bombardment of the harbour as convenient from Pigeon Bay and from Sen-sei Cape (Lao-lui-chui). During this bombardment they will separate into sub-divisions and stop engines or proceed at slow speed. The number of projectiles fired is to be limited to four rounds to each 12-inch gun.
(b) The Third Division with the Tokiwa will proceed to the outside of Port Arthur and observe the harbour from a position out of range of the enemy.
(c) The Fourth Division will pass across in front of Port Arthur and follow the coast as far as the front of San-shan-tau, in Talien-hwan. They will bombard and destroy the enemy’s signal station and buildings on San-shan-tau.
N.B.—Floating mechanical mines have been reported off San-shan-tau. Great care must be taken when steaming.
(d) When all these operations are completed the various portions of the squadron will rendezvous about 10 miles north (? south) of Round Island by 2 p.m. [Editor:—Afterwards amended to 4 p.m.]
(9) Orders for later movements will depend upon circumstances.
(10) If at the Fourth Rendezvous the weather is unfavourable the dates of the movements will be extended. If the weather becomes bad during the movements, and the portions of the fleet are scattered they will rendezvous at Haiju Bay.
(11) Haiju Bay will be the Second Advanced base of the Fleet. Anchoring billets are fixed as in the accompanying plan. The south (? west) side of Baker Island will cease to be the Second Rendezvous,3 and Haiju Bay Anchorage will in future be called the Second Rendezvous.
(12) The Seventh Division, with the 20th T.B. division, the Hongkong Maru, Nippon Maru, Dainan Maru, Daichu Maru, Akagi, Oshima, and the 9th T.B. division, will act in accordance with the orders given to them separately. The Kasuga Maru and the 5th destroyer division will leave as convenient, proceed to Haiju Bay, and wait for further orders.
(Combined Fleet Confidential Order No. 183.)
The Commander-in-Chief also issued orders as below with regard to the indirect bombardment:—
During the indirect bombardment mentioned in paragraph 8 (a) of Combined Fleet Confidential Order No. 183, the positions for firing are to be between the lines marked A and B on the attached plan (see p. 150). The chief points for notice are as follows:—
(i) The formation for firing is to be subdivisions in single line ahead in open order. The 2nd Subdivision are to be in the reverse order of their numbers. The firing is to be carried out at half-speed (7 knots) or slow speed (4 knots).
(ii) The order of firing will be:—The 1st Subdivision will fire first in the order of their numbers in the subdivision; the 2nd Subdivision will be under way to the south of Liau-ti-shan Lighthouse waiting to relieve the First Subdivision when it has finished.
(iii) Each subdivision will proceed from the west on an E. 
S. course; ships will commence firing when they reach the point A. When they pass the point B they will cease firing and turn 16 points to starboard in succession, repeating the movement as shown below until the ammunition supplied is expended.
(iv) When a ship has expended all the ammunition to be used she is to hoist the “Finished” flag. However, should the effect of the bombardment be seen to be very great, I may give orders to increase the amount of ammunition to be expended.
(v) The range will be from 12,000 (13,100 yards) to 12,500 metres (13,600 yards). The mark on which the sights are to be laid is to be the house shown on the plan [p. 150] where the two firing lines cut.
(vi) If convenient, firing may also be carried out near Sen-sei Cape (Lao-lui-chui), in which case a similar method of procedure will be followed, and Upper Bokucho-sho Fort will be used as sighting mark.
(vii) Ships which have fired are to show by numeral flags (hundreds) the range they have used. One ship of the Third Division, straight in front of the harbour mouth, will mark the fall of the shot, and will report by signal whether short or over.
(viii) As I expect the enemy’s fleet to come out, each subdivision must make all preparations for meeting them.
1 Off Rooper Harbour.
2 10 miles south of Soi-chong-do (Sir James Hall Group).
3 The Second Rendezvous was west of Baker Island.