ADMIRAL TOGO’S OPERATION ORDERS FOR THE THIRD BLOCKING EXPEDITION. APRIL 30TH, 1904.
[Japanese Confidential History, I., p. 245.]
(1) The Port Arthur enemy seems to be constantly maintaining their previous attitude. Their destroyers are occasionally reported to be moving in the neighbourhood. Our First Army is expected to cross the Yalu River to-day or to-morrow.
The Vladivostok enemy appeared a few days ago at Gensan. Their present whereabouts is unknown. The Second Squadron is now engaged in taking action against them.
(2) In obedience to superior orders, the Combined Fleet will act in conjunction with the Second Army, which will land on the 4th of May at Yen-toa Bay, and begin Combined Operations on land and sea against the enemy in the Liau-tung zone.
The 3rd of May will be the First Day (previously unfixed) of the departure of the First Portion of the Second Army from Ping-yang referred to in Combined Fleet Confidential Order No. 329 already issued (“Scheme of transport of the Second Army”).1
(3) The First Squadron, including the Chokai, Kumano Maru, and the 10th and 16th T.B. divisions, will mainly press the enemy at Port Arthur directly; the Third Squadron, excluding the Chokai, Kumano Maru, and the 10th and the 16th T.B. divisions, will be chiefly used in protecting the transports and landing of the Second Army.
(4) The First Division, Third Division, Akagi, Chokai, all destroyer divisions, 9th, 10th, 14th, and 16th T.B. divisions, and the block-ships will set out at 5 p.m. on the 1st of May in accordance with the chart of courses attached, to block Port Arthur and commence its direct blockade. (See ante, p. 208.) The order of steaming till 7 p.m. on the 2nd of May will be as follows:—
(5) The order of steaming of the destroyers, T.B. divisions, and Blockship Squadron after 7 p.m. on the 2nd of May will be as follows:—
(6) The organisation of the Blockship Squadron is as follows:—
The plan of blocking and its execution, I depute entirely to Captain Hayashi, of the Chokai—
1st Subdivision: 1. Shibata. 2. Kokura. 3. Asagao. 4. Mikawa.
2nd Subdivision: 5. Totomi. 6. Fusan. 7. Yedo.
3rd Subdivision: 8. Nagato. 9. Otaru. 10. Sakura.
4th Subdivision: 11. Sagami. 12. Aikoku.
(7) If at 7 p.m. on the 2nd of May the weather is not favourable for the blocking of Port Arthur, orders will be signalled by flags for all the divisions and the Blockship Squadron to take the side track shown on the chart, and anchor temporarily in the forenoon of the 3rd on the east side of Wu-ma-tau (Long. 123° E.). The Tatsuta and all the destroyers and T.B. divisions will proceed to Hai-yung-tau and anchor there. The operations will be resumed on the 3rd at noon, and, proceeding to the 7 o’clock position of the previous day, we will continue the interrupted movement.
(8) If the weather at 7 p.m. on the 2nd of May is favourable, the various portions of the fleet will act according to the following articles:—
(a) The 2nd and 3rd destroyer divisions will keep a look-out about 5 miles ahead of the Blockship Squadron and proceed towards Port Arthur. If on the way they meet any of the enemy’s scouts or destroyers, they will attack them with their utmost energy. When they arrive at the 1.30 a.m. position in front of Port Arthur they will remain about 1 mile S.E. of Liau-ti-shan East Cape, and protect the block-ships during their work. They are to stop there till next morning and endeavour to rescue the block-ship crews.
(b) The 4th and 5th destroyer divisions will proceed on guard about 1 mile ahead on both sides of the leading ship of the Blockship Squadron. They will repel any of the enemy’s ships which attempt to approach the Blockship Squadron. When they arrive at the 1.30 a.m. position in front of Port Arthur they will take up a billet about 2 miles E.S.E. of Lao-lui-chui (Sensei Cape). They will protect the blocking operations and will remain on the spot till next morning, carrying out the rescue of the block-ship crews.
(c) All the torpedo-boat divisions will in the order of their numbers proceed parallel with and on the starboard side of the Blocking Squadron from Subdivision I. to Subdivision IV. They will defend the Blocking Squadron in any danger on the way. When they arrive at the 1.30 a.m. position in front of Port Arthur they will take up the position shown on attached Chart No. 2 and protect the carrying out of the blocking operations. They will remain till next morning and work at the rescue of the block-ship crews.
When the Blockship Squadron make their rush in, the 14th T.B. division will keep guard ahead of them to within about a mile of the entrance; and should any of the enemy’s destroyers or other ships come out they will attack them with their utmost strength and clear the way ahead of the block-ships.
(d) The Akagi and Chokai will take up position on the port side of the head of the Blockship Squadron, proceed with them and guard them. At the 1.30 a.m. position in front of Port Arthur they will move out independently on the port side; the Akagi will take up a billet about two miles south of Liau-ti-shan and the Chokai four miles east of Lao-lui-chui. They will protect the carrying out of the blocking and will work at the rescue of the blockship crews.
(e) The Third Division will follow the track shown in the chart, and, arriving outside Port Arthur at 6 a.m. on the 3rd, will guard the destroyers and T.B. divisions.
(f) The First Division will follow the track shown in the chart, and, arriving outside Port Arthur at 8 a.m. on the 3rd, will protect the whole fleet.
But if the weather is not favourable and the date is extended, the First Division will arrive at Position U at 5 a.m. on the 4th, send its steamboats to the landing place of the Second Army, and then proceed for Port Arthur.
(9) All destroyers and torpedo-boats will hoist every night at the yardarm our recognition signals—the two flags “officer’s name” and “merchant ship’s name.” On the night of the blocking they will paint the aftermost funnel white with lime to distinguish us from the enemy. (Those which have only one funnel are not included in this category.)
Also when the block-ships rush in and the enemy open fire, the destroyers and torpedo-boats are to burn searchlights and disturb the enemy by a distracting fire.
(10) After the 3rd of May, whether the blocking is successful or not, at night the destroyers and torpedo-boats, and during the day the ship divisions will strongly maintain a direct blockade with their full strength in accordance with attached chart No. 2. [See ante, p. 209.]
If circumstances should permit of the blockade being maintained with only half our strength, the 1st and 4th guard stations for torpedo-boats will be eliminated, and one destroyer division at a time will keep guard there instead.
(11) The Oshima will convoy the Okinawa Maru (cable ship) leaving in the afternoon of the 2nd of May and arriving on the west side of Hai-yung-tau at 8 a.m. on the 3rd of May. She will protect the Okinawa Maru during the laying down of the submarine cable. In the forenoon of the 4th May she will proceed to the north of the Elliot Islands, and joining up with the Seventh Division, will protect the landing of the Second Army.
(12) The Kasuga Maru and Kumano Maru will leave as convenient after the fleet on the 2nd of May. They will anchor at Hai-yung-tau on the 2nd and 3rd of May, and at the east side of Kwang-lo-tau on the 4th.
(13) Orders will be given when a convenient opportunity occurs for the actual laying down of the boom-wires, which is entrusted to the First and Third Divisions.
(14) The Third Squadron will protect the transports and landing of the Second Army, and the Harbourmaster will lay down the boom and sweep for mines, acting in accordance with the orders given to them separately.
(15) It is intended to prepare the advanced base of the Combined Fleet in the Elliot Islands as soon as they have been cleared of mines. Until it is ready the fleet’s temporary anchorage will be in the east bay of Kwang-lo-tau.
1 This has not been communicated.