  | CHAPTER I | | PAGE | | Weather on leaving Shanghai—“Order of march”—Instructions for taking order of battle—Accident to Senyavin’s engines—Manoeuvres on 26th May—Spoilt by 3rd squadron—Unpreparedness of Russian fleet—A forlorn hope—Comparison between Russian and Japanese ships—Feeling on Board the Suvoroff—Togo’s whereabouts—A discussion—Will he be misled?—Will the Russian fleet slip past?—Which course to follow?—Three possibilities | 1–24 | | CHAPTER II | | Not yet discovered—Intercepting Japanese wireless messages—Night of 26th May—Doings in the Suvoroff—The engine-room—The ward-room—Reflections and ruminations—Commander V.V. Ignatzius—His opinion—A desperate adventure—Dawn on 27th May—The Sinano Maru runs into the hospital ships—The fleet discovered—Recall of the scouts—Four Japanese ships reported—Idzumi sighted 6.45 A.M.—And later the 3rd Japanese squadron—Russian fleet takes order of battle—11.20 A.M., opens fire—A mistake—Ship’s companies have dinner—The alarm—Japanese light cruisers—Russians manoeuvre—Orders misunderstood—Result—Japanese main force sighted—The eve of battle—Rozhdestvensky enters the conning tower | 25–50 | | CHAPTER III | | Movements of Japanese fleet—A dangerous manoeuvre—Russians open fire—Enemy replies—“Portmanteaus”—Accurate shooting—Author wounded—Comparison with 10th August—Japanese fuses—Havoc and destruction—Gun power—A new explosive—In the conning tower—The enemy untouched—Russian ships on fire—Fighting the flames—A shell in the dressing station—Casualties and damage everywhere—Again in the conning tower | 51–80 | | CHAPTER IV | | The enemy’s superior speed—His attempt to cross the Russian T—Suvoroff’s Captain wounded—A funnel shot away—Steering gear disabled—She leaves the line—Terrific shell fire—Japanese reports—Fore-bridge in flames—Demchinsky wounded—Spirit of the men—Fire in the dressing station—Attempts to extinguish it—Scene on the upper deck—Author again wounded—The hospital—Death and destruction in the conning tower—Necessity of abandoning it—Transfer to lower fighting position—Admiral wounded—Carried into a turret | 81–110 | | CHAPTER V | | The Alexander leads the fleet—Attempt to pass astern of Japanese column—Enemy turns 16 points—Destruction in the Alexander—The Borodino on fire—Defeat inevitable—3.25 P.M., the Suvoroff heels over—Forward turret destroyed—Attacked by torpedo-boats—Work of one projectile—Rumoured damage to enemy—Effect on men’s spirits—Death of Commander Ignatzius—Torpedo-boats approach—Only two serviceable guns—A tour of inspection—Effect of Japanese gun fire—Their explosive—Kursel the Courlandian—Destruction of officers’ quarters—Author again wounded | 111–135 | | CHAPTER VI | | 4 P.M., fleets lose each other—5 P.M., Russian fleet steams northwards—Passes the Suvoroff—The Borodino leads—The Alexander heeling over—Torpedo-boats ahead!—The Buiny—Admiral to be transferred—Attempts to collect the Staff—Death of all hands below—No boats available—Difficulty of the undertaking—Rozhdestvensky put aboard—The Buiny steams off—Description of the flag-ship—The Admiral’s condition—Nebogatoff in command—Sinking of the Alexander—Overtaking the fleet—Sinking of the Oslyabya—Also of the Borodino—End of the Suvoroff | 136–162 | | Composition of the Opposing Fleets | 163 | | Diagram of Movements | At end. |
TO THE EVERLASTING MEMORY
OF THE HEROES WHO
PERISHED!
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