Martin Antonenko
A Fixture
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2008
- Messages
- 8,997
The Russo-Japanese War beginns...
Without prior declaration of war, Japan attacks Russia on February 8, 1904! The Russo-Japanese war begins - and the Russians suffer a disaster on the very first day ...
In the months before, the mood between the two states had become increasingly hostile. It was about economic advantages and spheres of influence of both countries in Korea. A Russian timber consortium, to which the highest circles belonged, had operated in Korea under the protection of Russian soldiers had broken existing agreements!
In addition, the Russians are illegally occupying Manchuria - but Japan regards Korea and Manchuria as their own zones of influence!
Whether the Koreans or the Chinese who live there find this good, of course, does not interest any of the opponents!
Even when the Japanese broke off all negotiations on February 6, recalled their ambassador and evacuated their citizens from the Russian-occupied part of Korea, the Liaotung peninsula, Manchuria and the cities of Port Arthur and Dalnij (February 7), the official mood remained in place Russia naively optimistic.
You just don't take the Japanese seriously! “Let them come, those little yellow monkeys, we'll cover them up with our hats!” - they say in Russian officers' mess.
On the other hand, officers looking further in the Russian naval port of Port Arthur bomb the Russian governor and admiral Yevgeny Ivanovich Akelsejew ...
... with inputs, but at least to get the coastal batteries and the fleet in Port Arthur ready for action - for free!
Aleksejew, a brutal and authoritarian man, owes his post not to his competence but to the fact that he is an illegitimate son of Tsar Aleksandr II and therefore illegitimate great-uncle of the ruling Tsar, Nikolay II!
Aleksejew provides each entry with three words written in green ink, which in Port Arthur become almost proverbial: “No! Not yet!".
On the night of February 8th, the Russian Pacific Fleet anchored with full peaceful lighting in the roadstead under the - unmanned - coastal batteries. They wanted to save the difficult entry into the harbor, which takes eleven hours due to the tidal problems.
Guards on the Russian warships notice approaching torpedo boats and promptly give the alarm!
"These are our own boats - don't fire!" The headquarters signals back. And as the devil wants it, one actually expects the two torpedo boats "Rastoropnij" and "Bestraschnij" to return from exercises at sea.
The Russian boats (here "Bjedowij") ...
…und die japanischen (hier: „Inazuma“)…
... resemble the silhouette almost like one egg to the other and only differ in their different colored paintwork (not visible at night!), As they are all an English prototype from the Yarrow shipyard (here: HMS "Arab") ...
... are recreated. In this war there will still be such confusion between friends and foes! One day, a Russian torpedo boat will run for a full 16 hours in a Japanese unit without both sides recognizing each other as enemies ...!
The torpedo boats now emerging in the roadstead in front of Port Arthur are of course Japanese - and they can now make an almost practice-like close approach in three attack waves without any hindrance and fire their torpedoes from 400 meters away!
2nd rank cruiser "Pallada" ...
... is hit amidships in the coal bunker and immediately listens to 10 degrees.
The ship of the line "Zessarewitsch" ...
... is hit in the steering wheel room, the ship is unable to maneuver and also lies on its side due to the incoming water.
The Battleship "Retwisan" was hit in the torpedo room and also sagged several meters.
When the completely surprised Russians finally fire back, Aleksejew asks who the hell is shooting who?
“This is a practice closing, Your Excellency!” He is answered. Aleksejew ordered the fire to be ceased immediately in order to continue his night's sleep, the Japanese torpedo boats run unhindered.
The Japanese will remember the successful strategy of an attack without a declaration of war in 1941 when they planned the attack on Pearl Harbor ...
In the attack on Port Arthur, 109 years ago today, the Japanese lost only a single torpedo boat, but due to stranding as a result of poor navigation, not to Russian fire.
Now the Russians finally know that there is war - but the core of their fleet has been paralyzed for now - and the Japanese are laying countless mines.
And without having to fear any danger from the Russians, the Japanese land unhindered masses of troops on the Liaotung Peninsula...
... which immediately form and attack the Russians...:
Nevertheless, the mood among the Russians remains optimistic, they still don't want to take the Japanese seriously.
The Russians will still be surprised! The second day of the war brings you two more disasters, which I will tell you about tomorrow ...
Without prior declaration of war, Japan attacks Russia on February 8, 1904! The Russo-Japanese war begins - and the Russians suffer a disaster on the very first day ...
In the months before, the mood between the two states had become increasingly hostile. It was about economic advantages and spheres of influence of both countries in Korea. A Russian timber consortium, to which the highest circles belonged, had operated in Korea under the protection of Russian soldiers had broken existing agreements!
In addition, the Russians are illegally occupying Manchuria - but Japan regards Korea and Manchuria as their own zones of influence!
Whether the Koreans or the Chinese who live there find this good, of course, does not interest any of the opponents!
Even when the Japanese broke off all negotiations on February 6, recalled their ambassador and evacuated their citizens from the Russian-occupied part of Korea, the Liaotung peninsula, Manchuria and the cities of Port Arthur and Dalnij (February 7), the official mood remained in place Russia naively optimistic.
You just don't take the Japanese seriously! “Let them come, those little yellow monkeys, we'll cover them up with our hats!” - they say in Russian officers' mess.
On the other hand, officers looking further in the Russian naval port of Port Arthur bomb the Russian governor and admiral Yevgeny Ivanovich Akelsejew ...
... with inputs, but at least to get the coastal batteries and the fleet in Port Arthur ready for action - for free!
Aleksejew, a brutal and authoritarian man, owes his post not to his competence but to the fact that he is an illegitimate son of Tsar Aleksandr II and therefore illegitimate great-uncle of the ruling Tsar, Nikolay II!
Aleksejew provides each entry with three words written in green ink, which in Port Arthur become almost proverbial: “No! Not yet!".
On the night of February 8th, the Russian Pacific Fleet anchored with full peaceful lighting in the roadstead under the - unmanned - coastal batteries. They wanted to save the difficult entry into the harbor, which takes eleven hours due to the tidal problems.
Guards on the Russian warships notice approaching torpedo boats and promptly give the alarm!
"These are our own boats - don't fire!" The headquarters signals back. And as the devil wants it, one actually expects the two torpedo boats "Rastoropnij" and "Bestraschnij" to return from exercises at sea.
The Russian boats (here "Bjedowij") ...
…und die japanischen (hier: „Inazuma“)…
... resemble the silhouette almost like one egg to the other and only differ in their different colored paintwork (not visible at night!), As they are all an English prototype from the Yarrow shipyard (here: HMS "Arab") ...
... are recreated. In this war there will still be such confusion between friends and foes! One day, a Russian torpedo boat will run for a full 16 hours in a Japanese unit without both sides recognizing each other as enemies ...!
The torpedo boats now emerging in the roadstead in front of Port Arthur are of course Japanese - and they can now make an almost practice-like close approach in three attack waves without any hindrance and fire their torpedoes from 400 meters away!
2nd rank cruiser "Pallada" ...
... is hit amidships in the coal bunker and immediately listens to 10 degrees.
The ship of the line "Zessarewitsch" ...
... is hit in the steering wheel room, the ship is unable to maneuver and also lies on its side due to the incoming water.
The Battleship "Retwisan" was hit in the torpedo room and also sagged several meters.
When the completely surprised Russians finally fire back, Aleksejew asks who the hell is shooting who?
“This is a practice closing, Your Excellency!” He is answered. Aleksejew ordered the fire to be ceased immediately in order to continue his night's sleep, the Japanese torpedo boats run unhindered.
The Japanese will remember the successful strategy of an attack without a declaration of war in 1941 when they planned the attack on Pearl Harbor ...
In the attack on Port Arthur, 109 years ago today, the Japanese lost only a single torpedo boat, but due to stranding as a result of poor navigation, not to Russian fire.
Now the Russians finally know that there is war - but the core of their fleet has been paralyzed for now - and the Japanese are laying countless mines.
And without having to fear any danger from the Russians, the Japanese land unhindered masses of troops on the Liaotung Peninsula...
... which immediately form and attack the Russians...:
Nevertheless, the mood among the Russians remains optimistic, they still don't want to take the Japanese seriously.
The Russians will still be surprised! The second day of the war brings you two more disasters, which I will tell you about tomorrow ...
