Battle of Korsakov
| Battle of Korsakov | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Sakhalin Island, Russia | |
| Result | Japanese victory |
Empire of Japan
Russian Empire
Takagi Sukeichi Sentō Takenaka
Mikhail von SchultzCruiser Tsushima
The Battle of Korsakov, a
Preliminary moves
Novik was part of the Imperial Russian Navy squadron blockaded in the harbor at Port Arthur, Manchuria, China, by Imperial Japanese Navy forces since the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War in February 1904. When the Russian squadron finally tried to break out of Port Arthur and reach Vladivostok, Russia, where it could unite with a Russian cruiser squadron based there, it met defeat in the Battle of the Yellow Sea on 10 August 1904. The Russian squadron broke up during the engagement, with some ships returning to Port Arthur and others fleeing southward into the Yellow Sea to seek refuge in Chinese ports. Novik was among the ships that fled south.
On 11 August, Novik encountered the Russian protected cruiser and Novik parted company with them and proceeded alone.
The Japanese had limited information on Novik′s location until 14 August 1904, when they received reports that she had departed Kiaochow at dawn on 12 August and that a neutral merchant ship had sighted a cruiser resembling Novik in the East China Sea halfway between Shanghai and Nagasaki, Japan, at 10:15 on 13 August and that she apparently was bound for Van Diemen Strait (Ōsumi Strait) south of Kyushu.[2] The Japanese initially ordered the protected cruisers Niitaka and Tsushima to proceed to Tsugaru Strait to catch Novik if she attempted to reach Vladivostok via that route, but then cancelled the order after determining that the two cruisers were needed in the Shanghai area to search for the Russian protected cruiser Askold.[3] This decision afforded Novik the opportunity to steam northward to the east of Japan without interference. She passed south of Yakushima in the Ōsumi Islands at 05:30 on 14 August and entered the Pacific Ocean, turning north.[4]
A Japanese merchant ship sighted Novik passing Yakushima early on 14 August,[4] and when word of the sighting reached the Japanese naval command on the morning of 15 August, they finally were able to organize a pursuit.[4] They ordered the protected cruisers Chitose and Tsushima under the overall command of the commanding officer of Chitose to proceed north with all speed to Tsugaru Strait and destroy Novik if she attempted to enter the Sea of Japan from the Pacific Ocean via that strait.[4] Tsushima received the orders promptly, and unable to contact Chitose, proceeded northward through the Sea of Japan on her own. Chitose did not receive the order until around sundown on 15 August, and was unable to follow Tsushima until 03:30 on 16 August.[4]
Tsushima arrived at
About an hour after Tsushima headed north, word arrived that Novik had passed through
Novik had steamed at economical speed during her voyage east of Japan, but the Japanese were correct that she nonetheless required a coaling stop at Korsakov before she could proceed to Vladivostok.[6] She arrived at Korsakov at sunrise on 20 August 1904, her commanding officer intending to take on coal and water before steaming through La Perouse Strait under the cover of darkness during the night of 20–21 August.[6] During the day, however, Novik′s wireless detected signs of nearby Japanese wireless activity, and during the afternoon, Novik′s crew sighted Tsushima′s smoke.[6] Fearing he could be trapped at Korsakov, Novik′s commanding officer decided during the early afternoon of 20 August to revise his plans, suspend coaling, and depart immediately for Vladivostok via La Perouse Strait.[6]
Battle
Tsushima approached Korsakov at 16:00 on 20 August 1904 and observed smoke rising from the harbor, ascertaining that it was from Novik.[6] She then sighted Novik steaming south from Korsakov at 16:30 and opened fire on her.[6] Novik replied, and a sharp but one-sided action took place over a little over a half an hour in which the more heavily armed Tsushima scored several hits on Novik, five of them below the waterline, which knocked half her boilers out of action and flooded her steering compartment.[6] Novik turned back for Korsakov with Tsushima in pursuit, but about a half an hour later, at 17:40, Novik scored a hit on Tsushima on the waterline which flooded two compartments and caused Tsushima to list so heavily that she had to abandon the chase and stop to make emergency repairs.[7] Novik returned to the harbor at Korsakov.[8]
While Tsushima repaired her damage, Chitose arrived on the scene.[8] The two Japanese cruisers watched Korsakov throughout the night of 20–21 August in case Novik made another attempt to break out.[8] Novik′s steering gear had been damaged beyond repair, however, and her commanding officer, discerning from the play of searchlights to seaward during the night that the second Japanese cruiser had arrived, decided that she could not be saved.[8] He ordered Novik to be scuttled in shallow water.[8]
At dawn on 21 August, Chitose entered the harbor to find Novik sunk on a
Aftermath
Chitose and Tsushima retired to the south.
In August 1905, shortly before the conclusion of the Russo-Japanese War, a Japanese engineering team arrived at Korsakov to salvage Novik as a
In popular culture
The Battle of Korsakov is depicted in the novels Port Arthur (Порт-Артур) by Aleksandr Stepanov and Katorga (Каторга) by Valentin Pikul.
See also
Notes
- ^ a b Corbett, p. 429.
- ^ Corbett, Vol. I, p. 452.
- ^ Corbett, Vol. I, pp. 452-454.
- ^ a b c d e f Corbett, Vol. I, p. 454.
- ^ Corbett, Vol. I, pp. 454-455.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Corbett, Vol. I, p. 455.
- ^ Corbett, Vol. I, pp. 455-456.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Corbett, Vol. I, p. 456.
- ^ Corbett, Vol. II, p. 55.
- ^ Corbett, Vol. II, p. 353.
References
- Corbett, Julian S., Maritime Operations in the Russo-Japanese War, Volume I, Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1994, ISBN 1-55750-129-7.
- Corbett, Julian S., Maritime Operations in the Russo-Japanese War, Volume II, Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1994, ISBN 1-55750-129-7.
- Willmott, H.P. (2009). The Last Century of Sea Power: From Port Arthur to Chanak, 1894–1922, Volume 1. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0253352149.