ADMIRAL

REA~
AOMI~AL

5HIKISHIMA

GRAND DUK&
C;'NIRAL ADMIAAL

ADMIRAL

'NAVARI!':

ILLUSTRATION SOURCE: JANE ' S FIGHTING SHIPS ,

1906

ED.

Copyright 1985 The Avalon Hill Game Company

All Rights Reserved
Compu ter Program and Audio-Visual Display
Copyrighted

MIl mic~ocom~ute~

IIIIl
Du ..,n

games

A Divi s ion of The Avalon Hill Game Company

Baltimore, Maryl and. Pnnted In USA

TSl)SHIMA(TM)
T SUS HIMA IS THE AVALON HI LL GAME COMPANY'S TRADEMARK FOR
ITS MICROCOMPUTER GAME OF NA VAL COM BAT IN THE R USSOJAPAN ESE WAR

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.
2.

LOADING THE PROGRAM

INTRODUCTION

3. SET Up
4.

TYPICAL SHIP DIAGRAM

5.

STRATEGIC PHASE
5 .A . COMMANDS
6. TACTICAL PHASE
6 .A. COMMANDS
6.B . COMBAT
ApPENDIX A: THE TSUSHIMA CHRONOLOGY
ApPENDIX B: THE BATTLE OF TSUSHIMA
ApPENDIX C: THE SHIPS OF TSUSHIMA

destroying the Japanese fleet, or by sailing

into the port of Vladivostok . This was the last
phase of the war; Japan had exhausted her
resources, and the United States and Great
Britain was pressuring both sides to negotiate .
A naval victory or successful escape would
give the Russians a strong bargaining chip.
Tsushima has two scenarios which can be
played by one or two players. The strategic
scenario allows the Russian player to choose
the path his squadrons will take: the historical
route past Korea, or through the Japanese
home islands. Each side must search to find
the other, and the Japanese are assisted by
their defensive position and the sharp eyes
of their coastal patrol and fishermen. When
the fleets are within gunnery range, the
tactical game will allow players to recreate
ship-to-ship gunnery combat.
In addition to the Strategic scenario,
Tsushima provides a Tactical scenario where
players can select up to ten ships from each
side and engage them in combat.
Scale: each square on the strategic map
(showing Japan, China, Korea and the China
Sea) represents 200 nautical miles. The scale
of the strategic contact and tactical screens
changes with the tactical situation. Each strategic turn represents one hour; each tactical
turn 5 minutes .

To load Tsushima , type LOAD"*",8,1. The

game will load and run automatically.

On 27 May 1905, the Japanese Fleet met and

defeated the Russian Baltic Fleet in the straits
of Tsushima between Korea and Japan . More
than the last great engagement of the RussoJapanese War, it is the only full-scale and decisive gunnery battle seen in this century. The
victory gave Japan a free hand in Korea and
the Far East. For Russia, a revolution followed
which resulted in a constitutional monarchy.
Tsushima recreates the strategic situation
leading up to the battle. The Baltic Fleet has
come halfway around the world after the Russian squadron was destroyed at Port Arthur
in Manchuria. Their destination was the port
of Vladivostok, where they could rest, refit,
and make plans to assault the Japanese. But
first, they must get past the Japanese squadrons awaiting them .
Although the battle was a decisive defeat
for the Russians, it does not mean that the
simulation is unbalanced. A more active Russian commander will be able to win, either by

Points are lost when ships are damaged or

surrendered, and, for the Russian Player also,
points are gained for each ship that reaches
Vladivostok (zone El) .
The following table is used to determine
victory point gains and losses .
Ship destroyed: -10 points.
Ship surrendered: -7 points .
Heavy damage: -4 points.
Medium damage : -2 points.
Light damage : - 1 point.
For each Russian ship entering Vladivostok:
+ 10 points.
Note: some Commodore 64 disk drives have a

The title screen will present two choices . The

Strategic scenario is the battle game playable
with one or two players (with the solitaire
player taking command of the Japanese fleet).
All of the set-up commands are selfexplanatory, some may require hitting the
RETURN key after typing your choice.
JAPANESE DEPLOYMENT

(Strategic Scenario)
The three Japanese squadrons may begin in
anyone of four ports: Masampo, Maizuru,
Kure or Yokosha. A Japanese flag represents
the location of each squadron. A coastal
search patrol is then deployed anywhere
along the coast, and its location can be
changed each turn. It (and a squadron
assigned to patrol duty) is represented by a
circle that shows its range that turn. This can
shrink at night or during bad weather.
As Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial
Japanese Navy, your duty is to find and
destroy the Russian fleet before they can enter
zone El (Vladivostok).
Note: any Japanese ships that move into zone

tendency to overheat if left on for too long. Because

there are two main programs to Tsushima - the
strategic battle and tactical battle - the computer
will prompt you when to turn your disk drive off
and on.

Each ship is described in the following

manner:
Notes:
(1) The nationality and ship type .
(2) The number of inches of armor in each
section of the ship . The sections of the ship
that is armored (with their abbreviations in
parentheses) are: belt, deck, (GUN) main gun
turret, (CRWN) the crown, or top, of the turret, (SEC) secondary mount, (C.T .) conning
tower, (PLOT) plotting room, (MFC) main fire
control, and (RUD) rudder.
(3) The name of the ship.
(4a) An overview of the ship, showing the
number, type and range of fire for each gun.
A main gun turret is always shown as a block
of white . When a turret receives enough
damage, an "X" will appear. Jammed turrets
will display a '']'' instead of a number.
Jammed turrets can become unjammed during battle due to the efforts of the ship's crew
or further shell damage; this is automatically
handled by the computer.
The main gun mounts are always identified

E1 are automatically surrendered to the Russians.

RUSSIAN DEPLOYMENT

In the one-player scenario, the computer

plays the Russian fleet and will deploy in row
7. In the two-player game, the fleet may
deploy anywhere at sea in rows 6 and 7.
As Rear-Admiral of the Russian Baltic Fleet,
you must get your ships into zone El
(Vladivostok).
VICTORY CONDITIONS

(All Scenarios)
Victory is determined by comparing victory
point totals at the end of the game . There are
5 levels of victory: draw, Japanese/Russian
victory, and Japanese/Russian total victory.
Both sides have a victory point total equal
to 10 points per ship. Thus, in the strategic
scenario, the Japanese Player has 160 victory
points; the Russian Player 190 victory points.
4

(5) This is the amount of damage the superstructure and hull can take. All damage is calculated by the computer, and is reflected in
part by the number of XS appearing on the
superstructure and hull lines. If a ship has no
more superstructure, any future hits there will
damage the hull . A complete list of damage
results is found in section 6. Note: damage is
calculated on a formula that takes into account the
size of the shell and the thickness of the armor.
Some shells may strike the hull, but do no damage.
Also, once the superstructure is destroyed, it may
take up to four superstructure hits to make one hull
hit.
(6) This is the gun chart showing the number and size (or bore) of the main and secondary guns, its range, and number of rounds
left .

as a forward (abbreviated FWD) or aft turret.

Thus, the Shikishima's two main gun turrets
are called, from bow to stem, the forward turret and the aft turret.
(4b) The secondary gun mounts are drawn
with lines protruding from them showing
their field of fire. One gun line drawn on the
port or starboard side of the square indicates
that the mount can aim the gun up to 45
degrees to each side of that line. If it faces the
bow or stem, however, the mount can only
move 45 degrees towards the side of the ship
the mount is on. Two lines facing the bow or
stern means that the mount can move up to
45 degrees to each side of that line.
Secondary gun mounts are numbered beginning with the foremost starboard side of
the ship, then down the port side.

CD JAPANESE BATTLESHIP
0)

SHIKISHIMA

CD
STARBOARD

ARMOR:
BELT:
DECK:
GUN:
CRWN :
SEC.:
C.T.:
PLOT:
MFC:
RUN. :

PORT

MAX SPEED: 18 KTS

SPECIAL DAMAGE:

SUPSTR:
HULL:

NO .
SIZE (IN)
MX . RG (KYD)
AMMO . (RND)

MAIN
4
12
27
240

SEC.
14
6
24
640

9
4

14
8
6
14
14
0
3

Japanese Fleet Data

The following ships are at the Japanese player's command:
#
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

Name
Mikasa
Shikishima
Fuji
Asahi
Kasuga
Nisshin
Idzumo
Yakumo
Asama
Adzuma
Tokiwa
Iwate
Kasagi
Chitose
Otowa
Niitaka

TY
BB
BB
BB
BB
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
PC
PC
PC
PC

SP
18
18
18
18
20
20
21
21
22
20
22
21
23
23
21
20

MAIN
4
12
4
12
4
12
4
12
4
8
4
8
4
8
4
8
4
8
4
8
4
8
4
8
2
8
2
8
2
6
0
0

SEC
14 6
14 6
10 6
14 6
14 6
14 6
14 6
12 6
14 6
12 6
14 6
14 6
10 4.7
10 4.7
6 4.7
6 6

SQ
1st
1st
1st
1st
1st
1st
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd

FS
*

OM
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

Russian Fleet Data

The following ships are at the Russian player' s command:
#
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

14
15
16
17
18
19

Name
Suvarov
Alexander 3
Borodino
Oryel
Oslyabya
Veliki
Navarin
Nakhimov
Nikolai I
Apraksin
Senyavin
Ushakov
Ozhemtchug
Izumrud
Oleg
Aurora
Svyetlana
Oonskoi
Monomakh

TY

BB
BB
BB
BB
BB
BB
TS
AC
TS
BB
BB
BB
PC
PC
PC
PC
PC
AC
AC

MAIN
12
4
4
12
4
12
4
12
4
12
4
12
4
12
8
8
2
12
4
10
4
10
4
10
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
8
4
8

SP
18
18
18
18
18
16
16
17
15
16
16
16
24
24
23
19
22
17
15
6

SEC
12 6
12 6
12 6
12 6
11 6
6 6
8 6
10 6
12 6
4 4.7
4 4.7
4 4.7
6 4.7
6 4.7
6 4.7
8 6
6 6
14 6
12 6

SQ
1st
1st
1st
1st
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
3nd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th

FS
*

OM
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

Exception: a squadron on patrol duty spotting

enemy ships will not enter the strategic contact
phase.

There are two main phases in Tsushima: the

strategic phase and the tactical phase. The
strategic phase is subdivided into the search
phase and the contact phase. When enemy
squadrons are within visual range, the tactical phase will begin and continue until no
enemy squadrons can be seen . Therefore, the
game will be either in the strategic phase, or
the tactical phase. For future reference, we
shall break down the strategic phase into the
search phase and the contact phase.

After orders have been given to all friendly

squadrons, two questions will be asked:
SQDR FOR SEARCH? : also called patrol
duty. Entering the number of a squadron will
assign it to patrol duty. Only one squadron
can be on patrol duty at a time.
Patrolling increases the range of that squadron and its chance of spotting the enemy.
Note that when a squadron is searching, it can
report on the enemy' s presence, but cannot
come in contact with it. See Range, below, for
more information.
CRUISING HOURS(1-9)? : both sides enter
the number of hours their squadrons will
cruise. Movement orders will then be carried
out automatically until one of the following
happens:
a) a lowest number of cruising hours pass
without any contact. If the Japanese player
enters 6 cruising hours, and the Russian
player enters 9, the computer will resolve 6
hours of movement before asking for further
orders;
b) an enemy squadron has been spotted,
either by a friendly squadron, or, for the
Japanese player in the solitaire game, by a
fisherman or coastal patrol. Coastal squadrons
and fishermen will report every six hours (at
0600, 1200, 1800 and 2400 hours) on any
enemy activity they see during that period .
Thus, a Russian squadron spotted at 0200
hours will not be reported until 0600 hours;
c) a squadron Sights land or the edge of the
board . In either case, the turn ends, and the
player must give a new course to the squadron responsible for the message.
During play, a message may be displayed
that says "(Squadron) OUT OF CONTACT
AREA ." This means that the squadron has
moved out of visual range of another squadron (either enemy or friendly) .

THE STRATEGIC SEARCH PHASE

During this phase, the two sides maneuver

over the China Sea, Yellow Sea and the Sea
of Japan. The sea is divided into zones and
identified by a letter/number combination .
When an enemy squadron has been spotted,
they will enter the strategic contact phase.

RANGE

The distance at which a squadron can be

7

any number from 0 to

360. Your ships will then
shift themselves into the
new formation. The flagship will always remain
in the center of the
screen. Your squadron' s
formation can increase or
decrease your search
effectiveness.
(J)apanese Stats Shows the statistics for
all Japanese ships .
When you finish giving
(N)ext
orders to one squadron,
this will take you to the
next squadron. If all
squadrons have been
given orders, this will
end your turn.
(Q)uit
Ends the game, allowing
you to save it either on
the game disk or another
formatted disk.
(R)ussian Stats Shows the statistics for
all Russian ships .
(S)peed
Changes the speed of the
squadron. Ships can
travel no faster than the
maximum speed of its
slowest member .

spotted varies with the weather, the time of

day, and a squadron's duty:
Weather: on a clear day, a ship will search
36 NM (nautical miles) per hour. This is cut
to 28 NM during rough weather, and 20 NM
in fog .
Time of Day: daylight runs from 0500 to 1900
hours . At night (2000 to 0400), the above numbers are halved .
Search Duty: a squadron assigned to search
duty can patrol up to 100 NM on a clear day,
75 NM on a rough day, and 50 NM on a foggy
day. Again, these ranges are halved at night.
THE STRATEGIC CONTACT PHASE

Contact occurs when one squadron has spotted the presence of another, either by seeing
the ships, or the smoke from their coalburning engines. In the strategic contact
phase, both sides maneuver on a different
map with a smaller scale. If they get within
gunnery range, the tactical phase begins.

S.A COMMANDS
The following commands may be given in
the strategic search and strategic contact
phases. Note: once an order is given, it cannot
be changed.
(C)ourse

Enter up to three digits,

from 0 to 360, to assign
the new course according
to the diagram below
(due south is 180
degrees):

When the tactical program is used, it will

show a screen divided into three parts: the
map, the ship roster, and the ship status.

MAP

The dots on the map indicate the center of

each square . The distance between each
square depends upon the scale, given at the
bottom of the map. As the ships move
together or apart, the scale will change. Visibility is shown in thousands of yards (KYDS).
Ship collisions are impossible at any scale .
Enemy ships are tinted dark yellow;
friendly ships are tinted white . The ship to
which orders are being given to is tinted blue.

180
(F) ormation

Takes you to another

screen where you can
change the formation of
your ships. Your flagship
is in the center of the
screen, and you enter
8

6.A COMMANDS
These are the commands available to all
ships in the tactical phase:

SHIP ROSTER

This contains a listing of each active enemy

ship in the scenario along with its code letter
and present course. Ships in the tactical
progTam travel on one of eight compass headings : N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, Wand NW . The
ship letter is used to issue main and secondary target commands.

(M)aneuver

Each ship can move a

certain number of movement points. Using these
points requires entering a
string of numbers, L,
and/or R. The number
tells the ship to move
that many movement
points forward, L will
move the ship forward
and 45 degTees to the
left; R wilf move the ship
forward and 45 degTees
to the right .
Example: the maneuver
command 2LLlR will move
a ship two points ahead,
tum to the left, tum left
again, move one point
ahead, then tum right.
(P)rimary
Assigns a target to the
main guns . Enter the
letter of the enemy ship
you wish these guns to
fire at.
(S)econdary
Assigns a target to the
secondary guns.
(D)amage/Status Shows the damage and
status of the phasing
ship.
(J)apanese Stats Displays the statistics for
all Japanese ships.
(R)ussian Stats Displays the statistics for
all Russian ships.
(S)urrender
Orders the ship to surrender . A surrendering
ship costs its side seven
victory points (as
opposed to ten for a destroyed ship) . It cannot
be fired upon, and is removed from the board.
Finishes the movement/
(N)ext Ship
combat turn of one ship,
and goes on to the next
ship . You cannot go back
and enter new orders for
a ship once the (n)ext

SHIP STATUS

The sequence of play in the tactical phase consists of issuing orders to each ship in play. The
computer will go from ship to ship and ask
the player to enter any number of commands.
The ship status section shows the following information:
Course: the direction the ship is travelling.
Speed: the maximum speed of the ship (in
knots) .
Max MF (movement factors): each ship uses
movement factors in the tactical phase (MF
for short) to express how far it can move in
one turn. By using the (M)aneuver command,
the player can order his ship to move up to
its Maximum MF. The Max MF number does not
mean that the ship will travel that number of
squares.
MF: shows the latest maneuver command
given to that ship. This is what the ship will
do in the coming turn. Note that you can only
change the maneuver command once during
that ship's turn .
TARGETS : most ships have two types of
guns: main and secondary guns . Use the
damage display to see where they are on each
ship. By using the (P)rimary and (S)econdary
commands, the ship is ordered to fire those
guns at another ship . The main and secondary guns may fire at the same ship, different
ships, or no ships at all.
Note: as you move from ship to ship, the map
is redrawn with the phasing ship in the center,
and you will see the positions of some ships move
a square or two. Distances are measured in actual
yards from the perspective of the phasing ship, and
the scale between squares will change.
9

command is entered.
(any other key) Displays the command
menu.

6.B COMBAT
The computer calculates the effects of comsunk earlier in the combat phase will still be
able to fire. All you need to do is strike the
bat, and all results are applied at the end of
RETURN key whenever the cursor flashes .
the turn. Thus, a ship that may have been
A typical combat screen looks like this :

Key:
Range: the distance in yards from the firing ship to the target ship.
Bearing: the compass direction that the
target ship is in, with 0 degrees at the top
of the screen .
Aspect: what part of the target the ship
sees . The number is a bearing in degrees
counted from the true position of the aspect.
There are three aspects : bow, stern and
broadside .
ReI Brng: the location of the target ship
relative to the firing ship, counted by assum-

ing that the direction to which the firing

ship's bow is pointing is 0 degrees.
Muz Vel: muzzle velocity, or how fast
down the barrel the shell travels (expressed
in Feet Per Second (FPS)) .
Vert Pen: verticJe penetration, or how
high the gun barrel had to be raised in order
to fire on the target ship . A Vert Pen of 1-2
inches means that the gun barrel is almost
level.
Horz Pen: horizontal penetration, or how
far to the left or the right the gun barrel
travels .

10

When a key is struck, the damage chart of the target ship will appear :

JAP ANESE BA TTLESHlP

SHIKISHIMA

STARBOARD

-[] I ill I ill I ITl-[1]

IT]
(IJ-

F
W
D

-[ill

XX

-OJ

-00

m
I

m
I IT]
I

[]=

IIJI ITJ-

ARMOR:
BELT:
DECK:
GUN :
CRWN:
SEC.:
A
C.T.:
F
PLOT:
T
MFC:
RUN .:

4
14
8
6

14
14
0
3

PORT
MAX SPEED: 18 KTS
SPECIAL DAMAGE :

SUPSTR:
HULL:

HIT #2
SECONDARY GUN
#86 IN. GUN MOUNT

The first hit from the Suvarov had struck and

penetrated the Gun Armor of the Forward
Turret, completely destroying it. Secondary
hits are scored on the secondary guns . In this
case, it was on the #8 secondary gun mount,
located on the port side of the Shikishima.
SPECIAL DAMAGE: In addition to damaging the armor and guns of a ship, there is a
chance that specific, vital areas of the ship
may be hit . Below is a list of possible damage
results :
* Hull-Belt Armor
* Hull-Deck Armor
* Hull-Secondary Armor
* Hull
* Main Powder Room
* Engine Room
* Forward Engine Room
* Forward Main Magazine Room (also
magazines Starboard, Port and Aft may be

struck; with the possibility of explosions causing more damage)

* Aft Steering
* Shell Hoist
* Coal Room
* Main Gun
* Secondary Gun (with the possibility of a
shell explosion causing hull damage)
* Main Gun
* Gun Armor
* Crown Armor
* Boiler Room
* Shell Handling Room
* Control Tower: a shell has destroyed the
bridge. The ship will ignore certain movement
commands .
* Forward Plotting Room /Aft Plotting
Room: destroying either will reduce the chance
of shells hitting.

11

Eastern Siberia

Manchuria

Q
_ Mukden

Pelting

8 February 1904: Hostilities begin with a

surprise attack on the Russian First Pacific
Squadron at Port Arthur. Later that day, 3,000
men landed at the Korean port of Chemulpo
(Inchon), 240 miles southeast of Port Arthur.
Torpedoed were the cruiser Palleda, and the
battleships Retvizan and the Tsarevitch.

14-18 March: Japanese troops land at Chinampo, near modern Pyongyang. The
Japanese First Army reached the Yalu River
by April.

9 February: Japanese ships run aground the

cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Koreetz in Port

Mid-April: The Russian fleet at Port Arthur,

under the new command of Admiral

Arthur harbor . The surviving Russian ships

battle Togo's fleet to a standstill.

12

Makarov, sails to meet the Japanese. While

closing, the flagship Petropavlovsk is struck by
a shell and sinks, killing Makarov. The demoralized Russian fleet retreats .

ing the harbor. Gun emplacements there will

destroy the Russian fleet at anchor.
End of December: The fleet reunites at
Madagascar.

Late April: Russian cruisers operating out of

Port Arthur sink several transports, including Krupp siege guns intended for the attack
against the port.

1 January 1905: Russians surrender Port

Arthur. Second Pacific Squadron reaches Madagascar later that month and hears about the
loss .

1 May: Japanese forces cross the Yalu, outflanking the Russian army .

22 January: Bloody Sunday. St. Petersburg

police kill over a hundred demonstrators at
a peaceful anti-war demonstration. A wave
of indignation sweeps Russia .

5 May: Japanese forces land near Port Arthur.

Two battleships, the Hatsuse and Yashima,
strike mines and sink.

February: Japanese advance into China,

approaching Mukden.

25 May: The Japanese Army attack the peninsula leading to Port Arthur. In a preview of
World War I, Russian trenches and machine
guns cost 6,000 casualties. The position is
overrun in two days .

27 February-9 March: The Battle of Mukden,

in which three Russian armies number over
275,000 men are thrown against an equal
number of Japanese. In what was to be the
last land battle in Manchuria, the Russians
retreat, but not without costing close to
100,000 killed, wounded and captured .

7 August: After much preparation, Port

Arthur is bombarded.
10 August: The Russian fleet sorties out of
Port Arthur in an attempt to reach Vladivostock. The Battle of Yellow Sea is fought in
which most of the ships were turned back.

8 April: The fleet reaches Singapore .

9 May: Nebogatov's Third Squadron catches
up with the Second Pacific Squadron off
Indochina .

19 August: Port Arthur is stormed. Three outposts are captured at the cost of 10,000
Japanese lives .

27 May: The Battle of Tsushima .

18 September: The second assault on Port

Arthur bogs down with heavy losses.

July: Russia's Sakhalin Island is invaded and

captured by Japanese 13th Infantry Division.

26-31 October: A third attack on Port Arthur

meets with failure.

5 September: The Treaty of Portsmouth is

signed, ending the war. Japan is given a free
hand in Korea, and acquires the ports of Port
Arthur and Dalny. Sakhalin island is divided
in two, and no indemnity is paid to Japan .

16 October: Russian Baltic Fleet, renamed the

Second Pacific Squadron, leaves St. Petersburg for the Far East.
3 November: The fleet arrives off Tangiers,
Morocco. Some ships are sent through the
Suez Canel, while the rest make the journey
around the Cape of Good Hope .

ENSICN

November: In freezing weather, the Japanese

assault and capture 203 Meter Hill, overlook-

13

I"'PERIAI. STANDARD

" The whole art of war consists in getting at what is

on the other side of the hill, or, in other words, in learning what we do not know from what we do. "
The Duke of Wellington, c. 1845

uniform and medals, he looked like a fighting admiral.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial
Japanese Navy, Admiral Heihachiro Togo,
had served on ships since the 1870s. A member of the sea-going Satsuma Clan, he fought
a British squadron attack in 1863. As one of
the first cadets sent to England, he spent two
years aboard the English sailing man-of-war
Worcester, and studying mathematics at
Cambridge, naval engineering at Greenwich,
and gunnery at Portsmouth.
The way the commanders treated the men
under them was radically different. Togo
trained his troops constantly. He had served
with many of them for the last eight years .
After destroying the First Pacific Fleet at Port
Arthur (in a surprise attack reminiscent of
7 December 1941), he led his fleet back to
Japan and ordered target practice with new
shells while the fleet was repaired.
Although he had a reputation as a disciplinarian, the strain of preparing the Baltic
fleet for battle proved to be Rozhdestvensky's
undoing . Along the 18,000 mile journey,
Rozhdestvensky spent most of his time on the
bridge, making sure that ships stayed in line
and kept the prescribed distance from one
another. If a ship fell out of position, his
temper would snap and blank charges would
be fired at the offending vessel, and once live
ammunition was used across the bow of a
ship that had three times ignored his order.
There was also the quality of the fleet to
consider. The fifty ships of the Second Pacific
Squadron contained four brand new battleships - the flagship Kniaz Suvarov plus the
Borodino, Alexander III and Oryel - but there

On 16 October 1904, a naval officer hastily

reassigned to the Russian Baltic Fleet was on
board his ship when it steamed out of the
Baltic. Captain Vladimir Semenov was not
happy. Escaping death at the battle of Port
Arthur (8 February 1904), he was now with
a new Russian fleet intending to go back and
defeat the Japanese. As part of a historymaking journey that would take eight months
and cross half the world, he knew what
awaited them. "Ten thousand Russian men
led not into battle but to the sacrificial altar,"
he wrote .
When the Russian squadron at Port Arthur
was destroyed at the very start of the war, the
possibility was raised to send the Baltic fleet
to their aid. The trek was long, and most of
the ships were not built to handle the distance . Not only that, there was not a single
base along the route willing to supply them
with the much-needed coal. Embroiled in a
war with Japan, every neutral country was required by international law to bar fleets from
either side and refuse all assistance to them .
The Russian commander, Rear-Admiral
Zinovi Rozhdestvensky, was considered one
of the best or~anizational minds in the navy .
He had partiCIpated in the Russo-Turkish War
of 1877, attacking the Turkish fleet in a
torpedo boat attack . The masterful way he
handled the naval review before the Kaiser
brought him to Imperial attention . Yet,
Rozhdestvensky had never commanded a
fleet in combat before. But in his full beard,
14

were the slower cruisers like the Dimitri

Donskoi, Svyetlana and Nakhimov that would
be of little use in combat. Not only that, but
engineers had to be drafted from the private
sector to maintain the ship boilers, and the
crews for the squadron were ill-trained. Rozhdestvensky hoped that the journey would
give him time to improve the quality and
morale of his sailors.
The experts believed that the two sides were
equal. In anticipation of the battle, newspapers around the world published statistics
about the two sides as if they were preparing
for the Super Bowl. The poor Russian morale
was countered with Japan's almost nonexistent naval history. A statistical comparison
of the two fleet proved them to be equal. But
in the last half of the nineteenth century,
battleship designers had precious little battle
experience to draw from. The theories of gun
layout and armor placement were based upon
the Crimean War and other small actions . In
most of them, like the Spanish-American
War, victory was achieved so easily that the
reasons why were obscure. At Tsushima, all
the theories that battleship designers been advocating would be put to the test. Riding on
the outcome were reputations and lucrative
government contracts worldwide .
The neutrality problem was solved when
French and German firms agreed to provide
coal: France from her colonial possessions and
Germany from coastal railheads. Officially, all
ports were closed to the Russians, and protests were lodged whenever their ships appeared. But with a variety of stalling tactics,
they were able to refuel their ships. While the
officials on shore were waiting for confirmation from home to order the Russians out, the
sailors would be loading coal.
The journey had barely begun when an
international incident arose off Dogger Bank
over some English fishing boats the Russian
fleet had blundered into at night . Believing
them to be Japanese torpedo boats, the Russians opened fire and killed a number of
Englishmen. The uproar that followed nearly
drew Britain into the war, but blew over of
its own accord .
At Morocco, the weaker ships were sent
through the Suez Canal while the rest went
on the longer route around Africa . Believing
that Japanese torpedo boats were still a threat,

Rozhdestvensky preferred to risk the storms

off the Cape of Good Hope than the narrow
confines of the canal.
But the biggest battle all along had been
with the coal. With limited refueling stops,
ships had to carryall they could. A ship like
the Suvarov, with a maximum capacity of
1,250 tons, had to carry twice that. Orders
were given that coal had to be stored anywhere and everywhere: "in any spare space
on the upper deck," the order read, "lower
deck, gun deck, poop, and in the cockpit,
over closed watertight manhole covers, in the
bathrooms, drying rooms, engine-room workshops, wing passages, fore and aft torpedo
flats, twelve-inch gun turret passages, in bags
between the 47-mm. guns, loose on the
quarterdeck, with some means to prevent it
falling overboard. "
By the time the fleets rendezvoused at
Madagascar in December, everyone was exhausted . Debilitating heat, sickness, harsh
food and discipline and the task of transferring coal to the ships by hand (a total of
340,000 tons was required for the voyage) had
taken its toll . Coal dust was everywhere,
forced into the air by the vibrations from the
ship's engines . It hung in dense grey clouds
about the halls and the mess room, the
passageways and cabins. Morale was down,
and the fleet's poor performance at signaling,
maneuvering in formation and gunnery
served to drive it down further .
It was while refueling in Madagascar that
the bad news came: Port Arthur had fallen .
With the First Pacific Squadron destroyed, the
Baltic Fleet had no choice but to go to
Vladivostok, past the Japanese home islands.
When word came to throw the Russians out,
Rozhdestvensky led his fleet into the trackless ocean, and out of sight of the world .
The Russian arrival in Singapore on April
8 caused an international sensation. They had
disappeared into the Indian Ocean and suddenly reappeared after three weeks of sailing
more than thirty-five hundred miles without
seeing another ship.
"It was a splendid spectacle, " one correspondent wrote from Singapore. "All the
ships were burning soft coaf, and the smoke
they made was visible for miles. The ships,
magnificent but foul, were proceeding at
about eight knots, and it took them fifty-five
15

port column, which the scouts had reported

to be the weaker of the two.
Then, he led the fleet in a great U-turn,
moving the ships so that they pivoted until
they ended upon a parallel course on the Russians' port side. This was daring, because the
Russians had the perfect chance to hit each
ship as she was taking her turn in the
maneuver. The order to fire did not come, but
a few shots came from the Russians, one
which struck the Mikasa and wounded Togo
slightly. At 7,000 yards the two fleets were
sailing broadside to broadside and trading
shots.
Within the hour, the battle was decided .
The four Russian battleships were put out of
commission by the concentrated Japanese fire,
and the breakdown in communications scattered the ships. The Russian ships scattered,
and the battle quickly degenerated into a
melee. The shelling continued until seven that
evening, when Togo sent his torpedo boats
to finish off the rest.
In half a day and a night, 20 Russian ships
were sunk, including their four new battleships. Six escaped and found refuge in
Shanghai and Manila where they were interned. Only two reached Vladivostock. Six
thousand sailors were taken prisoner; more
than 4,000 killed or drowned. On the
Japanese side, only three torpedo boats were
lost; 116 killed; 538 wounded.
Was the battle lost from the start? Not
necessarily. The cause of the Russian defeat
can be traced to the lack of a unified plan between the squadrons. Rozhdestvensky had
no plan of battle, and had let the Japanese
take the strategic initiative. At one point, if
the Russian ships had been allowed to slip
back and cross the rear of the Japanese line
(thereby "crossing the T"), they could have
severely damaged the enemy. Instead, Togo
forced them to turn to starboard, until the
Russian fleet was strung out, and the rear
ships were unable to fire over the forward
ships.
Strategically, the Japanese were exhausted
physically and monetarily after the long war.
Great Britain and the United States, bankrolling the Mikado, had been applying pressure on the two sides to come to the peace
table. In that light, slipping through the
Japanese cordon would have balanced their

minutes to pass a given point. All the vessels

showed signs of their long voyage in tropical
seas, about a foot of seaweed being visible
along the waterline, and the decks were laden
with coal."
Passing the neutral port, they paused in
Camranh Bay, Indochina in early May for
final preparations before meeting the
Japanese fleet. It was here that the third
squadron under Rear-Admiral Nabogatov
arrived on May 9. Neither man liked the
other, and the result was that they did not discuss the route they would take, or their battle plans. Rozhdestvensky decided on taking
the most direct route to Vladivostok, through
the Tsushima Straits between Japan and
Korea. A decoy force was not even considered .
But the threatening weather shrouded the
Russian fleet in mist when they entered the
Tsushima Strait on 27 May 1905. "How can
they find us in weather like this?" the commander of the Suvarov asked. "Look! You
can ' t even see the rear of the fleet!"
But Togo was prepared. Scouts had been
stationed along the route. Togo heard that
Russian supply ships had been sent into
Shanghai, and concluded that the Russians
would go the most direct way without them.
His main fleet was at Masampo, on the
Korean coast. Thus, the stage was set for the
final naval battle of the Russo-Japanese war .
On May 27, the Japanese auxiliary cruiser
Shinano Maru sighted the fleet and relayed the
information to Togo by wireless. When the
Russians first spotted the Japanese fleet, they
were within visual range. Togo hoisted a flag
signal reminscent of Trafalgar 100 years before: "The fate of the Empire depends upon
today's event. Let every man do his utmost!"

The Battle of Tsushima

The Russians had eight battleships, three
coast-defense ships, three armored cruisers,
six light cruisers and ten destroyers. The
Japanese had four battleships, seven armored
cruisers and seven light cruisers. The Russians steamed forward in two parallel but
staggered columns. While still out of gunnery
range, Togo ordered his ships to starboard
and crossed the Russian' s path to attack the

16

their guns electronically, the Russians still

pulled the lanyards, a slower method of fire .
At the time, Togo was hailed as the new
Nelson for his daring tactics. But his success
was due largely to the Russian's slow speed
and inability to coordinate maneuvers . Also,
the Russian ships, their decks and passageways piled high with as much coal as they can
carry, proved to be fire hazards. The extra
weight the ships carried also submerged their
armor belt, reducing their protection against
waterline shots. On the other hand, Togo had
the wisdom to see the faults in the Russian
fleet, and take advantage of them.
The results of the Tsushima battle had
worldwide repercussions . Japan was recognized by the world as a major power in the
Far East, supplanting the Russians . Their
right to influence events in China and Korea
was born with their demonstration of their
armed might. Russia's loss sparked discontent throughout the country. After the 1905
Russian Revolution, Tsar Nicholas was forced
to guarantee civil liberties and establish a
parliament (the Duma) with the power to propose laws. Russia was entering an era of
limited constitutional monarchy, an experiment that would eventually culminate in the
1917 Russian Revolution .

losses on land and given them a bargaining

chip in the negotiations.

The Lessons of Tsushima

What did the battleship designers and
generals learn? Contemporary accounts
pointed out that ship speed was an essential
shipbuilding requirement. The swiftness of
the Japanese fleet allowed them to pick the
time and location for the fight. Second was
the importance of the long-range 12-inch
guns. A battle is not lost when the last unit
has been routed, but much earlier. At
Tsushima, it was when the Japanese were
able to hit the Russian ships at 7,000 yards off.
Previously, gunfire was exchanged at 3,500
yards . Although most of the critical hits were
scored at the latter range, it gave the Japanese
a tactical advantage. They could stay out of
Russian gunfire range and could inflict
damage .
The importance of crew training was
stressed again . A major reason behind the
Japanese success had been the sailors' ability
to fire and reload rapidly. Technologically, the
Japanese won hands down. While they fired

ideographs and the Russian Cyrillic language

have resulted in several spellings for the same
ship. While some consensus has been reached
with the more well-known ships like the
Mikasa, there remains differences with ships
like the Oslyabya (or Osliabia). Likewise, there
are differences regarding armor thicknesses,
speed and crew complements. The data for
Tsushima was drawn from a variety of sources,
including two games published by Kiya Overseas Industry Co. of Japan.

The ships listed below are listed by squadron . That portion of their name not appearing in the program is enclosed within parentheses . Example: (Kniaz-)Suvarov. The
gun listing shows a ship's primary and secondary guns. Some ships may have only secondary guns . The numbers in parentheses
below the gun listing is the gun's range in
thousands of yards (KYDS) . The armor is in
inches. The coal numbers indicate the normal
and maximum amounts carried in tons .
A note about spellings: translating Japanese

ILLUSTRATION SOURCE: JAN E' S FIGHTING SH IPS,

17

1906

EO.

Crew : 842
Guns : 4 12-inch (27 KYDS)
14 6-inch (24 KYDS)
Armor:
Conning Tower: 14
Belt: 9
Plotting Room : 14
Deck: 4
Main Fire Control: 0
Gun: 14
Crown: 8
Rudder: 3
Secondary: 6
Engines and Speed : 14,500 h.p.; 18 knots

MIKASA (FLAGSHIP)

The flagship of Admiral Nakagoro Togo,

commander of the Japanese fleet. She survived the battle only to sink in six fathom of
water in Saseho Harbor when her powder
magazine exploded (10 September 1905).
Raised and repaired, she was disarmed in
1922. She is a national monument today,
revered as much as Nelson's H.M .S. Victory .

FUJI

The two ships in the Fuji class (Fuji and

Yashima) were built in 1893 in response to two
capital ships the Chinese were building. They
were refitted with larger guns in 1901. The
Fuji fired the last shell at Tsushirna on 27 May
1905, sinking the Borodino. Disarmed under
the Washington Treaty (1923) and used as a
training ship, she capsized in 1945 and was
scrapped.

Battleship
Launched: 1900, Barrow
Tonnage: 15,140
Coal: 700 /1500
Crew: 875
Guns : 4 12-inch (27 KYDS)
14 6-inch (24 KYDS)
Armor :
Belt: 9
Conning Tower: 14
Deck: 3
Plotting Room: 14
Main Fire Control: 0
Gun : 14
Rudder: 3
Crown : 6
Secondary: 6
Engines and Speed: 15,000 h.p. ; 18 knots

Fuji Class Battleship

Launched: 1986, Thames Iron Works
Tonnage : 12,450
Coal: 70011200
Crew: 736
Guns: 4 12-inch (27 KYDS)
14 6-inch (24 KYDS)
Armor:
Conning Tower: 14
Belt: 18
Plotting Room: 14
Deck: 3
Main Fire Control: 0
Gun: 14
Rudder: 3
Crown: 9
Secondary: 6
Engines and Speed: 14,000 h.p.; 18 knots

SHIKISHIMA

The Shikishima and the other ship in its class

(the Hatsuse) participated in the bombarding
of Port Arthur (9 February 1904), and fought
at Yellow Sea and Tsushima. She was disarmed and immobilized under the terms of
the Washington Treaty, and later scrapped in
1947.

ASAHI

Although built under the same program

that launched the Shikishima , the Asahi has
two funnels rather than three, putting it in a
class by itself (despite the fact that there are
no other differences) . The Asahi was struck
by a mine on 26 October 1904. She was
repaired in time to fight at Tsushima, where
she was damaged again. During World War

Shikishima Class Battleship

Launched : 1898, Thames Iron Works
Tonnage: 14,850
Coal: 80011592
18

1, she became a gunnery training ship, eventually disarmed under the Washington Treaty
of April 1923. During World War II, she saw
service as a repair ship, and was sunk by an
American submarine off French Indo-China
on 25 May 1942.

Crew: 438
Guns: 4 8-inch (22 KYDS)
14 6-inch (20 KYDS)
Armor:
Belt: 6
Conning Tower: 6
Deck: 2
Plotting Room : 6
Gun: 6
Main Fire Control: 0
Crown: 4
Rudder : 2
Secondary: 6
Engines and Speed: 13,500 h .p.; 20 knots
NISSHIN

Built along with the Kasuga for the Italian

Navy, she followed the same path : built as
the Roca, she became the Argentine Mariano
Moreno before being sold to Japan . Suffering
considerable damage at Yellow Sea and
Tsushirna, she was used for target practice in
1936.

Battleship
Launched: 1899, Clydebank
Tonnage: 15,200
Coal: 70011690
Crew: 835
Guns: 4 12-inch (27 KYDS)
14 6-inch (24 KYDS)
Armor:
Belt: 9
Conning Tower: 14
Plotting Room: 14
Deck: 4
Gun: 14
Main Fire Control: 0
Rudder: 3
Crown: 4
Secondary: 6
Engines and Speed: 15,000 h.p.; 18 knots

Kasuga Class Armored Cruiser

Launched: 1903, Genoa
Tonnage: 7,628
Coal: 584/1178
Crew: 609
Guns: 4 8-inch (22 KYDS)
14 6-inch (20 KYDS)
Armor:
Belt: 6
Conning Tower: 6
Deck: 2
Plotting Room: 6
Main Fire Control: 0
Gun : 6
Rudder: 2

KASUGA

This armored cruiser was constructed on

the other side of the world. Built for the Italian
Navy as the Mitra, she was sold to the Argentines and renamed Rivadavia for use against
Chile. While Rozhdestvensky was putting
together the Second Pacific Squadron, efforts
were made to purchase South American battleships . Four were sold, but they became the
H .M .S. Triumph and Swiftsure of the Royal
Navy, and the Kasuga and the Nisshin of the
Japanese Navy. Partially disarmed during the
20s and used as a training ship, she was
scrapped in 1948.

IDZUMO (FLAGSHIP)

Disarmed under the Washington Treaty,

like all pre-First World War warships, she was
used as training ship. Sunk in shallow water
during an air raid (July 1945), she was
scrapped in 1947.

Kasuga Class Armored Cruiser

Launched: 1902, Genoa
Tonnage : 7,628
Coal: 584/1778
19

Idzumo Class Armored Cruiser

Launched: 1900, Elswick
Tonnage: 9,750
Coal: 760/1550
Crew: 722
Guns: 4 8-inch (22 KYDS)
14 6-inch (20 KYDS)
Armor:
Conning Tower: 14
Belt: 7
Plotting Room: 14
Deck: 3
Gun: 6
Main Fire Control: 0
Crown: 4
Rudder: 2
Secondary: 6
Engines and Speed : 14,500 h.p. ; 21 knots

Asama Class Armored Cruiser

Launched: 1890, Elswick
Tonnage: 9,750
Coal : 60011200
Crew: 637
Guns : 4 8-inch (22 KYDS)
14 6-inch (20 KYDS)
Armor:
Conning Tower: 14
Belt: 7
Deck: 2
Plotting Room: 14
Gun: 6
Main Fire Control: 0
Crown: 2
Rudder : 2
Secondary: 6
Engines and Speed: 18,000 h .p .; 22 knots

YAKUMO

AOZUMA

Ordered under Second Naval Expansion

Program of 1896-97, the Yakumo served
throughout the Russo-Japanese War and
played a major role in sinking the Admiral
Ushakov. During the 20s, she was used as a
training ship, finally scrapped in 1947.

This French-built cruiser saw action

throughout the war, and after 1914 was
turned into a training ship. Completely disarmed in 1941, she suffered severe damage
in a 1945 air raid, and was scrapped after the
war.

Armored Cruiser
Launched: 1899
Tonnage : 9,600
Coal : ?I?
Crew: ?
Guns: 4 8-inch (22 KYDS)
12 6-inch (20 KYDS)
Armor:
Conning Tower: 14
Belt: 7
Plotting Room: 14
Deck: 3
Main Fire Control : 0
Gun: 6
Rudder: 2
Crown: 2
Secondary: 6
Engines and Speed: 15,500 h .p. ; 21 knots

Adzuma Armored Cruiser

Launched: 1899, St. Nazaire
Tonnage: 9,037
Coal: 600/1200
Crew : 644
Guns: 4 8-inch (22 KYDS)
12 6-inch (20 KYDS)
Armor:
Belt: 7
Conning Tower: 14
Deck: 3
Plotting Room: 14
Gun : 6
Main Fire Control: 0
Crown: 2
Rudder : 2
Secondary: 6
Engines and Speed: 17,000 h.p.; 20 knots

ASAMA

TOKIWA

Fought at Tsushima, where her steering.

gear was disabled by Russian shells. After
WWI, she was relegated to training ship
status, and scrapped in 1947.

Damaged at Tsushirna, she was refitted as

a minelayer after WWI. In August 1927, an
accidental mine explosion damaged her
severely. She was refitted for the 1937 SinoJapanese war, and served throughout WWII.
Suffering a mine attack in April 1945, she was
repaired and finally sunk in air raid that
August.
20

Asama Class Armored Cruiser

Launched: 1898, Elswick
Tonnage: 9,750
Coal: 600 /1200
Crew: 642
Guns: 4 8-inch (22 KYDS)
14 6-inch (20 KYDS)
Armor:
Conning Tower: 14
Belt: 7
Plotting Room: 14
Deck: 2
Main Fire Control: 0
Gun: 6
Rudder: 2
Crown: 2
Secondary: 6
Engines and Speed: 18,000 h.p.; 22 knots

Chitose Class Protected Cruiser

Launched: 1898, Philadelphia
Tonnage: 4,862
Coal: 800/1000
Crew : 438
Guns: 2 8-inch (24 KYDS)
10 4.7-inch (17 KYDS)
Armor:
Belt: 4
Conning Tower: 5
Deck: 4
Plotting Room: 5
Gun : 5
Main Fire Control: 0
Crown: 0
Rudder : 1
Secondary : 3
Engines and Speed: 15,000 h .p.; 23 knots

IWATE

CHITOSE

Partially disarmed under the Washington

Treaty, she was sunk in the same air raid that
sunk the Idzumo .

Damaged at Yellow Sea and Tsushirna, she

was disarmed in 1922 and used for coastal
defense . Used for target practice in July 1931 .

Idzumo Class Armored Cruiser

Launched: 1900, Elswick
Tonnage: 9,750
Coal: 60011550
Crew : 688
Guns : 4 8-inch (22 KYDS)
14 6-inch (20 KYDS)
Armor:
Conning Tower: 14
Belt: 7
Plotting Room : 14
Deck: 3
Main Fire Control : 0
Gun : 6
Rudder: 2
Crown: 4
Secondary: 6
Engines and Speed: 14,500 h .p.; 21 knots

Chitose Class Protected Cruiser

Launched: 1989, San Francisco
Tonnage: 4,760
Coal: 80011000
Crew: 438
Guns: 4 8-inch (24 KYDS)
10 4.7-inch (17 KYDS)
Armor:
Conning Tower: 5
Belt: 4
Plotting Room : 5
Deck: 4
Main Fire Control : 0
Gun: 5
Rudder : 1
Crown: 0
Secondary: 3
Engines and Speed: 15,000 h.p.; 23 knots
OTOWA

Ordered under the 1896-97 building program. Fought at Tsushima, she later ran
aground on the Japanese coast in August
1917.

KASAGI (FLAGSHIP)

Present at Yellow Sea and Tsushima, she

was reassigned as a training ship in 1910, and
wrecked in Tsugaro Strait in 1916 .
21

(KNIAZ-)SUVAROV (FLAGSHIP)

Named after the 18th century Russian

fighter, her twin yellow smokestacks separating the black fire-control, rangefinders and
searchlight platforms made her an impressivelooking ship . Her deSign, however, still retained a ram for the close action coup de grace.
Because of weight added after the ship was
built, both to its armor and creature comforts
for the officers, the ship was extremely overweight. The lower secondary armament could
not be used in a serious weather, and all but
two feet of the main belt was submerged
when the ship was normally loaded. Sunk at
Tsushima .

Protected Cruiser
Launched: 1903
Tonnage: 3,000
Coal : ?I?
Crew: ?
Guns : 2 6-inch (24 KYDS)
6 4.7-inch (17 KYDS)
Armor:
Conning Tower: 4
Belt: 3
Plotting Room : 4
Deck: 3
Main Fire Control : 0
Gun: 2
Rudder: 1
Crown: 0
Secondary: 1
Engines and Speed: 10,000 h.p. ; 21 knots
NIITAKA

Part of the second cruiser class built to a

completely Japanese design, she saw action
during the war, and was later lost in a
typhoon off Kamchatka coast in August 1922.

Borodino Class Battleship

Launched: 1902, St. Petersburg
Tonnage: 13,516
Coal: ?/1250
Crew : 830
Guns : 4 12-inch (27 KYDS)
12 6-inch (24 KYDS)
Armor:
Belt: 8
Conning Tower: 8
Deck: 2
Plotting Room : 8
Gun : 10
Main Fire Control: 0
Crown : 4
Rudder : 3
Secondary: 6
Engines and Speed: 16,300 h .p .; 18 knots

Tsushima Class Protected Cruiser

Launched : 1902, Yokosuka
Tonnage: 3,366
Coal: ?/600
Crew : 320
Guns : (secondary) 6 6-inch (20 KYDS)
Armor:
Conning Tower: 4
Belt: 3
Plotting Room : 4
Deck: 3
Main Fire Control : 0
Gun: 0
Rudder: 1
Crown: 0
Secondary: 1
.
and

(IMPERATOR) ALEXANDER

III

Sunk at Tsushima along with the rest of the

Borodino class.

Borodino Class Battleship

Launched: 1900, Barrow
Tonnage: 15,140
Coal : 70011500
Crew: 875
Guns: 4 12-inch (27 KYDS)
14 6-inch (24 KYDS)

" Our w iseacres pretend that by multiplication of

the guns, shells, personnel, the speed, a battle
coefficient of the squadron is obtained which is not
much lower than Togo' s. But this is simply nothing but a fraud - an infamous fraud ."
- Suvarov's navigating officer

22

Armor :
Conning Tower: 14
Belt : 9 .
Plotting Room : 14
Deck: 3
Main Fire Control: 0
Gun: 14
Rudder: 3
Crown: 6
Secondary: 6
Engines and Speed: 15,000 h .p.; 18 knots

owned a large library of subversive literature,

lent out freely to the sailors .
Escaping the battle despite large shell holes
near her waterline, but damaged considerably
elsewhere, she surrendered to the Japanese
next day. She was partially reconstructed and
served as the [warni . She was scrapped in
1922.

BORODINO

Although one of the newest ships, her

engines needed considerable alterations, and
she was never put through her sea trials (a
standard practice with all ships, to discover
what worked and what didn' t) . Blew up from
a magazine explosion caused by shell hits.

Borodino Class Battleship

Launched: 1902, St. Petersburg
Tonnage : 13,516
Coal: ?11250
Crew: 830
Guns: 4 12-inch (27 KYDS)
12 6-inch (24 KYDS)
Armor :
Belt: 8
Conning Tower: 8
Deck: 2
Plotting Room : 8
Gun : 10
Main Fire Control: 0
Crown: 4
Rudder : 3
Secondary: 6
Engines and Speed: 16,300 h .

Borodino Class Battleship

Launched: 1901, St. Petersburg
Tonnage: 13,516
Coal: ?11250
Crew: 830
Guns : 4 12-inch (27 KYDS)
12 6-inch (24 KYDS)
Armor :
Conning Tower: 8
Belt: 8
Plotting Room: 8
Deck: 2
Main Fire Control: 0
Gun : 10
Rudder: 3
Crown : 4
Secondary: 6
Engines and Speed: 16,300 h .p .; 18 knots

OSLYABYA (FLAGSHIP)

Named after a monk who fought at the

Battle of the Don in 1380, she was considered
to be unsatisfactory design because of her
slow speed and inadequate guns and armor.
Described as a " prison ship" by one of her
seaman because of its tyrannical officers .
Sunk by gunfire at Tsushima, mainly from the
effect of shells near the forward waterline.

ORYEL

Her service began with a serious fire, then

a near sinking when her hawsers parted and
the rivet holes opened. There were more delays during the preparation for the voyage
when emery and brass filings were discovered
in her propeller shaft. Her Senior Mechanic
proved to be the culprit, sabotaging the ship
to avoid fighting the Japanese.
Because of the low quality of the Baltic fleet
(the best men were assigned to the Far East
against the Japanese, and the Black Sea to
watch the Turks), a substantial number of
slackers, incompetents, and even worse,
revolutionaries, were assigned to these ships.
On the Oryel, the engineer officer Vasileff

Peresviet Class Battleship

Launched : 1898, St. Petersburg
Tonnage: 12,674
Coal: 1060 /2060
Crew : 769
Guns: 4 12-inch (27 KYDS)
11 6-inch (24 KYDS)
23

Armor:
Conning Tower: 6
Belt: 9
Deck: 3
Plotting Room: 6
Gun: 9
Main Fire Control:
Crown: 5
Rudder: 3
Secondary: 5
Engines and Speed: 15,000 h .p .; 18 knots

Armor:
Belt: 16
Conning Tower: 10
Deck: 3
Plotting Room: 10
Gun: 12
Main Fire Control:
Crown: 4
Rudder: 3
Secondary: 5
Engines and Speed: 9,140 h .p .; 16 knots

(SIS SOl) VELIKI

(ADMIRAL) NAKHIMOV

Although called a battleship, she was really

a slow ironclad . Damaged heavily at
Tsushima by gunfire and torpedoes, she surrendered without firing a shot, but would
have remained afloat if her flooding valves
had not been opened.

This is a close copy of the British Warspite,

of which the Russians had managed to obtain
blueprints. Though included in the second
battleship division, she was actually a recently
refitted, elderly armored cruiser. En route, her
crew mutinied over the lack of fresh bread.
Quelled after the Suvarov trained her guns on
them, 14 " ringleaders " selected at ramdom
were shot, and more sentenced to detention .
She escaped severe damage at Tsushima, but
was torpedoed during the night and the crew
opened her sea-valves upon surrendering to
the Japanese .

g 11
Battleship
Launched: 1894, St. Petersburg
Tonnage : 10,400
Coal: 500/800
Crew : 586
Guns: 4 12-inch (27 KYDS)
6 6-inch (22 KYDS)
Armor:
Conning Tower: 8
Belt: 16
Plotting Room : 8
Deck: 3
Gun: 12
Main Fire Control:
Rudder : 3
Crown: 4
Secondary: 5
Engines and Speed: 8,500 h.p.; 16 knots

Looking very much like the Monitor, she

was designed for coastal defense work. She
withstood shell damage and a torpedo hit aft
before being sunk by one of the 24 mines laid
across her bow .

Armored Cruiser
Launched: 1885, St. Petersburg
Tonnage: 8,524
Coal: ?/1300
Crew: 572
Guns: 8 8-inch (20 KYDS)
10 6-inch (18 KYDS)
Armor:
Belt: 10
Conning Tower: 6
Deck: 3
Plotting Room: 6
Gun: 8
Main Fire Control:
Crown: 3
Rudder: 2
Secondary: 3
Engines and Speed: 9,000 h.p .; 17 knots

Turret Ship
Launched : 1891, St. Petersburg
Tonnage: 10,206
Coal : 400/700
Crew: 622
Guns: 4 12-inch (23 KYDS)
8 6-inch (18 KYDS)

Commanded by Rear-Admiral Nabogatov,

this was a collection of older ships originally
rejected by Rozhdestvensky. Its crews consisted of the dregs from the streets, pardoned
convicts and old reservists who had served
on sailing ships. The night before they left,
the Senyavin 's officer of the watch was stabbed
to death, and a bosun wounded. There was
absolutely no time for refitting.

NAVARIN

24

The journey had a mellowing effect on the

squadron. Gunnery practice day and night
kept the crew alert and disciplined, and
Nabogatov's policy of maintaining good relations with neutral harbors resulted in a
quieter cruise.
On the other hand, Nabogatov neither liked
or respected Rozhdestvensky. Sailing after
the main force had left, and given explicit instructions not to communicate with his superior, he cabled St. Petersburg to learn
where to rendezvous, and learned that
Rozhdestvensky had left Madagascar. His
only signal: "I am on my way east." Of
course, Rozhdestvensky had never wanted
the third squadron, and was not even informed that they were following until his
arrival in Singapore.

rendered, becoming the Japanese Okinoshima.

She was scrapped in 1926.

Admiral Ushakov Class

Coast Defense Battleship
Launched: 1896, St. Petersburg
Tonnage : 4,126
Coal: 260 /400
Crew: ?
Guns: 4 10-inch (23 KYDS)
4 4.7-inch (17 KYDS)
Armor:
Conning Tower: 8
Belt: 10
Plotting Room: 8
Deck: 3
Main Fire Control : 0
Gun : 8
Rudder: 3
Crown: 3
Secondary: 5
Engines and Speed: 5,700 h .p.; 16 knots

(IMPERATOR) NIKOLAI I (FLAGSHIP)

A ship with old weapons, a slow rate of fire

and short range, she surrendered during the
second day. Renamed the Iki, she remained
in service until 1918.

Imperator Alexander II Class

BarbettelTurret Ship
Launched: 1889, St. Petersburg
Tonnage: 9,672
Coal: ?I1200
Crew: ?
Guns: 2 12-inch (20 KYDS)
12 6-inch (18 KYDS)
Armor:
Conning Tower: 8
Belt: 14
Plotting Room: 8
Deck: 3
Main Fire Control: 0
Gun: 10
Crown: 3
Rudder: 3
Secondary: 6
Engines and Speed: 8,500 h .p .; 15 knots

Admiral Ushakov Class

Coast Defense Battleship
Launched: 1894, St. Petersburg
Tonnage: 4,960
Coal: 260/400
Crew: 404
Guns : 4 10-inch (23 KYDS)
4 4.7-inch (17 KYDS)
Armor:
Conning Tower: 8
Belt: 10
Plotting Room : 8
Deck: 3
Main Fire Control: 0
Gun: 8
Rudder: 3
Crown: 3
Secondary: 5
Engines and Speed: 5,700 h .p.; 16 knots

(GENERAL ADMIRAL GRAF) APRAKSIN

Along with the Donskoi and the Senyavin,

the Apraksin was nicknamed "the galoshes"
or "flatirons" because of their low freeboard
and shallow draft. Designed to match
Swedish ships and unsuited for the voyage
halfway around the world, the Apraksin sur-

(ADMIRAL) USHAKOV

Sunk at Tsushima.

aaw*:
I

25

Armor:
Belt: 7
Deck: 3
Gun: 0

Admiral Ushakov Class

Coast Defense Battleship
Launched : 1893, St. Petersburg
Tonnage: 4,126
Coal : 260/400
Crew : 404
Guns : 4 10-inch (23 KYDS)
4 4.7-inch (17 KYDS)
Armor:
Belt: 10
Conning Tower: 8
Deck: 3
Plotting Room: 8
Gun: 8
Main Fire Control: 0
Rudder: 3
Crown: 3
Secondary: 5
Engines and Speed: 5,700 h .p.; 16 knots

OLEG (FLAGSHIP)

Among her many problems, she suffered

from engine trouble from defective cylinders.
Along the way, her captain had a penchant
for finding submarines where none existed.
Interned at a neutral port. Torpedoed in 1919.

DZHEMTCHUG

R]~'IU ,L X <>

One of two ships really equipped to fight

a modern battle after a long voyage. Interned
after the battle by the U.S. Navy, she was later
sunk in battle.
.
.
I

Bogatyr Class Protected Cruiser

Launched: 1902, St. Petersburg
Tonnage: 6,645
Coal: 900/?
Crew: 580
Guns: (secondary) 6 4.7-inch (17 KYDS)
Armor:
Belt: 8
Conning Tower: 6
Deck: 3
Plotting Room : 6
Gun: 0
Main Fire Control : 0
Crown : 0
Rudder: 1
Secondary: 5
Engines and Speed: 23,000 h .p .; 23 knots

It , t

Izumrud Class Protected Cruiser

Launched: 1903, St. Petersburg
Tonnage: 3,103
Coal: 400/510
Crew: 336
Guns : (secondary) 6 4.7-inch (17 KYDS)
Armor:
Belt: 7
Conning Tower: 2
Deck: 3
Plotting Room: 3
Main Fire Control: 0
Gun: 0
Crown: 0
Rudder: 1
Secondary : 2
Engines and Speed : 17,000 h .p. ; 24 knots

AURORA

One of two ships really suited to both a long

voyage and modern combat. She almost became an early casualty when, during one of
the daily funeral services, the repair ship
Kamchatka fired a saluting shell that turned out
to be live; it ricocheted off the cruiser.
Interned after the battle at a neutral port, she
is preserved today as a relic of the Russian
Revolution.
!

IZUMRUD

One of the few Russian ships only slightly

damaged, she broke through the encircling
Japanese ships and reached Vladivostock.
I

Conning Tower: 2
Plotting Room: 3
Main Fire Control: 0
Rudder: 1

$ J't,

Izumrud Class Protected Cruiser

Launched: 1903, St. Petersburg
Tonnage: 3,103
Coal: 400/500
Crew: 336
Guns: (secondary) 6 4.7-inch (17 KYDS)

Pallada Class Protected Cruiser

Launched: 1900, St. Petersburg
Tonnage: 6,731
Coal: 900/?
26

cruisers, sinking two torpedo-boats and

damaging a third .

Crew : 580
Guns: (secondary) 8 6-inch (24 KYDS)
Armor:
Conning Tower: 6
Belt: 8
Plotting Room: 6
Deck: 3
Main Fire Control: 0
Gun : 0
Rudder : 1
Crown: 0
Secondary: 3
Engines and Speed: 12,500 h.p .; 19 knots

Armored Cruiser
Launched: 1883, St. Petersburg
Tonnage: 6,200
Coal: 4001?
Crew: 503
Guns: 2 8-inch (24 KYDS)
4 6-inch (24 KYDS)
Armor:
Belt: 6
Conning Tower: 6
Deck: 2
Plotting Room: 6
Gun: 2
Main Fire Control : 0
Crown: 1
Rudder: 2
Secondary: 1
Engines and Speed: 7,000 h.p.; 17 knots

SVYETLANA

"Half cruiser, half yacht, a caprice of our

luckless naval designers," wrote an officer
serving on the Veliki. And yet, too damaged
to retreat, she entered her final battle the next ,
day against three cruisers, including the
Otowa and the Niitaka. Three hours later, she
went down with all hands .

(VLADIMIR) MONOMAKH

Protected Cruiser
Launched: 1896, Havre
Tonnage: 3,727
Coal: 400/?
Crew: 402
Guns: (secondary) 6 6-inch (24 KYDS)
Armor:
Conning Tower: 4
Belt: 8
Plotting Room: 4
Deck: 3
Main Fire Control: 0
Gun: 0
Rudder: 1
Crown: 0
Secondary: 2
Engines and Speed: 8,500 h.p .; 22 knots

Sister ship to the Dmitri Donskoi, she was

torpedoed during the night and surrendered
the next day without firing a shot. Sank soon
thereafter.

&

Lut Jn~

Armored Cruiser
Launched: 1882, St. Petersburg
Tonnage: 5,593
Coal: 400/?
Crew: ?
Guns: 4 8-inch (24 KYDS)
12 6-inch (24 KYDS)
Armor:
Belt: 6
Conning Tower: 6
Deck: 3
Plotting Room: 6
Gun: 4
Main Fire Control: 0
Crown: 3
Rudder: 2
Secondary: 2
Engines and Speed: 7,000 h .p .; 15 knots

(DMITRI) DONSKOI

Originally deemed too old to be included

in a modern battle fleet. She started out as an
armored frigate rigged for sail. Her design
dates back to the 1870s. Refitted and refurbished, she survived both the first day and
torpedo boat attacks that night. Finally scuttled in a nearby island cove the next morning, she managed to beat off four light

27

Kiya Overseas Industry Company, Ltd.

Si Yong Yi
RULES EDITOR AND ART DIRECTION : William
E. Peschel
PLAYTESTERS: Aaron Bredon, Arthur DeFilippo,
Jr., Mark Glasgow, Michael Salvucci, Scott
Scherr, Bill Toomey, William Wise, Jeff Young
CYRILLIC TRANSLITERATION : Michele Roireau

Alan Roireau
Phyllis Opolko
ART DEPT. COORDINATOR: Jean Baer
COVER LOGO AND GRAPHICS: Charles Kibler
PREP. DEPT. COORDINATOR: Elaine M . Adkins
TYPESETTING : Colonial Composition
PRINTING: Monarch Services
COVER ART: Jim Talbot

DESIGN:

SOFTWARE DIRECTOR:

DEVELOPMENT:

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR:

Historical Supplement Bibliography

Hart, Sterling, "The Russo-Japanese War ."
Hough, Richard, The Fleet That Had To Die. Viking Press, New York, 1958.
Jane's Fighting Ships
Ogasawara, Nagayo, Life Of Admiral Togo . Seito Shorin Press, Tokyo, 1934.
Preston, Antony, Battleships . Bison Books, New York, 1981.
Time-Life Books, The Dreadnoughts . Time-Life Books, New York, 1979.
Walder, David, The Short Victorious War. Harper and Row, New York, 1973.

28