52 We stood side by side, exchanging now and again abrupt4 remarks, not understanding why the Japanese intended crossing to our port side, when our weak spot—the transports and cruisers covering them—was astern, and to starboard of us. Perhaps, having commenced the fight while steering7 on the opposite course, and having taken advantage of their superior speed, they calculated on rounding us from the stern, in order to fall at the same time on our transports and weak rear! If so, a raking fire would present no difficulties.
“Hullo! Look! What are they up to?” said Reydkin, and his voice betrayed both delight and amazement8.
I looked and looked, and, not believing my eyes, could not put down my glasses.53 The Japanese ships had suddenly commenced to turn “in succession” to port, reversing their course!
If the reader recollects9 what has been said previously10 on the subject of turns, he will easily understand that this man?uvre made it necessary for all the enemy’s ships to pass in succession over the point on which the leading ship had turned; this point was, so to speak, stationary11 on the water, making it easy for us to range and aim. Besides—even with a speed of 15 knots, the man?uvre must take about fifteen minutes to complete, and all this time the vessels12, which had already turned, would mask the fire of those which were still coming up.
“How rash!” said Reydkin, who could not keep quiet. “Why, in a54 minute we’ll be able to roll up the leading ships!”
“Please God, we may!” thought I.
It was plain to me that Togo, seeing something which he had not expected, had suddenly changed his mind. The man?uvre was undoubtedly13 risky14, but, on the other hand, if he found it necessary to steer6 on the opposite course, there was no other way of doing it. He might have ordered the fleet to turn “together,” but this would have made the cruiser Iwate the leading ship in action, which he evidently did not wish. Togo accordingly decided15 to turn “in succession,” in order that he should lead the fleet in person, and not leave success at the commencement of the action to depend upon the presence of mind and enterprise of the junior flag-officer. (The55 Iwate flew Rear-Admiral Simamura’s flag.)
My heart beat furiously, as it had never done before during the six months at Port Arthur. If we succeeded! God grant it! Even though we didn’t sink one of them, if we could only put one out of action! The first success—was it possible?
Meanwhile Rozhdestvensky hastened to avail himself of this favourable16 opportunity.
At 1.49 p.m., when the man?uvre had been performed by the Mikasa and Shikishima (two only out of the twelve), the Suvoroff fired the first shot at a range of 6,400 yards, and the guns of the whole fleet thundered forth17. I watched closely through my glasses. The shots which went over and those which fell56 short were all close, but the most interesting, i.e. the hits, as in the fight of 10th August, could not be seen. Our shells on bursting emitted scarcely any smoke, and the fuses were adjusted to burst inside after penetrating18 the target. A hit could only be detected when something fell—and nothing fell! In a couple of minutes, when the Fuji and Asahi had turned also and were following the first ships, the enemy began to reply.
The first shells flew over us. At this range some of the long ones turned a complete somersault, and could clearly be seen with the naked eye curving like so many sticks thrown in the air. They flew over us, making a sort of wail19, different to the ordinary roar.
57 “Are those the portmanteaus?”13 I asked Reydkin, smiling.
“Yes. Those are they.”
But what struck me most was that these “portmanteaus,” curving awkwardly head over heels through the air and falling anyhow on the water, exploded the moment they touched its surface. This had never happened before.
After them came others short of us—nearer and nearer. Splinters whistled through the air, jingled20 against the side and superstructure. Then, quite close and abreast21 the foremost funnel22, rose a gigantic pillar of smoke, water and flame. I saw stretchers being carried58 along the fore-bridge, and I leaned over the rail.
“Prince Tsereteli!”14 shouted Reydkin from below, in reply to my silent question, as he went towards his turret.
The next shell struck the side by the centre 6-inch turret, and there was a tremendous noise behind and below me on the port quarter. Smoke and tongues of fire leapt out of the officers’ gangway; a shell having fallen into the captain’s cabin, and having penetrated24 the deck, had burst in the officers’ quarters, setting them on fire.
And here I was able to observe, and not for the first time, the stupor25 which seems to come over men, who have never been in action before, when the first shells begin to fall. A stupor which59 turns easily and instantaneously, at the most insignificant26 external shock, into either uncontrollable panic which cannot be allayed27, or into unusually high spirits, depending on the man’s character.
The men at the fire mains and hoses stood as if mesmerised, gazing at the smoke and flames, not understanding, apparently, what was happening. I went down to them from the bridge, and with the most commonplace words, such as “Wake up! Turn the water on!”—got them to pull themselves together and bravely to fight the fire.
I was taking out my watch and pocket-book to make a note of the first fire, when something suddenly struck me in the waist, and something large and soft, though heavy, hit me in the back, lifting60 me up and hurling28 me on to the deck. When I again got up, my note-book and watch were in my hands as before. My watch was going; but the second hand was slightly bent29, and the glass had disappeared. Stupefied by the blow, and not myself, I began carefully to hunt for it on the deck, and found it unbroken. Picking it up, I fitted it in to my watch—and, only then realising that I had been occupied with something of no importance, I looked round.
I had probably been unconscious for some time, as the fire had been extinguished, and, save for two or three dead bodies on which water was pouring from the torn hoses, no one was to be seen. Whatever had struck me had come from the direction of the deck house61 aft, which was hidden from me by a mantlet of hammocks. I looked in the direction where the flag-officers, with a party of poop signalmen, should have been. The shell had passed through the deck house, bursting inside. Of the ten or twelve signalmen, some seemed to be standing5 by the starboard 6-inch turret, others seemed to be lying in a huddled31 group. Inside was a pile of something, and on the top lay an officer’s telescope.
“Is this all that is left?” I wondered, but I was wrong, as by some miracle Novosiltseff and Kozakevitch were only wounded and, helped by Maximoff, had gone to the dressing32 station, while I was lying on the deck occupied with mending my watch.
“Hullo! a scene that you are62 accustomed to? Like the 10th August?” said the irrepressible Reydkin, peeping out of his turret.
“Just the same!” I replied in a confident tone. But it was hardly so: indeed, it would have been more correct to say—“Not in the least like.”
On 10th August, in a fight lasting33 some hours, the Cesarevitch was struck by only nineteen large shells, and I, in all seriousness, had intended in the present engagement to note the times and the places where we were hit, as well as the damage done. But how could I make detailed34 notes when it seemed impossible even to count the number of projectiles35 striking us? I had not only never witnessed such a fire before, but I had never imagined anything like it. Shells seemed to be63 pouring upon us incessantly36, one after another.15
After six months with the Port Arthur squadron I had grown indifferent to most things. Shimose and melinite were to a certain extent old acquaintances, but this was something new. It seemed as if these were mines, not shells, which were striking the ship’s side and falling on the deck. They burst as soon as they touched anything—the moment they encountered the least impediment in their flight. Handrails, funnel guys, topping lifts of the boats’ derricks, were quite sufficient to cause a thoroughly37 efficient burst. The steel64 plates and superstructure on the upper deck were torn to pieces, and the splinters caused many casualties. Iron ladders were crumpled38 up into rings, and guns were literally39 hurled40 from their mountings.
Such havoc41 would never be caused by the simple impact of a shell, still less by that of its splinters. It could only be caused by the force of the explosion. The Japanese had apparently succeeded in realising what the Americans had endeavoured to attain42 in inventing their “Vesuvium.”
In addition to this, there was the unusual high temperature and liquid flame of the explosion, which seemed to spread over everything. I actually watched a steel plate catch fire from a burst. Of course, the steel did not65 burn, but the paint on it did. Such almost non-combustible materials as hammocks, and rows of boxes, drenched43 with water, flared44 up in a moment. At times it was impossible to see anything with glasses, owing to everything being so distorted with the quivering, heated air. No! It was different to the 10th August!16
66 I hurriedly went to the Admiral in the conning45 tower. Why? At the time I did not attempt to think, but67 now feel sure that I merely wished to see him, and by seeing him to confirm my impressions. Was it all imagination? Was it all a nightmare? Had I become jumpy?
Running along the fore-bridge I almost fell, slipping in a pool of blood (the chief signalman—Kandaooroff—had just been killed there). I went into the conning tower, and found the Admiral and Captain both bending down, looking out through the chink between the armour47 and the roof.
“Sir,” said the Captain, energetically gesticulating as was his wont48, “we must68 shorten the distance. They’re all being killed—they are on fire!”
“Wait a bit. Aren’t we all being killed also?” replied the Admiral.
Close to the wheel, and on either side of it, lay two bodies in officers’ tunics—face downwards49.
“The officer at the wheel, and Berseneff!”17 was shouted in my ear by a sub-lieutenant—Shishkin—whose arm I had touched, pointing to the bodies. “Berseneff first—in the head—quite dead.”
The range-finder was worked. Vladimirsky shouted his orders in a clear voice, and the electricians quickly turned the handles of the indicator50, transmitting the range to the turrets51 and light gun batteries.
“We’re all right,” thought I to69 myself, going out of the conning tower, but the next moment the thought flashed across me: “They can’t see what is going on on board.” Leaving the tower, I looked out intently on all sides from the fore-bridge. Were not my recent thoughts, which I had not dared to put into words, realised?
No!
The enemy had finished turning. His twelve ships were in perfect order at close intervals52, steaming parallel to us, but gradually forging ahead. No disorder53 was noticeable. It seemed to me that with my Zeiss glasses (the distance was a little more than 4,000 yards), I could even distinguish the mantlets of hammocks on the bridges, and groups of men. But with us? I looked round. What havoc!—Burning bridges, smouldering70 débris on the decks,—piles of dead bodies. Signalling and judging distance stations, gun-directing positions, all were destroyed. And astern of us the Alexander and Borodino were also enveloped54 in smoke. No! it was very different to the 10th August.
The enemy, steaming ahead, commenced quickly to incline to starboard, endeavouring to cross our T. We also bore to starboard, and again we had him almost on our beam.
It was now 2.5 p.m.
A man came up to report what had taken place in the after 12-inch turret. I went to look. Part of the shield over the port gun had been torn off and bent upwards55, but the turret was still turning and keeping up a hot fire.
The officer commanding the fire parties71 had had both his legs blown off and was carried below. Men fell faster and faster. Reinforcements were required everywhere to replace casualties, even at the turrets into which splinters could only penetrate23 through the narrow gun ports. The dead were, of course, left to lie where they had fallen, but yet there were not enough men to look after the wounded.
There are no spare men on board a warship56, and a reserve does not exist. Each man is detailed for some particular duty, and told off to his post in action. The only source which we could tap was the crews of the 47 millimetre, and machine, guns, who from the commencement of the fight had been ordered to remain below the armoured deck so as not to be unnecessarily exposed. Having nothing to do now,72 as all their guns, which were in exposed positions on the bridges, had been utterly57 destroyed, we made use of them, but they were a mere46 drop in the ocean. As for the fires, even if we had had the men, we were without the means with which to fight them. Over and over again the hoses in use were changed for new ones, but these also were soon torn to ribbons, and the supply became exhausted58. Without hoses how could we pump water on to the bridges and spar-deck where the flames raged? On the spar-deck, in particular, where eleven wooden boats were piled up, the fire was taking a firm hold. Up till now, this “store of wood” had only caught fire in places, as the water which had been poured into the boats prior to the commencement of the action was still73 in them, though it was fast trickling59 out of the numerous cracks momentarily being made by the splinters.
We, of course, did everything possible: tried to plug the holes, and brought up water in buckets.18 I am not certain if the scuppers had been closed on purpose, or had merely become blocked, but practically none of the water we used for the fire ran overboard, and it lay, instead, on the upper deck. This was fortunate, as, in the first place, the deck itself did not catch fire, and, in the second, we threw into it the smouldering débris falling from above—merely separating the burning pieces and turning them over.
Seeing Flag Sub-Lieutenant Demchinsky74 standing by the ladder of the fore-bridge, with a party of forecastle signalmen near the starboard forward 6-inch turret, I went up to him. Golovnin, another sub-lieutenant, who was in charge of the turret, gave us some cold tea to drink, which he had stored in bottles. It seems a trifle, but it cheered us up.
Demchinsky told me that the first shell striking the ship had fallen right into the temporary dressing station, rigged up by the doctor in what seemed the most sheltered spot on the upper battery (between the centre 6-inch turrets by the ship’s ikon). He said that it had caused a number of casualties; that the doctor somehow escaped, but the ship’s chaplain had been dangerously wounded. I went there to have a look at the place.
The ship’s ikon or, more properly75 speaking, ikons as there were several of them, all farewell gifts to the ship, were untouched. The glass of the big ikon case had not even been broken, and in front of it, on hanging candlesticks, candles were peacefully burning. There wasn’t a soul to be seen. Between the wrecked60 tables, stools, broken bottles, and different hospital appliances were some dead bodies, and a mass of something, which, with difficulty, I guessed to be the remains61 of what had once been men.
I had not had time properly to take in this scene of destruction when Demchinsky came down the ladder, supporting Flag Lieutenant Sverbeyeff, who could scarcely stand.
He was gasping62 for breath, and asked for water. Ladling some out of a bucket76 into a mess kettle, I gave him some, and, as he was unable to use his arms, we had to help him. He drank greedily, jerking out a few words—“It’s a trifle—tell the Flag Captain—I’ll come immediately—I am suffocated63 with these cursed gases—I’ll get my breath in a minute.” He inhaled64 the air with a great effort through his blue lips, and something seemed to rattle65 in his throat and chest, though not, of course, the poisonous gases. On the right side of his back his coat was torn in a great rent, and his wound was bleeding badly. Demchinsky told off a couple of men to take him down to the hospital, and we again went on deck.
I crossed over to the port side, between the forward 12-inch and 6-inch turrets, to have a look at the enemy’s fleet.77 It was all there, just the same—no fires—no heeling over—no fallen bridges, as if it had been at drill instead of fighting, and as if our guns, which had been thundering incessantly for the last half-hour, had been firing—not shells, but the devil alone knows what!19
Feeling almost in despair, I put down my glasses and went aft.
78 “The last of the halyards are burned,” said Demchinsky to me. “I think I shall take my men somewhere under cover.” Of course, I fully30 agreed. What was the use of the signalmen remaining under fire when nothing was left for them to signal with!
It was now 2.20 p.m.
Making my way aft through the débris, I met Reydkin hurrying to the forecastle. “We can’t fire from the port quarter,” he said excitedly; “everything is on fire there, and the men are suffocated with heat and smoke.”
“Well! come on, let’s get some one to put the fire out.”
“I’ll do that, but you report to the79 Admiral. Perhaps he will give us some orders.”
“What orders can he give?”
“He may alter the course. I don’t know!”
“What! leave the line? Is it likely?”
“Well! anyway, you tell him.”
In order to quiet him, I promised to report at once, and we separated, going our ways. As I anticipated, the Admiral only shrugged66 his shoulders on hearing my report and said, “They must put the fire out. No help can be sent from here.”
Instead of two dead bodies, five or six were now lying in the conning tower. The man at the wheel having been incapacitated, Vladimirsky had taken his place. His face was covered with blood, but his moustache was smartly twisted80 upwards, and he wore the same self-confident look as he had in the ward-room when discussing “the future of gunnery.”
Leaving the tower, I intended going to Reydkin to tell him the Admiral’s reply and to assist in extinguishing the fire, but instead I remained on the bridge looking at the Japanese fleet.
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1
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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turret
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| n.塔楼，角塔 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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5
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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steer
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| vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶 | |
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steering
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| n.操舵装置 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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9
recollects
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| v.记起，想起( recollect的第三人称单数 ) | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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stationary
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| adj.固定的，静止不动的 | |
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vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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13
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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14
risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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15
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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16
favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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17
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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18
penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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19
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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20
jingled
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| 喝醉的 | |
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abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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22
funnel
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| n.漏斗；烟囱；v.汇集 | |
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23
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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24
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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25
stupor
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| v.昏迷；不省人事 | |
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insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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allayed
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| v.减轻，缓和( allay的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
hurling
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| n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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29
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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30
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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31
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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32
dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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projectiles
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| n.抛射体( projectile的名词复数 )；（炮弹、子弹等）射弹，（火箭等）自动推进的武器 | |
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incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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38
crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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40
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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41
havoc
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| n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱 | |
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42
attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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43
drenched
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| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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44
Flared
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| adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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45
conning
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| v.诈骗，哄骗( con的现在分词 )；指挥操舵( conn的现在分词 ) | |
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46
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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47
armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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48
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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49
downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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50
indicator
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| n.指标；指示物，指示者；指示器 | |
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51
turrets
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| （六角）转台( turret的名词复数 )； （战舰和坦克等上的）转动炮塔； （摄影机等上的）镜头转台； （旧时攻城用的）塔车 | |
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52
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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53
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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54
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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55
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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56
warship
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| n.军舰，战舰 | |
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57
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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58
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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59
trickling
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| n.油画底色含油太多而成泡沫状突起v.滴( trickle的现在分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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60
wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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61
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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62
gasping
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| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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63
suffocated
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| （使某人）窒息而死( suffocate的过去式和过去分词 )； （将某人）闷死； 让人感觉闷热； 憋气 | |
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64
inhaled
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| v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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65
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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66
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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