Bullethead
Storm Eagle Studios
After inspecting the Pacific Fleet and ordering it repainted in wartime colors, Admiral Bulletkov held a party aboard his flagship Tsessarevitch for his captains to celebrate the impending war. Truly, this would be a war of profound implications. Since Trafalgar, nearly a full century before, there had been no large-scale naval conflict, at least nothing rising to a level to disturb the well-being of the Great Powers. Yet since Nelson's time, naval architecture and the potential tactics embodying it had changed beyond far Nelson's recognition. This coming war would prove or disprove countless theories of ship design, weapons effectiveness, and the optium methods of employment of the same.
The vodka flowed freely and the wardroom party only broke up towards midnight, as the visiting captains staggered into their barges and began to return to their ships. Needless to say, the captains had passed the word for their crews to splice the main brace in their absence, so that most of the Russian personnel were extremely drunk. Just then, however, the Japanese began their surprise attack, rather than waiting for a formal declaration of war like gentlemen!
Adm. Bulletkov had been suspicious of the captain of the Boyarin because he was a teetotaler and had left the party early. Furthermore, most of his crew was sober as well. But by such means, his ship was moving within 40 seconds of the spotting of the 1st Japanese destroyer, while the rest of the fleet would waste many critical minutes preparing for action.
The leading Japanese division of 4 DDs attempted to cut around the stern of the Russian fleet to get at the battleships of the rear rows. Boyarin, just beginning to move, quickly obliterated the leader and crippled the 2nd (later sunk by shore batteries) before they could do any harm, and caused the rest to sheer off without launching torpedoes. Immediately behind them, however, came 6 more DDs in 2 columns of 3. By this time, Boyarin was accelerating towards 10 knots and went at these latter 6 DDs almost head-on.
The port Japanese column turned to port and crossed Boyarin's bow, launching several torpedoes as they did so. The range was so close, however, that the torpedoes had insufficient run to arm. Although 2 wakes intersected the cruiser, neither exploded, and Boyarin raked the whole division mercilessly. The other Japanese division, however, followed the 1st across the sterns of the anchored Russian fleet, launching torpedoes that eventually sunk the Pallada despite her attempts to reach shallow water, and their gunfire started dangerous fires aboard the Novik. 2 torpedoes also hit Bulletkov's flagship Tsessarevitch but did little damage.
The 3 DDs of starboard division of the Japanese 2nd wave joined with the 2 survivors from the 1st wave and formed a line of 5. They were poised to swing around to landward of the Russian battleships and could have caused incalculable damage. But fortunately, the 2 partolling Russian DDs, Byestrashni and Rastorpni, had by this time maneuvered landward of the Russian fleet and intercepted their Japanese opposite numbers off the landward quarter of the Russian fleet. Despite being outnumbered over 2 to 1, the Russian DDs cut the Japanese line near the front, then swept up its length on a reciprocal heading. This, plus increasingly accurate fire from shore batteries, caused these Japanese destroyers to break off the action and flee along the coast heading east. The Russian DDs paid the price for their temerity, however, becoming flaming coffins. They were, however, able to reach port and save themselves.
The 3 DDs of the Japanese port column had, meanwhile, continued to be mauled by Boyarin. The leader's rudder apparently was jammed and she ran off west at high speed until she piled up spectacularly on the rocks directly under the lighthouse on the west point of the harbor entrance. The other 2 DDs limped across the head of the Russian fleet without causing any harm, 1 being sunk quickly by a broadside from Boyarin and the other beaching herself under the eastern lighthouse after extensive damage.
By this time, numerous Russian ships were on the move, and they all curved around to the east to get between the 5 fleeing DDs and the rest of the fleet, should the Japanese wish to try again. By so doing Boyarin and Novik happened upon Oboro, making a solo attack well after the others. This Japanese DD quickly became a collander and disappeared beneath the waves well short of the Russian anchorage. The 5 fleeing DDs did not escape unscathed, however, their tail-end Charlie drawing all the Russian fire and eventually sinking, while the remaining 4 managed to stagger home with various states of damage.
It soon became apparent that Pallada was sinking too fast to make the harbor. Therefore, to prevent her from blocking the channel, she was ordered out to sea as far as she could go before sinking. The rest of the Russian fleet, however, survived intact or little damaged, although the 2 brave DDs were crippled.
As dawn broke over Port Arthur, Admiral Bulletkov personally presented the captains of Boyarin, Byestrashni, and Rastoropni with the Order of Ivan the Terrible, and each of their surviving crewmen received a bottle of vodka from the admiral's personal stash. The surviving crewmen of the 7 sunken Japanese DDs were then flogged around the fleet while their officers were knauted to death aboard Tsessarevitch. This was truly a different kind of war, befitting a new century born to woe. Chivalry was dead, and Bulletkov would dance on its grave.
The vodka flowed freely and the wardroom party only broke up towards midnight, as the visiting captains staggered into their barges and began to return to their ships. Needless to say, the captains had passed the word for their crews to splice the main brace in their absence, so that most of the Russian personnel were extremely drunk. Just then, however, the Japanese began their surprise attack, rather than waiting for a formal declaration of war like gentlemen!
Adm. Bulletkov had been suspicious of the captain of the Boyarin because he was a teetotaler and had left the party early. Furthermore, most of his crew was sober as well. But by such means, his ship was moving within 40 seconds of the spotting of the 1st Japanese destroyer, while the rest of the fleet would waste many critical minutes preparing for action.
The leading Japanese division of 4 DDs attempted to cut around the stern of the Russian fleet to get at the battleships of the rear rows. Boyarin, just beginning to move, quickly obliterated the leader and crippled the 2nd (later sunk by shore batteries) before they could do any harm, and caused the rest to sheer off without launching torpedoes. Immediately behind them, however, came 6 more DDs in 2 columns of 3. By this time, Boyarin was accelerating towards 10 knots and went at these latter 6 DDs almost head-on.
The port Japanese column turned to port and crossed Boyarin's bow, launching several torpedoes as they did so. The range was so close, however, that the torpedoes had insufficient run to arm. Although 2 wakes intersected the cruiser, neither exploded, and Boyarin raked the whole division mercilessly. The other Japanese division, however, followed the 1st across the sterns of the anchored Russian fleet, launching torpedoes that eventually sunk the Pallada despite her attempts to reach shallow water, and their gunfire started dangerous fires aboard the Novik. 2 torpedoes also hit Bulletkov's flagship Tsessarevitch but did little damage.
The 3 DDs of starboard division of the Japanese 2nd wave joined with the 2 survivors from the 1st wave and formed a line of 5. They were poised to swing around to landward of the Russian battleships and could have caused incalculable damage. But fortunately, the 2 partolling Russian DDs, Byestrashni and Rastorpni, had by this time maneuvered landward of the Russian fleet and intercepted their Japanese opposite numbers off the landward quarter of the Russian fleet. Despite being outnumbered over 2 to 1, the Russian DDs cut the Japanese line near the front, then swept up its length on a reciprocal heading. This, plus increasingly accurate fire from shore batteries, caused these Japanese destroyers to break off the action and flee along the coast heading east. The Russian DDs paid the price for their temerity, however, becoming flaming coffins. They were, however, able to reach port and save themselves.
The 3 DDs of the Japanese port column had, meanwhile, continued to be mauled by Boyarin. The leader's rudder apparently was jammed and she ran off west at high speed until she piled up spectacularly on the rocks directly under the lighthouse on the west point of the harbor entrance. The other 2 DDs limped across the head of the Russian fleet without causing any harm, 1 being sunk quickly by a broadside from Boyarin and the other beaching herself under the eastern lighthouse after extensive damage.
By this time, numerous Russian ships were on the move, and they all curved around to the east to get between the 5 fleeing DDs and the rest of the fleet, should the Japanese wish to try again. By so doing Boyarin and Novik happened upon Oboro, making a solo attack well after the others. This Japanese DD quickly became a collander and disappeared beneath the waves well short of the Russian anchorage. The 5 fleeing DDs did not escape unscathed, however, their tail-end Charlie drawing all the Russian fire and eventually sinking, while the remaining 4 managed to stagger home with various states of damage.
It soon became apparent that Pallada was sinking too fast to make the harbor. Therefore, to prevent her from blocking the channel, she was ordered out to sea as far as she could go before sinking. The rest of the Russian fleet, however, survived intact or little damaged, although the 2 brave DDs were crippled.
As dawn broke over Port Arthur, Admiral Bulletkov personally presented the captains of Boyarin, Byestrashni, and Rastoropni with the Order of Ivan the Terrible, and each of their surviving crewmen received a bottle of vodka from the admiral's personal stash. The surviving crewmen of the 7 sunken Japanese DDs were then flogged around the fleet while their officers were knauted to death aboard Tsessarevitch. This was truly a different kind of war, befitting a new century born to woe. Chivalry was dead, and Bulletkov would dance on its grave.
Didn't find the word in the dictionary. Beaten to death? You are merciless to Japanese officers... :devious: