The Tsar's Crown Jewels - Russian

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Mad Dogs and Japanese!

Admiral's Log, Port Arthur
February 18, 1904

1456 Our destroyers return to Port Arthur after mining the Elliot Islands to discover that the Greyhounds have gone rabid!

Chitose, Takasago, Kasagi & Yoshino are on our doorstep, blocking the way home! Chitose is 10 km from Port Arthur!

Has Dewa heard of the loss of his friends?

The enemy closes on Port Arthur firing at our shore batteries, which return their fire!

1503 Chitose is moderately damaged.

1511 A big hit on Yoshino moderately damages her.

1519 Chitose returns for another pass!

The enemy sails in something of a circle, almost touching the outer defense minefields at the closest point. Our destroyers sail back and forth on a NE, then SW course, trying not to get shot at.

1529 Chitose slows to 16 knots.

1533 Yoshino is heavily damaged.

1534 Chitose is heavily damaged, slowing to 12 knots.

1536 Yoshino, heavily damaged, leaves the circle, and aims toward shore a few kilometers NE of Port Arthur at 9 knots.

1540 Takasago and Kasagi abandon the deranged Dewa.

1544 Chitose, beginning to list, making only 6 knots, begins to enter our defense zone. Yoshino is listing five degrees to port, making 5 knots.

Nothing much seems to happen in our mine defenses. Other than the shore batteries continuing to pound away.

1552 Yoshino is dead in the water, 1 km from the shore.
Chitose is listing seven degrees to starboard, making 2 knots, in our minefield.

1554 As Takasago and Kasagi continue to circle, the former turns from our mine defense, but Kasagi rushes in towards Chitose!

Kasagi rams Chitose! Dewa leaps aboard Kasagi! Chitose sinks as Kasagi peels her starboard side away!

Kasagi is slowed by the impact, but begins to make headway, straight towards Port Arthur!

Is this a blockship attack? Are they just going to sail into our harbor?

Why don't our mines go off?

Chitose and Yoshino sink.

1601 Kasagi takes multiple heavy hits, and is badly damaged, but still making 15 knots.

1602 Heavy hit amidships and Kasagi is sinking, 3562m from Port Arthur.

1605 Fuso sinks. I didn't even know she was here, I guess she was lurking to the NW of PA again, and probably hit a mine.

1609 Kasagi sinks 1846m from Port Arthur. Takasago is damaged.

1615 Takasago is badly damaged and burning.

1621 Cruiser Takao disengages. I guess she was with Fuso, as usual.

1635 Takasago is dead in the water, burning badly.

1644 Takasago sinks.

Russia: 4 ships, 3 damaged (we took about one 120 mm each on three destroyers).
Japan: 6 ships, 5 lost.

6 km SSE of Port Arthur.

Gamer's Note: Huh? What's up with the AI? It may not always make the right moves, but I've never seen it go this psychotic before.

One theory: Perhaps the AI counted our guns, including the shore batteries, but attributed all the points to my destroyers, and was afraid to break out.

Maybe I'll go back and experiment with just sailing away.

 

[Drauf_Seydlitz!]

TB 202 Suchyena

Commander's Log, TB 202 Suchyena
February 18, 1904

After dark, at 2034 we finally sighted an enemy. It was a small gunboat, but much larger than our small craft. I determined that we might slip behind her to deliver a torpedo, but early in the action our torpedo was disabled.

I then tried to steer away, but we were badly damaged and slowed to eight knots, with a bad fire forward. We did what we could with the one-pounder guns, but the fires eventually spread to them as well. We grabbed what we could find that would float and abandoned ship.

 

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Varyag off the east coast of Honshu

Captain's Log, Protected Cruiser Varyag
February 18, 1904

It is good to be at sea again!
The crew is in good spirits after our battle against the torpedo boats.
It was good to pursue rather than being pursued!
We did use up some coal and ammunition, but I plan to sail about halfway down the coast of Honshu before returning.

2304 We sight a freighter 173 km SSE of Ominato. She quickly surrenders, and we identify her as the Dalmatia.

 

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Uji versus Retvizan

Admiral's Log, Battleship Retvizan
February 19, 1904

We leave Port Arthur with the Amur and escorts to refresh the minefields off Weihaiwei.

0910 We sight the gunboat Uji (not to be confused with the battleship Fuji) directly in our path. We leisurely run her down and sink her. We fire four
305 mm shells, one of which is a direct hit!

1235 Uji sinks 56 km NNE of Weihaiwei.

 

[Drauf_Seydlitz!]

Raiders of the coast of Japan

Naval High Command
February 19, 1904

Reports on Commerce Raiding:

Auxilliary Cruiser Angara has completed repairs at Vladivostok.

Gromoboi, Rossiya, Ryurik, Novik and two destroyers arrive at Vladivostok. Novik and the destroyers are reassignments from Port Arthur.

Varyag reports the capture of the 4500 ton Indian Prince, 111 km ESE of Tokyo.

February 20, 1904

The cruiser Diana is repaired at Port Arthur.

The destroyer Burni completes repairs at Vladivostok.

TB 205 Sveaborg reports the AC Hei Yen 245 km NNE of Ullung, on heading 45 at ten knots.

Varyag seizes the Bremerhaven (3000 tons) 96 km south of Nagoya.

TB 205 Sveaborg reports the AC Hei Yen 256 km NNE of Ullung.

Lyena encounters the destoryer Asagiri 30 km WSW of Matsumai. She loses her repeatedly in the dusk until she corners her at 1930, sinking her at 1947.

Novik completes repairs.

February 21, 1904

Bogatyr with TB escort, sinks the Dainan Maru 83 km NNW of Niigata.

Ryurik, Gromoboi and Retvizan complete repairs.

 

[Drauf_Seydlitz!]

Death of the Takao

Admiral's Log, Port Arthur
February 21, 1904

We are pleased to report the destruction of enemy cruiser Takao early this morning off Port Arthur.

The cruiser Takao, a frequent and annoying sight off Port Arthur, struck a mine while being vigorously pursued by the Gunboat division, which struck her with several 9" shells before she struck a mine at the edge of the field.

Our diligence in mining the area surrounding Port Arthur has paid off, resulting in the destruction of both the ironclad Fuso and the unarmored, but well armed, Takao.

The Armored Gunboat Otvashni absorbed the brunt of the fire from Takao, losing 57 crew, and suffering from 18% fire at one point, as well as minor flooding damage (3% port/7% starboard).

 

[Drauf_Seydlitz!]

Yakumo and Adzuma sighted!

Captain's Log, Protected Cruiser Bogatyr
February 21, 1904

We had just exchanged signals with the Gunboat Mandzhur, travelling in the opposite direction along the coast of Japan, when at three minutes past seven in the morning:

Our lookouts report two enemy armored cruisers to the southwest, making 20 knots! I immediately ordered our torpedo boats to flee to the north, and signalled the Mandzhur to try to escape behind a nearby peninsula.

I set my course first to heading 310, ringing up flank speed, and passing as close as I dared to the enemy, as we are the only ship here which can outrun these fast enemy cruisers.

Mandzhur set course 150 at 13 knots, and our torpedo boats fled on a northeasterly heading.

Five minutes later, I altered course to 345. The enemy seems to prefer us to the other prey!

After another twenty minutes, I order a new heading of 20.

Mandzhur reverses to course 240 and slips away along the coast.

At ten minutes before eight, the enemy gives up the pursuit.

Yakumo and Adzuma are last seen 105 km north of Shinminato.

 

[Drauf_Seydlitz!]

A strange sight

Log of the TB 205 Sveaborg
February 21, 1904

0751 We sight AC Hei Yen 265 km SSW of Vladivostok, heading south.
We move away to the west.

0959 We once again see the AC Hei Yen, 266 km SSW of Vladivostok.

1025 We are still in contact with Hei Yen, when something moves rapidly across the sky, faster than a ship, though slower than a shell. It seems to be on heading 122. It spins, with red and green lights.

1028 The strange object changes direction!

1034 Action ends.

 

[Drauf_Seydlitz!]

Bogatyr sights Yakumo and Adzuma again

Captain's Log, Protected Cruiser Bogatyr
February 21, 1904

1045 We sight the Armored Cruisers Yakumo and Adzuma again.

They are 168 km NNW of Shinminato. Their course is 328, 18 knots.
We elude them once more.

The presence of these fast, powerful cruisers is of great concern to all our raiding forces.

 

[Drauf_Seydlitz!]

Varyag bags three

Captain's Log, Protected Cruiser Varyag
February 21, 1904

1210 We sight two freighters, 55 km south of Yokosuka, and run them both down, catching the 6000 ton Euripides at 1253 and the 3000 ton Mandrake at 1314.

1709 We capture the 3000 ton steamer Gaboon, 111 km SW of Yokosuka.

 

[Drauf_Seydlitz!]

Hansa

Captain's Log, Auxilliary Cruiser Lyena
February 21, 1904

We seize the freighter Hansa, 172 km NE of Ishinomaki.

 

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The last of the Mohicans

Captain's Log, Auxilliary Cruiser Angara
February 21, 1904

1811 We sight two torpedo boats 64 km WSW of Matsumai. We suspect there are more out there. We open fire. The range is 4396 m.

Eventually, there are six. We fire on the first division of four as they turn away in succession, crippling each one as it makes the turn.

The second divsion of two pulls out of sight.

We finish off the first division when suddenly, the second division reappears firing on us!

We turn on them, and by 1914, all six have sunk.

We lose 12 crew, 4 75mm mounts are damaged and we have 1% starboard flooding. We used about a third of our ammunition.

Our intelligence reports that these may be the enemy's last torpedo boats.

 

[Drauf_Seydlitz!]

More commerce raiding

Naval High Command,
Commerce Raiding Reports
February 21, 1904

2138 Lyena captures the 3000 ton Algol, 77 km SSE of Ishinomaki.

2206 Mandzhur captures the 6000 ton Clan Lindsey, 109 km NNE of Shinminato.

February 22, 1904

0055 Varyag seizes the 3000 ton Lindenfels, 137 km SE of Osaka.

0429 Lt. Burakov attacks an E class Maru, expending all ammo and torpedos, but fails to sink her.

0715-1035 Mandzhur runs down the 6000 ton Neptune, 79 km WNW of Mikuni.

1156 Lyena captures the 6000 ton Proteus, 119 km SSE of Onahama.

1156-1718 Mandzhur sinks the Kobe Maru, 137 km WNW of Maizuru.

1729-1806 Varyag sinks the Fukuoka Maru.

1904 Lyena meets an A class Maru, 109 km SW of Yokosuka.

1905 Lyena sights the 3000 ton Lindenfels.

1932 The A class Maru sinks and the Lindenfels surrendurs.

1949 Angara surprises the 6000 ton Cape Cross, 90 km east of Ishinomaki.

2259 Varyag captures the 3000 ton Dunolly Castle, 16 km NNW of Nakatsu.

February 23, 1904

0330 Lyena sinks a B class Maru, 116 km SSW of Nagoya.

0331 Varyag captures the 3000 ton Lindenfels, 69 km NW of Shimonoseki.

There is another ship nearby....

 

[Drauf_Seydlitz!]

Varyag and the Hei Yen

Captain's Log, Protected Cruiser Varyag
February 23, 1904

0648 We sight an old armored cruiser, the Hei Yen. She has an eight inch belt and a 260 mm gun. But she can only make ten knots.

We could perhaps defeat her, but she's not worth taking damage over.
Our ACs will probably catch her sometime.

Nonetheless, she ruins the "fishing" here, so we move on to the west, breaking contact for the last time at 1114.

 

[Drauf_Seydlitz!]

The Gunboat Chokai

Captain's Log, Protected Cruiser Varyag
February 23, 1904

Leaving the Hei Yen behind, we proceed west past Takeshiki.

At 1248, we encounter the Gunboat Chokai, 36 km SSW of Fusan.

We chase her down and corner her in a little bay just east of Masanpo.

She hit us once, damaging 12% searchlights, but we lost no crew.

She sinks at 1508.

 

[Drauf_Seydlitz!]

Menelaus

Captain's Log, Auxilliary Cruiser Angara
February 23, 1904

We capture the 3000 ton steamer Menelaus 76 km SE of Yokosuka at 1721.

We lose a second freighter in the failing light.

 

[Drauf_Seydlitz!]

Enemy Destroyers

Harbormaster's Log, Port Arthur
February 23, 1904

Two enemy destroyers are sighted off Round Island.

Patrols should be sent out to intercept them.

 

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Minelayer escort

Captain's Log, Protected Cruiser Varyag
February 23, 1904

We meet the cruiser Diana,the Minelayer Yenisey and the destroyer Lt. Burakov off the coast of Korea at 2112.

The admiral has high hopes for the Yenisey operating out of Vladivostok.

 

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Commerce raiding

Naval High Command
Commerce Raiding Report
February 23, 1904

Angara gets the one that got away! Dunolly Castle (3000 tons) is captured 71 km SW of Yokosuka at 2158.

Mandzhur sinks a D. class Maru at 2040, 199 km NNE of Hiroshima.

February 24, 1904

Varyag and Diana sink a D class Maru 61 km SSW of Masanpo at 0403.

Lyena captures the 4500 ton Cumberland, 127 km ESE of Kochi at 0432.

Mandzhur sinks an E class Maru, 72 km NNW of Maizuru at 1206.

Mandzhur boards the 4500 ton freighter Cumberland, out of San Francisco at 1720, 49 km WNW of Mikuna.

Mandzhur sights an A class Maru, 65 km WNW of Mikuna, at 1730. The range is 8587, and visibility is dropping fast. But even at 13 knots, Mandzhur is faster than light! At 1833, the range is down to 3578 meters!

Mandzhur sinks her at 1931, losing one crew member and sustaining minor damage (1% starbaord flooding). One 47 mm mount is damaged, but there is no more ammunition anyway.

Lyena and Angara pass in the night at about 1800.

Angara captures the Cape Cross of 6000 tons, 103 km south of Nagoya at 2027.

Angara seizes the 3000 ton steamer Fairhaven, 138 km SSE of Osaka at 2340.

February 25, 1904

0932-1045 Angara runs down the 6000 ton Edgar, 94 km south of Kochi.

1415-1632 Angara pursues and sinks an A class Maru, 97 km ESE of Kochi.

 

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Chemulpo Mined!

Admiral's Log, Battleship Retvizan
February 25, 1904

In a daring raid, the First Pacific Squadron mines the critical port of Chemulpo!

We lay 600 mines, from Amur and our three battleships, Retvizan, Pobyeda and Peresvyet.