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The Battle of Tsushima - 8 February 1904
Posted on: 2013-08-08 17:20:49 By Kristian Fischer @ The Wargamer The Russo-Japanese war of 1904 to 1905 was a historical inevitability. It grew out of the friction between Japan, which had transformed itself into a new, modern nation in less than half a century and now wished to be recognised as such on the international stage, and Russia, a gigantic and old empire that wished to secure holdings and influence for itself on the Pacific coast. The attack was launched on the night of 8 February 1904, when a Japanese destroyer squadron infiltrated the crowded roads and torpedoed Russian battleships Tsesarevich and Retvizan and the cruiser Pallada. No ships were sunk on either side, and the attack must generally be considered to have been ineffectual. The troop landings at Chemulpo achieved success without interference from Russian ships, however. By April, the Japanese army was ready to cross the Yalu river into Manchuria. Read on... |