 |
| (Source) |
A superb account of the Battle of Tsushima in May of 1905. The book also talks of the voyage of the Czar's Baltic Sea fleet from the Baltic to the Sea of Japan. An amazing voyage which ended with the destruction of that fleet at the aforementioned battle. Poor bastards had lost their Far East fleet already so they had to send the Baltic Fleet, which the Japanese also destroyed.
They were making their way to Vladivostok, they never made it. A fascinating account, well told in only 250 pages.
The Russo-Japanese War, of which Tsushima was a part, established Japan as a power to be reckoned with, something we'd have to deal with 36 years after Tsushima.
 |
| Admiral Togo's flagship, Mikasa (Source) |
 |
| (Source) |
It's a hefty book, 976 pages, but from the snippets I read, well worth a place in my library.
Really looking forward to reading this!
In other news ...
Another reason you're not getting another episode of fiction is that The Missus Herself and Your Humble Scribe were out to dinner Friday night at a rather nice Portuguese place over in New Bedford. Antonio's Restaurant to be exact, which a colleague of mine recommended to me. (Saturday is The Missus Herself's birthday, so some friends bought us dinner in honor of that event. So a two-fer, great food, and it was free!)
The paella was encroyable, or perhaps I should say that in Portuguese, incrível. No matter the language, it was delicious. Lobster, shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, beef, chicken, and of course saffron rice. No veggies in this one, truth be told I didn't really notice.
So I'm stuffed. We had the paella for two, which actually would feed our entire family. (I should have listened to my colleague who said, "Get the paella for one, there's enough for two, trust me." On the upside, I get to have paella again this weekend!)
Anyhoo, that's all for now. Back soon, maybe we'll be in Korea still, I don't know. I'm feeling a bit shellshocked over this series!
Ciao!
A Happy Birthday to The Missus Herself! Huzzah! 976 pages...Uf Da....that's quite the tome Sarge. Hmmmm.........this blog of yours may cost me more ducats......hmmmmm.
ReplyDeleteI shall pass that along. Iy is hefty, but the content appears to be very well written.
DeleteAh yes Antietem, where Lee over stepped and was saved by the incompetence of his opponents. A competent commander would have destroyed Lee's army that day. Hell, if Burnside had been anything more than a blockhead, he would have rolled up Lee's army that day. Human stupidity is a marvelous thing.
ReplyDeleteYes, Lee should have been defeated and the Army of Northern Virginia completely destroyed. McLellan once again proved himself to be a bad general (good organized but he violated the number one rule - never take counsel of your fears). The generals on the Union side weren't much better. Seems to me that the best of them in McLellan's army at that time were killed in action. Leaving those (like Burnside) who hadn't a clue.
DeleteHey Old AFSarge,
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to the Better Half!!! I read accounts of the Russian trip, it was a long ...long nasty journey, the ships were tired, the crew were mutinous, (revolutionary Fervor and grumpiness) and they didn't really practice gunnery either whereas Admiral Tojo drilled his fleet and they were ready. And from what i have read, Admiral Nimitz saved his flagship after the War.
I shall pass that along.
DeleteYup, Mikasa survives as a museum ship, but I don't know if Nimitz had anything to do with it. She was badly damaged during the war and afterwards American troops turned her into a nightclub, much of her original superstructure was gone. Most of what we see now was cannibalized from other ships and her turrets and guns are replicas.
Not all of her guns are replicas. The 'small' guns in the side turrets are actual guns. I've been lucky enough to tour her with a board member who is a retired Japanese Captain who was the former JMSDF liaison to CNFJ, and she IS impressive. ADM Togo's cabin/flag area has been restored to exactly as it was during the war. And an 'average' American cannot even fit in the shoulder harness on those guns, we are too big! I cannot imagine a 5'3" or 4" Japanese sailor firing one of those things more than once.
DeleteAh, thanks for that detail, Old NFO. She looks impressive in photos, can't imagine what the Russian fleet thought upon first seeing her at sea, coming for them.
DeleteMany happy and healthy returns of the day for The Missus Herself and you as well, Sarge!
ReplyDeleteDunno as I'm shell-shocked by Korea; but the mere mention of Antietam does it for me.
Boat Guy
I shall pass that along.
DeleteWalking the ground at Antietam was a sobering experience. Especially walking out to the west for a piece, then coming back towards Bloody Lane. How the Hell did anyone have the stomach for that?
Makes you wonder.
Had the privilege of walking the ground of Pickets Charge at Gettysburg; same thought.
DeleteBG
I need to get down that way, maybe this coming year.
DeleteWell worth it. The ground Pickett crossed is usually closed IIRC but walking up through Devil's Den toward Little Round Top is quite an experience.
DeleteBG
👍
DeleteSarge, the Russo-Japanese War is one of the most under rated pivotal events in the early 20th Century, at least in my opinion. On the Russian side, it was one of the causes of the 1905 Revolution, which led to the Russian Revolution. On the Japanese side, it cemented even more firmly Japan as an imperialistic World Power (like all the rest, to be fair) and pushed them even harder towards the Navy. It also at least indirectly cemented the US (and Theodore Roosevelt) onto the World Stage in a way it had not been before.
ReplyDeleteHappiest of birthdays to The Missus Herself!
I concur in that opinion!
DeleteI shall pass the birthday wishes along.
And if you want another good version of that battle, check Drachinifel:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Mdi_Fh9_Ag&ab_channel=Drachinifel
Nice! Thanks.
DeleteIf only the Russians had paid attention to how well the Japanese did in the defense of the Legations in Peking during the Boxer Rebellion, well, foreshadowing much?
ReplyDeleteAs to the Russian Navy, Tsarist or Socialist, always not reaching their potential. Best part of the Soviet Navy was their riverine forces during WWII, and even then those weren't the best.
Also, please pass the birthday wishes to the birthday girl.
The Russians seem to like learning the hard way. Seems we do too.
DeleteI shall those wishes along.
Sarge, I have an old book (Frederic Unger, 1904) "Russia and Japan and the War in the Far East". It is interesting how Europe and the US considered Japan as their equal in Navy and Army prowess and had great praise for them. Amazing how all that was forgotten by the beginning of WW2.
DeleteThat is an old book.
DeleteI've said it before but 'The Fleet That Had to Die' by Richard Hough is a good read on the subject. You can get it in Kindle on this side of the pond. As for the Russians learning from experience? It seems that any initiative in officers/nco's on their side is quickly bashed out of them. Warfare has changed again but while we all draw lessons from it will they be the correct ones?
ReplyDeleteRetired
You know how it is, we always learn to fight the last war, then play catch up.
DeleteI'll try and track that book down.
Thank you for the Verlaine. I read it aloud, in French, which is my speciality (two degrees in French language and literature). And thank you for your blog, which I read regularly. I have come to understand that one of the most terrible and tragic and disgusting phenomenon in human history is this: politicians, who have no skin in the game, sending young men, -and increasingly, young women - to die in battle, or return home wounded in body and soul, for political causes. Once the war is over, the map hasn't changed all that much, and far too often, the veterans are discarded. Makes me livid.
ReplyDeleteThough my French is rather awful, when I see that poem I always like to say it aloud. It is music in spoken form.
DeleteYou and I are livid about the same things I think.