An item referred to a telegram sent by admiral Jessen to the tsar that
two Russian torpedo boats torpedoed the 25th off Gensan the Japanese
steamship Gajo Maru of 500 tons after allowing the crew to go on shore.(1) The
same evening was at 20.00 o’clock the Japanese steamship Nakamoera Maru of around
220 tons destroyed and her crew taken on board of the Russian ships. At 01.30 o’clock was the
Japanese transport Kinsjoe Maru (or Kinsjin Maroe) of 4,000 tons destroyed. She
was loaded with rice, war stores and 1,500 tons coal. Her armament consisted of
4-4,7cm Hotchkiss guns and her crew consisted of 17 officers, 20 sailors and 85
coolies. Of the men on board just 65 surrendered, the others including the
officers resisted and fought back and went down with the ship.(2) Later
reported that the Russian admiral that around 200 Japanese died on board of
this transport. The newspaper Middelburgsche Courant dated 30 April confirmed the
loss of this transport adding that from Russian side later was reported that
they had no other choice than sinking her lacking Russian sailors to man her
and adding a ship with a lower maximum speed as the Russian warships would
disturb the movements of the Russian squadron. The edition of this newspaper
dated 2 May published a Japanese reaction. She was torpedoed by the Russian
cruiser Rossia. In the mist she had lost her escorting torpedo boats and was
discovered by the Russian squadron which ordered her to stop. Men from the
Rossia inspected her finding two companies of soldiers hidden in the lower
cargo. The commanding officer of the Rossia was in formed and which ordered to
torpedo her which hit her amidships. She broke in two parts and when she started
sinking run the hidden soldiers up decks while shooting with their rifles at
the Rossia. Three boats managed to save 45 soldiers and two passengers. Her
crew, two captains and three lieutenants drowned. From Russian side was next a
telegram received that a closed six Japanese officers were found who
surrendered without resistance. In another part of the ship were 130
infantrymen found who refused to surrender. The Russian admiral ordered his men
to leave the transport when the Japanese soldiers started shooting resulting in
a wounded Russian sailors. He then ordered o destroy her with a torpedo and
some gunshots while the Japanese continued to shoot until their ship went down
despite one boat was available for them to escape. For the next weeks the discussion
about what happened continued in the newspapers
.
Notes
1. Between 8 February 1904 and 5 September 1905 were the Japanese and
Russian empires in war and which was disastrous for the latter. Both empires
had heavy human losses and the world sighted the destruction of a major
European naval power by an Asian empire.
2. The newspaper De
Zeeuw dated 28 July 1906 reported that a court martial at Tokyo that the
captains and commanding officers, an officer of the administration, two
lieutenants and one ensign were degraded. 81 Soldiers went down with her.
