Russian navy versus Japanese transports according to the Dutch newspaper Goessche Courant dated 21 June 1904

An tem referred to reports of the Russian admiral Skrydloff to the tsar reporting that on the morning of the 15th the Russian cruisers in the Strait of Korea saw a Japanese transport which later appeared to be the Idoemi-Maroe and with on board troops embarked.(1) The order was given to disembark her using the boats which partly of the troops did. After the allowed time was passed was the transport destroyed. Some time later were in the South East two Japanese transports sighted namely the Hitatsji Maroe with troops embarked and the Sado Maroe with coolies, horses and railways stores. The Japanese refused to leave both ships and after the allowed time was passed were both ships torpedoed. The newspaper Zierikzeesche Nieuwsbode dated 21 June published an item dated Nagasaki 17^th reportingd that the Japanese transport Katsoeno Maroe during the night the harbour of Modji collided with the Yamatokan and sunk. The Japanese transport Sadoe Maroe which was damaged by the Russian fleet was grounded near Okinosjima. The Hino Maroe left Modji to assist her.(2)

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 Zierikzeesche Nieuwsbode dated 1 January 1907 wrote that she visited in 1906 Antwerp. She was now owned by the Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen Koisha. The Russians thought that she was sinking after she was torpedoed. Instead she keep on floating and was towed back to the harbour and after being repaired again commissioned as an auxiliary cruiser.