Japanese threatened to destroy each coaler in the Russian Baltic fleet despite which flag was hoisted according to the Dutch newspaper Nieuwe Tilburgsche Courant dated 16 February 1905

An item reported that a Japanese navy officer stated during a conversation with the correspondent of the press association Reuter at Tokyo that the Japanese navy would destroy any coaler in the Russian fleet even if these ships were not Russian. The captains of the German coalers which accompanied the Russian fleet commanded by Rozjestwenski refused to go further after passing Madagascar.(1)

Note

1. At that moment was the Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904-5 September 1905) going on.