Kirov Saga: Armageddon (Kirov Series) (10 page)

“I have just come from a meeting with Naval Minister Baron Saito.
There has been some disturbing news from the north involving the Russians. One
of our supply steamers bound for Dailan was intercepted and sunk off the
Tsugaru Strait by what was reported as a large Russian warship.”

At this there were quiet murmurs and surprised glances as the
officers looked from one to another, the junior officers noting the reaction of
those senior.

“Captain Kawase of our 9th Torpedo Boat Squadron at Amori
confirmed the sighting of a large enemy warship, certainly a battleship, and I
ordered our Second Cruiser division led out from Maizuru by Vice Admiral
Kamimura to look for this ship. The vessel was subsequently sighted and a brief
engagement ensued, but our cruisers were not able to close the range, allowing
the ship to slip away to the west. It was last sighted heading southwest.”

“And the engagement?” It was Vice Admiral Dewa, a venerable and
wizened officer hailing from the province of Fukushima which would one day be
rendered practically uninhabitable by a disaster no man in the room could
conceive of or ever foresee. Dewa was commander of the 3rd Cruiser Division at
the famous battle of Tsushima Straits, and was naturally eager to learn the
outcome.

“Inconclusive,” said Togo. “It was opened at extreme long range,
which is somewhat surprising considering that fast cruisers were involved. Vice
Admiral Kamimura’s own flagship,
Izumo
, suffered considerable damage and
was forced to fall off the line of battle.”

“And the enemy?”

“Apparently the ship was able to escape unscathed.”

That was not well received, and the lately appointed
danshaku
,
Baron Dewa, shook his head. “Kamimura can be a little headstrong at times,” he
said. “He should have closed the range before engaging this ship.”

“From the reports I received it was not a question of Kamimura
failing to fire at the appropriate range,” said Togo. “The enemy opened fire
first, and from well beyond 15,000 meters. Yet the remarkable thing about this
engagement was that they did not rely on their main cannon. All the hits on
Kamimura’s cruiser were obtained by smaller caliber guns, no more than six inch
shells.”

“This is most unusual. Then it means the Russians have better
secondary batteries, at least insofar as range is concerned.”

“And I also conclude that this is certainly a new ship,” said
Togo. “It could not have been any of the cruisers that were still sheltering at
Urajio.” He was referring to the Port of Vladivostok, called Urajio by the
Japanese.

“I see…” Dewa’s eyes expressed the concern that was now evident,
and the real reason for this meeting. A new ship meant that it must have come
from the Baltic or Black Sea, and passed unnoticed through the Straits of
Tsushima.

“What do Kondo and Hidake say about this?” The two men commanded
small torpedo boat squadrons that had been posted at the Japanese island base
at Takeshiki in the middle of the Tsushima Straits. It was their watch that was
breached, and Dewa wanted to know why.

“They have seen nothing but commercial shipping,” said Admiral
Togo. “No warships of any kind have passed through the straits in recent
months. This does not mean it is beyond the realm of possibility that this ship
slipped by. Bad weather and night can confound even the most vigilant watch,
and we have been lax of late.”

Dewa nodded his head in agreement, his grey brows frowning as he
looked to the other officers with admonishment in his eyes. Vice Admiral
Kataoka nodded his agreement as well.

“We should reinforce those commands,” said Kataoka. “Eight torpedo
boats is obviously an inadequate force to patrol such an important sector.” He
was a man of Satsuma prefecture, the naval Spartans of Japan, as Togo was.
Small in stature, Kataoka was nonetheless a skillful and aggressive leader. He
had commanded an odd assortment of older ships and outmoded gunboats during the
last war that the Japanese came to call their “Funny Fleet,” but he led them
effectively in major engagements in the Yellow Sea and at Tsushima Straits, and
also commanded the naval expedition to seize Sakhalin Island after the war
ended, giving Japan a strong bargaining chip in the negotiations that followed.
He was soon awarded a baronage to acknowledge his successes in battle, and
remained a most capable and energetic officer, his eyes bright and lively
beneath the dome of his balding head.

“This meeting has obviously been called to redress these
shortcomings,” said Togo. “Yes, this ship should have been spotted long ago,
and yes, it should have been closely shadowed and kept bottled up in Urajio the
moment it sailed into the Sea of Japan. But there has been another development
that bears upon this matter. During my meeting with Naval Minister Saito a
wireless telegraph message was received from the commander of this Russian
ship, a man named Karpov. In that message he had the audacity to declare that a
naval quarantine has been imposed to prevent any and all shipping from entering
the Yellow Sea, and he has threatened to attack and sink any ship flying
Japanese colors that attempts to do so.”

“This is outrageous!” Dewa was clearly angry now, his cinder brows
raising with alarm, and Kataoka’s bright eyes glittered with the fire of
impending battle.

“Indeed. It is an outrage,” Togo continued. “It was reported that
the latest incident has involved a Canadian flagged ship en route from Shanghai
to Vancouver. It was stopped, boarded and its cargo of mail seized as
contraband. We have just received a vigorous protest that came to both our
Naval Ministry offices and was undoubtedly sent to the British China Station as
well. Needless to say, something must be done about this, and Baron Saito wants
the matter settled at once.”

“We should immediately reinforce our patrols in the Tsushima
Straits,” said Kataoka again. “Where there is smoke, there is fire, and more
enemy ships could be heading for these waters even as we speak.”

“That was Baron Saito’s concern,” said Togo. “So this is what we
will do. I have arranged a convoy of military and food supplies for shipment to
Dailan and Port Arthur. This is the obvious aim of the Russian attempt at naval
quarantine. They wish to restrict supplies to those important installations.”

“The Russians are planning to cross the border into Manchuria?”
Dewa raised the most obvious point, as he could not simply see this naval
incident as an isolated event. “This must be part of a general plan.”

“I would have thought the same,” Togo replied, but there has been
no sign of any Russian buildup on the frontier, nor any word from our
operatives in northern Korea. What we do know is that this new Russian ship
pulled into Urajio last week, and with some fanfare. It left soon after, and
the sinking of
Tatsu Maru
occurred the following day. The last incident,
involving the Canadian ship RMS
Monteagle
, occurred yesterday, so the
ship has moved closer to our home waters. That being the case, we will now
sortie with the fleet to conclude this matter. The supply fleet will also have
dummy ships, and these will make fine bait to lure the enemy in so our warships
can deal with it.”

“Where will the fleet deploy?” asked Dewa.

“Initially we will do as vice Admiral Kataoka suggests. We leave
here this very day and sail for the Straits of Tsushima. Any attempt to enforce
such a naval quarantine would be useless in the Sea of Japan. No, it would have
to control the vital Tsushima and Korea Straits, or perhaps the entrance to the
Yellow Sea itself. Therefore we will strongly occupy the former, and use it as
a base of operations until we locate this enemy ship. At that point we can
establish flotillas to hunt it down. I have ordered Kamimura to replenish at Maizuru
and then sail to the Oki islands. He will linger there, between Dozen and Dogo,
and keep watch on that area. This ship has been trying to escalate the
situation, and has been obviously keen to approach our home waters. It will be
found before it can dishonor us by even sighting Japanese soil on Honshu.”

“Agreed,” said the bright eyed Kataoka.

“Your Third Cruiser Division will post a flotilla at Mishima
Island, Vice Admiral Dewa. You will also command Suzuki’s 4th Destroyer
Division. As for you, Kataoka, your ships will keep active patrols between
Kyushu, Iki Island and the Tsushima Islands.” Togo pointed at the map on the
briefing table now, indicating these strategic islands controlling the waters
off Japan. “I will take the remainder of the fleet to the waters between
Tsushima and Korea and close that route. The supply ships, and dummy ships will
be dangled like bait in the waters northeast of the straits. The Russian Bear
will look for the honey, and then the bees will come with a hard sting.”

Dewa smiled, obviously in agreement. “This is a sound plan,” he
said happily. “Each group should be strong enough to deal with this single ship
alone, but all groups remain within reasonable supporting distance. I hope my
ships will have the honor of finding these Russians first, and I will end the
matter there and then.”

“Perhaps Kamimura’s Second Division will settle the affair,” said
Togo. “He has already sortied from Maizuru again, and is probably waving at the
lighthouse at Kyogamisaki by now. Yet there is one further consideration we
must discuss, gentlemen.”

Dewa had been studying the map, eager to get to sea again and
assume his post, but now he looked up, his thick hand stroking his short grey
beard. Admiral Togo’s face was flat and serious.

“We have been informed by operatives in Hawaii that the American
Great White Fleet has changed its planned itinerary. It has already left Hawaii
and is steaming west towards Japan as we speak.”

“Towards Japan?” Dewa was surprised again. “I thought they were
going to visit New Zealand, Australia and the Philippines first. They were not
expected here until October.”

“That is so, but their course is in a westerly direction and Saito
informs me they have just received word that the Americans have requested a
visit here instead. There were American citizens aboard that mail ship, and three
were killed when the Russians fired to force them to stop.”

“Then the Americans wish to make a show of force here? They wish
to chasten the Russians as well?”

“That is one interpretation. Saito is not convinced of this,
however. He eyes this movement with some suspicion.”

“Most likely because he must now have all his invitations and
signage re-printed if the Americans visit us early.”

At this the other officers laughed, but Togo remained silent.
“Saito may have more than his invitations in mind here. I would hope this is,
indeed, a matter of no concern, but to flatter the naval Minister, we should be
prepared to receive and escort the American fleet when it arrives in our home
waters. For this assignment I have selected Vice Admiral Uryu and his 4th Cruiser
Division. The 3rd and 5th Destroyer Divisions under Commanders Hirose and
Yoshijima will accompany him. Their mission will be to keep a close eye on the Americans
and show the flag of the Imperial Japanese Navy when they arrive here.”

Vice Admiral Uryu bowed in response, his hair neatly parted down
the center and slicked tight on his head. While one of the first cadets to
attend the Japanese Naval Academy, he transferred to the United States and so
he actually graduated from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, learning English
in the process. Like Dewa and the others he was also made a baron of the realm
for his outstanding service during the recent war with Russia, and decorated
with the Order of the Rising Sun and Golden Kite. Uryu was a strong proponent of
achieving friendship with the United States, and so his posting to this
assignment would make him the perfect man to greet and escort the fleet once it
reached home waters.

“I am sure this change of itinerary does not bode ill, but I trust
Vice Admiral Uryu will handle the reception of the American fleet with the utmost
diplomatic courtesy. Too much has been said about imminent war with the
Americans. Let me state categorically that this is not in the interest of
Japan.”

Vice Admiral Uryu gave a strong nod of approval. “Will the
American fleet be arriving at Yokohama, sir?”

“That remains to be determined. Saito is in the process of
negotiating the new itinerary. Our concern now will be to find and cow this
rogue Russian Captain, and impose calm in the region well before the Americans
get here.”

“You call this man a rogue Captain?” Dewa spoke up again, a
question in his eyes.

“Perhaps,” said Togo. “Inquiries have been made to the Russian
Legation, but they have denied any knowledge of this man, this Captain Karpov,
or even of his ship. Saito is of the belief that this is mere deception, as the
ship was received by city officials when it made port at Urajio. The truth is
most likely somewhere in that tea, but it is growing cold. No matter who this
man is, he must be taught that the Sea of Japan is so named for a very good
reason.”

“Concerning any encounter with this ship, Admiral, what are your
orders?”

“As always, first report the ship’s location and heading to me so
that it can be relayed to all other divisions. Then, as each division assigned
to this mission is of sufficient strength to operate independently, the Russian
Captain will be invited to surrender his ship pending investigation of the
crime of piracy on the high seas. Should he decline to do so, you are
authorized to engage.”