Admiral Togo's Report Following the attack on Port Arthur, 10 March 1904

Admiral Togo's official report is as follows:

An attack on Port Arthur took place on March 10th, as previously planned.

Our destroyers were formed into two separate flotillas. Both of them reached the outside of the harbor at midnight on the 9th and reconnoitred, but no enemy was seen. At dawn the second flotilla laid special mechanical mines in many places, and succeeded in the task, notwithstanding the intermittent fires from the enemy's forts.

At half-past four a.m. the first flotilla encountered six Russian destroyers at the south of Liaotishan, and a hot action took place for twenty minutes. In its course three of our destroyers- Asashiwo, Kasumi, and Akatsuki-fought very closely against the enemy's destroyers, almost touching each other, and delivered a hot fire.

The enemy's destroyers were severely injured, either being damaged in engines or suffering from the outbreak of fire, and fled away in great confusion. Our ships also sustained some damage. Casualties on our side are seven petty officers killed and nine men wounded.

The Akatsuki's auxiliary steam-pipe was destroyed, but all the destroyers of the first flotilla have no difficulty for further fighting or navigation.

The second flotilla, when it was leaving the outside of the harbor at 7a.m., found two Russian destroyers just coming back into the harbor, and attacked them, intercepting their return course. One of the two escaped, but the other-namely, the Steregutchy-was destroyed and captured by our destroyer Sazanami, which tried to tow it back. However, the leakage was great and the sea very rough, and the towing-rope was broken. Therefore, after the prisoners, four in all, were taken up, the captured ship was left, and she sank at ten minutes past ten a.m.

The damage in the second flotilla is insignificant. Casualties: Two men killed and one officer and three men wounded.

Although the Novik and Bayan came out from the harbor towards the second flotilla, they soon retired into the harbor upon seeing that our cruisers were approaching.

As to the movements of our main squadron and the cruiser squadron, they arrived off Port Arthur at eight a.m. The cruiser squadron at once proceeded towards the front of the mouth of the harbor and supported our destroyer flotilla, as above stated.

The main squadron also approached Liaotishan, from ten a.m. until twenty minutes to two p.m., and made an indirect bombardment against the harbor. The enemy's forts intermittently returned the fire, but no damage was inflicted upon our ships. A detached squadron of cruisers went to Dalny, and destroyed the enemy's buildings on the San Shan Islands.

The Takasago and Chihaya scouted the western coast of the entrance of Port Arthur, but no enemy was seen.

A Russian destroyer, which had been sunk in Pigeon Bay in the last battle, is found to be the Vnushitelni, of which now the upper parts of the masts and funnels are seen on the surface. All our ships discontinued the battle at two p.m., and retired.

Togo