Editing Battle of Tsushima (section)

==Timeline== 

[[File:Tsushima 27 May 1905.jpg|thumb|Day Action, Battle of Tsushima 27 May 1905 (click to enlarge)]]
[[File:Cruiser Aurora.jpg|thumb|{{ship|Russian cruiser|Aurora||2}}, preserved as a [[museum ship]] in [[Saint Petersburg]], Russia{{efn|name=aurora}}]]
[[File:Yokosuka-mikasa-08-2010.png|thumb|The battleship {{ship|Japanese battleship|Mikasa||2}}, Admiral [[Tōgō Heihachirō|Tōgō]]'s flagship at the battle of Tsushima, preserved as a memorial in Yokosuka, Japan]]
[[File:Knyaz'Suvorov1904Reval.jpg|thumb|The Russian flagship {{ship|Russian battleship|Knyaz Suvorov||2}} was sunk with most of the crew.{{efn|Admiral [[Zinovy Rozhestvensky|Rozhestvensky]] was saved with his staff, the [[Flag Captain]] [[:ru:Клапье де Колонг, Константин Константинович|Konstantin Clapier de Colongue]], Flag Navigation Officer Filipinoffsky, Captain 2nd rank [[:ru:Семёнов, Владимир Иванович (капитан 1-го ранга)|Vladimir Semenoff]], and Flag-Lieutenant Leontieff,{{sfn|Semenoff|1907|page=142 in footnote}} Surgeon Pyotr Kudinoff, flag officers Krzhizhanovsky, Demchinsky and cadet Maksimov, staff clerk Matizen and admiral's messenger Pyotr Poochkoff, together with 13 other ''Suvorov'' crew who jumped onto the destroyer during the rescue.{{sfn|Novikov-Priboy|1937|loc=Book 2, Chapter 3}}{{efn|name=Buyniy}}|name=Suvorov}}]]

Note{{efn|There are considerable discrepancies not only between the Russian and Japanese records, but also among the Japanese records on time-line. This timeline is assembled mostly from the Japanese records.<ref>{{cite web|editor=Navy General Staff|title=Battleship Mikasa Wartime Daily Log 4(2)|date=27 May 1905|url=https://www.jacar.archives.go.jp/aj/meta/listPhoto?LANG=default&BID=F2009052815373031391&ID=M2009052815373131394&REFCODE=C09050340500|pages=0509–0514|access-date=18 April 2024|language=ja}}</ref>{{sfn|Tsukamoto|1907}}<ref name=mikasareport />{{sfn|Corbett|2015b|p=223}}}}

27 May 1905 (JST)

* 04:45 The ''[[Shinano Maru (1900)|Shinano Maru]]'' (Japan) locates the [[Russian Baltic Fleet]] and sends a wireless message "Spotted enemy fleet in grid 203." to cruiser {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Itsukushima||2}}, which relays it to the Combined Fleet flagship ''Mikasa''.
* 05:05 Tōgō receives the message, begins preparation to depart.
* 05:55 {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Akitsushima||2}} relays {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Izumi||2}}'s report "Enemy appears to be headed for the Eastern channel of Tsushima."<ref name=4(4)>{{cite web|editor=Navy General Staff|title=Battleship Mikasa Wartime Daily Log 4(4)|date=27 May 1905|url=https://www.jacar.archives.go.jp/aj/meta/listPhoto?LANG=default&BID=F2009052815373031391&ID=M2009052815373131396&REFCODE=C09050340700|page=0577|access-date=19 April 2024|language=ja}}</ref>
* 06:05 The 1st ({{ship|Japanese battleship|Mikasa|up=yes}}, {{ship|Japanese battleship|Shikishima||2}}, {{ship|Japanese battleship|Fuji||2}}, {{ship|Japanese battleship|Asahi||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Kasuga||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Nisshin||2}}), 2nd ({{ship|Japanese cruiser|Izumo||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Azuma||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Tokiwa||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Yakumo||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Asama||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Iwate||2}}) and 4th ({{ship|Japanese cruiser|Naniwa||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Takachiho||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Akashi||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Tsushima||2}}) battle divisions{{efn|name=order}} of the Japanese Combined Fleet leave Jinhae (Chinhae, or Chinkai) Bay{{efn|{{coord|35.070744|N|128.675710|E}}}} head South East at 12 knots. "Weather is half-cloudy, wind from the South West, wave is still high from the stormy weather in the last two days."
* 06:20 "Prepare for battle" ordered on ''Mikasa''.
* 07:00 Cruiser {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Izumi||2}} relieves ''Shinano Maru'' of reporting task, closes in to 10,000 metres of {{ship|Russian battleship|Knyaz Suvorov|up=yes}} on the starboard, then increases the distance and shadows the Baltic Fleet alone;{{sfn|Semenoff|1907|page=40}} reports "Enemy fleet is in grid 224 (20&nbsp;nm NW of Ukushima Island, Nagasaki) heading North North East".
* 08:30 {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Kasagi||2}} reports "3rd battle div. is at grid 251({{coord|33.67|N|129.0|E}}), heading NNE at 10 Knots."<ref name=4(4) />
* 09:39 1st battle division reaches 10nm NNE of Mitsushima Lighthouse{{efn|{{coord|34.7238471936982|N|129.44398787201965|E}}}}, turns ESE at 15 knots.
* 10:00 ''Mikasa'' sends a wireless message to the [[Imperial General Headquarters]]: "Upon receiving its spotting report, Combined Fleet is going into battle with enemy fleet today near [[Okinoshima (Fukuoka)|Okinoshima Island]]. Today's weather is fine but waves are high. (Japanese: 本日天気晴朗なれども波高し)".
* 10:30 The 5th battle division ({{ship|Japanese cruiser|Itsukushima||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Matsushima||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Hashidate||2}}, {{ship|Japanese battleship|Chin'en||2}}) makes contact with the Baltic Fleet. Stays with the fleet on its left flank (West side).
* 11:00 Details of Russian fleet formation is assembled: "Head of the fleet, {{ship|Russian cruiser|Izumrud||2}}. Right (East) flank, 1st column Destroyers, 2nd column ''Knyaz Suvorov'', ''Borodino''-class, ''Borodino''-class, ''Borodino''-class, ''Oslyabya'', ''Sissoi Veliky'', ''Navarin'', ''Nakhimov''; 3rd and 4th columns (slightly behind) Transports and Auxiliaries guarded by destroyers; 5th column (Left flank -West) ''Nikolai I'', Admiral-class coastal battleship, Admiral-class, Admiral-class, ''Oleg'', ''Aurora'', ''Donskoi'', ''Monomakh''"
* 11:30 The 3rd battle division ({{ship|Japanese cruiser|Kasagi||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Chitose||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Otowa||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Niitaka||2}}) makes contact with the Baltic Fleet. Stays with the fleet on its left flank.
* 11:55 Tōgō gathers all hands on ''Mikasa'' rear deck, tells the known situation, and says "Accurate aim on all the shots is the foremost and the only wish I have at this moment."<ref name=mikasareport>{{cite web|title=Imperial Japanese Navy records, 27 May 1905, Classified, Detail reports on battle of the Japan Sea Nr.2, submitted by the commander of Mikasa|language=ja|url=https://www.jacar.archives.go.jp/aj/meta/listPhoto?LANG=default&BID=F2006090101400394413&ID=M2006090101400394422&REFCODE=C05110085200|author=[[Hikojirō Ijichi]]|access-date=14 May 2022|archive-date=25 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220625040319/https://www.jacar.archives.go.jp/aj/meta/listPhoto?LANG=default&BID=F2006090101400394413&ID=M2006090101400394422&REFCODE=C05110085200|url-status=live}}</ref>{{rp|p.1}}
* 12:00 ''Mikasa''{{'}}s chief navigation officer{{efn|[[Nunome Mitsuzō]], later Admiral. [[:ja:布目満造]]}} records the current coordinates, {{coord|34|27|N|130|1|E}}.<ref name=mikasareport />{{rp|p.1}}
* 12:00 Russian fleet starts shifting formations. ''Kasagi'' and ''Itsukushima'' report all the details in radio telegrams: "Right flank ''Suvorov'' and 3 ''Borodino''-class; Left flank {{ship|Russian battleship|Oslyabya||2}}, [[Russian battleship Sissoi Veliky|''Veliky'']], {{ship|Russian battleship|Navarin||2}}, [[Russian cruiser Admiral Nakhimov|''Nakhimov'']], [[Russian battleship Imperator Nikolai I|''Nikolai I'']] and Admiral-class ships."
* 12:30 The 6th battle division ({{ship|Japanese cruiser|Suma||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Izumi||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Chiyoda||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Akitsushima||2}}) tails the Baltic Fleet after ''Suma'', ''Chiyoda'' and ''Akitsushima'' catching up with the shadowing and reporting ''Izumi''.
* 12:38 "Battle stations" ordered on ''Mikasa''.<ref name=mikasareport />{{rp|p.2}}
* 13:30 The Japanese main group (''Mikasa'', ''Shikishima'', ''Fuji'', ''Asahi'', ''Kasuga'', ''Nisshin'' and the 2nd battle division in this order) gains visual contact.
* 13:35 The Russian main group ([[Russian battleship Knyaz Suvorov|''Suvorov'']], [[Russian battleship Imperator Aleksandr III|''Aleksandr III'']], {{ship|Russian battleship|Borodino||2}} and {{ship|Russian battleship|Oryol||2}} in this order) shifts heading Left (to North{{efn|According to a Russian record, "2 point (22.5-degrees) to Port at once".{{sfn|Semenoff|1907|page=42}}}}) to cover the Left column led by ''Oslyabya''.
* 13:39 ''Mikasa'' hoists the battle flag, heading SSW approaching the West side of the Russian Left flank.
* 13:54 ''Mikasa'' to the closest Russian ship, ''Oslyabya'': 12,000m. ''Mikasa'' sends up the 'Z' flag, meaning "The Empire's fate depends on the result of this battle, let every man do his utmost duty."
* 14:00 ''Mikasa'' to ''Oslyabya'': 10,000m. ''Mikasa'' turns her helm aport and starts a U-turn with the 5 ships following in sequence to head NNE.
* 14:03 ''Shikishima'' to ''Oslyabya'': 9,000m.  As ''Shikishima'' starts to turn, ''Oslyabya'' opens fire.
* 14:07 ''Fuji'' to ''Oslyabya'': 8,200m. ''Fuji'' completes her turn. ''Knyaz Suvorov'' and the Russian Baltic Fleet open fire with their main batteries.
* 14:10 ''Asahi'' to ''Oslyabya'': 7,300m. ''Asahi'' completes her turn. ''Mikasa'' opens fire on ''Oslyabya'' with a salvo 6" test shot to establish distance baseline.<ref name=mikasareport />{{rp|p.2}}{{efn|Japanese navy had found the 6" guns to be more accurate than 12" guns, and formalized the procedure to use a 6-inch salvo firing for initial establishment of distance.}}
* 14:12 ''Kasuga'' to ''Oslyabya'': 6,500m. ''Mikasa'' receives her first hit from the Russian guns. ''Shikishima'', ''Fuji'', ''Asahi'', ''Kasuga'' and ''Nisshin'' open fire on ''Oslyabya''.
* 14:14 ''Nisshin'' to ''Oslyabya'': 6,000m.  ''Oslyabya'' loses her front mast and the center stack.
* 14:15 ''Oslyabya'' is severely set on fire and slows down.
* 14:19 ''Mikasa'' to ''Suvorov'': 5,800m. Japanese main group concentrates fire on the Russian flagship, {{ship|Russian battleship|Knyaz Suvorov||2}}, which is now leading the Left column heading NNE.
* 14:25 ''Mikasa'' loses top part of rear mast.{{efn|With the upper mast, ''Mikasa'' lost radio transmission capability due to the loss of antenna. From this point on, Tōgō relied on hand semaphore signaling to the immediately following {{ship|Japanese battleship|Shikishima||2}} for orders to be transmitted by radio.}} ''Mikasa'' and her line turns NE and then to East to "cross the T". Russian Left column turns NE and to ESE in response.
* 14:43 ''Knyaz Suvorov'' is set on fire and falls away from the battle line.
* 14:50 With the Japanese 1st Battle Div. completely overtaking the Russian battleships heading ESE, ''Aleksandr'' turns to the North with ''Borodino'' and ''Oryol'' following.
* 14:55 ''Mikasa'' and the 5 ships make immediate U-turn Left on the spot and heads WNW in reverse order (''Nisshin'' first, ''Mikasa'' last). Japanese 2nd Battle Div. continues on heading SE and then SW attacking the secondary Russian warships.
* 15:10 ''Nisshin'' to ''Aleksandr'': 4,000m. ''Oslyabya'' sinks. ''Knyaz Suvorov'' attempts to withdraw.
* 15:14 ''Asahi'' to ''Aleksandr'': 3,000m. ''Aleksandr'', apparently giving up fleeing North, turns SE with ''Borodino'' and ''Oryol'' following.
* 15:18 ''Asahi'' to ''Borodino'': 2,500m.
* 15:50 ''Nisshin'' and the 5 ships make another immediate U-turn Left, heads NE in normal order (''Mikasa'' first, ''Nisshin'' last). Japanese 1st battle div. loses sight of the Russian main group in the battle smoke and mist.
* 16:45 One torpedo from the Japanese 4th Destroyer Div. hits ''Knyaz Suvorov'' in the port side stern, causing her to list about 10 degrees to port.<ref name=togoreport />
* 17:00 Japanese 2nd battle div. finds the Russian main group close to where the Japanese 3rd Squadron (5th and 6th battle divs.) was attacking the Russian auxiliaries protected by cruisers.{{sfn|Semenoff|1907|page=138}}
* 17:30 Russian destroyer ''Buyniy'' rescues Admiral Rozhestvensky and his staff from ''Knyaz Suvorov''.{{sfn|Semenoff|1907|pages=140-153}} 
* 17:51 Russian auxiliary cruiser {{ship|Russian merchant cruiser|Ural|1904|2}} sunk by the 1st battle division bombardment and a torpedo by battleship ''Shikishima''.{{sfn|Campbell|1978|pages=134, 260}}
* 18:03 ''Mikasa'' and the 1st Battle Div. catches up to the remainder of the Russian main group (heading N) in NW, and concentrate fire on the leading ''Aleksandr III''.
* 18:16 ''Aleksandr III'' (heading NW) catches major fire. Japanese main group concentrates fire on ''Borodino'' (heading NW).
* 19:03 ''Imperator Aleksandr III'' sinks.
* 19:04 Huge explosion occurs in ''Borodino''{{'}}s stern.
* 19:05 Japanese main group concentrates fire on ''Oryol'' (heading NW).
* 19:20 ''Knyaz Suvorov'' sinks.
* 19:28 The Sun sets.
* 19:30 ''Borodino'' sinks. Russian repair ship {{ship||Kamchatka|ship|2}} sinks.
* 19:30 Leaving the destroyer divisions and torpedo boat flotillas in position to commence attack in the dark, Japanese 1st Battle Division leaves the battleground after ordering 2nd and 4th battle divisions to gather in [[Ulleungdo|Matsushima Island]] area in the North.<ref name=togoreport />{{efn|Lighthouses at the North-end ({{cite web|title=Mitsushima Lighthouse|url=https://www.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/07kanku/tsushima/oshirase/toudai/toudai_photo/603100mitsushima/mitsushima.htm|language=ja}}) and the South-end ({{cite web|title=Kousaki Lighthouse|url=https://www.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/07kanku/tsushima/oshirase/yomoyama/kousaki2/yomo2.html|language=ja}}) of Tsushima were lit to indicate the borders of the area on the East side of Tsushima Island in which destroyers and torpedo boats are ordered to be free to attack any larger-than-destroyer ship in the dark.|name=lighthouse}}

28 May 1905 (JST)<ref>{{cite web|editor=Navy General Staff|title=Battleship Mikasa Wartime Daily Log 4(2)|date=28 May 1905|url=https://www.jacar.archives.go.jp/aj/meta/listPhoto?LANG=default&BID=F2009052815373031391&ID=M2009052815373131394&REFCODE=C09050340500|pages=0518–0522|access-date=19 April 2024|language=ja}}</ref>{{sfn|Corbett|2015b|p=324}}{{sfn|Tsukamoto|1907}}[[File:Russian surrender at the Battle of Tsushima.jpg|thumb|Admiral Nebogatov and Flag Captain Cross leave battleship ''Imperator Nikolai I'' on torpedo boat ''Kiji'', heading for battleship ''Mikasa'' to meet Admiral Tōgō, at 13:30 on 28 May 1905.]]

* 05:23 The scout ship of the 5th battle division, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Yaeyama||2}}, sends "Spotted enemy in grid 603 heading NE" to {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Itsukushima||2}}.
* 05:30 The Japanese Combined Fleet starts assembling a surrounding formation with over 20 capital ships among all the battle divisions.
* 09:30 Formation is mostly in place. ''Mikasa'' and the 1st battle division approach from the North heading South.
* 09:38 ''Mikasa'' gains visual contact with the remaining Baltic Fleet in SSE.
* 10:00 {{ship|Russian cruiser|Izumrud||2}} turns SE and runs at high speed away from the rest of the Russian fleet.
* 10:31 ''Nisshin'' opens fire at 9,000m to ''[[Russian battleship Imperator Nikolai I|Nikolai I]]'' with {{ship|Russian battleship|Oryol||2}}, ''[[Russian coast defense ship General-Admiral Apraksin|Apraksin]]'' and ''[[Russian coast defense ship Admiral Seniavin|Seniavin]]'' following in this order.
* 10:34 Admiral Nebogatov signals "XGE P", which is "Surrendered. Go still (Proceeding slow)" in the International Code of Signals used at the time.
* 10:40 ''Mikasa'', after changing course to ENE, opens fire at 6,900m with a starboard salvo 6" test shot. The Russian ships do not return fire.
* 10:42 ''Kasuga'' hoists flag signal "enemy surrendered".
* 10:45 Admiral Tōgō accepts the surrender. Cruiser {{ship|Russian cruiser|Svetlana|1896|2}} sunk by the 3rd battle division on its way North to the surrounding formation.
* 10:50 ''Mikasa'' turns South and lowers the battle flag.
* 10:53 Firing stops.
* 11:53 Commander [[Akiyama Saneyuki]] and Lieutenant Yamamoto Shinjirō depart ''Mikasa'' and head for ''Nikolai I'' on torpedo-boat ''Kiji''.
* 13:37 ''Kiji'' returns to ''Mikasa'' with Admiral Nebogatov and his staff. ''Asama'' commander, Captain [[Yashiro Rokurō]], acts as the interpreter in the Tōgō-Nebogatov meeting.


<gallery widths="190" heights="550">
File:Battle of Tsushima (Chart 1-3) J.PNG|Crossing the T: Japanese are in white, the Russians in red. At this point, Second Battle Div. followed the wake of First Battle Div.
File:Battle of Tsushima (Chart 4-6) J.PNG|''Oslyabya'' and ''Knyaz Suvorov'' are damaged and breaking off. ''Imperator Aleksandr III'', ''Borodino'', and ''Oryol'' turn North, fleeing from the out-running Japanese divisions.
File:Battle of Tsushima (Chart 7-9) J.PNG|The Japanese first and second divisions sandwiching the Russian fleet.
File:Battle of Tsushima (Chart 10) J.PNG|The Russian ships in a shambles.
</gallery>