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WORKS OF
VLADIMIR SEMENOV
Captain Vladimir Semenov was a well known Russian naval
officer who served in several positions throughout the course of the
Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. His presence during the siege of Port Arthur
and later during the Baltic Fleet's long voyage to Tsushima gave him an
unusually broad perspective on the war's progress, and he later wrote several
titles relating to these experiences. Indeed, he was one of very few Russian
officers who could write as an eyewitness to both major naval battles of the
war: The Battle of the Yellow Sea, and the Battle of Tsushima. In some cases
his writings are the sole published accounts of the events at hand. At the very
least his works offer fascinating insights into daily naval life and the
conditions of combat, much of which are both interesting and cogent.
The
factual reliability of Semenov's writing has occasionally been questioned, but
it should be noted that even some authors who question his accounts end up
referring to him because the accounts are so unusual. In many cases Semenov is
no more inaccurate than would be normal for such accounts, and often his views
are the views of the moment. As such, they may be technically inaccurate while
still reflecting the actual conversations in which he took part. A good example
of this is the regular mention of intelligence information about the Japanese,
some of which is fantastically inaccurate. Also, Semenov had a vested interest
in contrasting Russian and Japanese performance as much as possible, which may
have led to selective emphasis of certain details. As with all memoirs and
eyewitness accounts, readers should keep in mind that these sources need to be
cross-referenced with other reports and records in order to gather a more
accurate outline of events. A quick reading of Semenov's own preface in
Rasplata will help readers to understand the author's goals regarding
future historical reference to his accounts.
Of Semenov's writing, two
of the main titles are offered here: Rasplata is about the author's
experiences at Port Arthur and during the voyage of the Baltic Fleet. The
Battle of Tsushima is predictably about that great naval battle and events
immediately prior to and following. In general, The Battle of Tsushima
begins where Rasplata left off. However, the nature of each book is very
different. The Battle of Tsushima seems to have been written for a
popular audience, and it is more likely to feature sensational statements.
Rasplata was written for a critical audience and features a more careful
delivery.
RASPLATA
Author's Preface
P a r t I
Chapter 1a ·
Chapter 1b
Departure from
St Petersburg – In the Siberian express – The first news of the war
– Arrival in Port Arthur
Chapter
2a · Chapter
2b
Impressions of Port Arthur – Thank God! A destroyer – At
sea the first time – "Be careful and risk nothing" – A bad
disappointment.
Chapter 3a
· Chapter 3b (coming next) · Chapter 3c
The squadron in
the hands of His Excellency Admiral Alexeieff – Accounts of participants
and eyewitnesses of February 8 and 9 – The first Japanese attempt at
blocking – We expect Admiral Makaroff.
Account —
Battle of the Yellow Sea
This excerpt of the 1904 naval battle is
presented here out of sequence until the intervening chapters can be
posted.
Battle Account
Account — Battle of Tsushima
This excerpt of the 1905 naval
battle is presented here out of sequence until other chapters from the book can
be acquired.
Battle Account
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