Customer Reviews

FLEET THAT HAD TO DIE: New Edition

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The Fleet That Had to Die, written in 1957, is a dated but still interesting account of the epic voyage of the Russian Baltic Fleet around the world in 1904-1905 until its destruction at the Battle of Tsushima. The author's style was intended for mass-market audiences not scholars, and some readers may cringe at a comment in the foreword that, "this book is not primarily concerned with history..." Furthermore, the author's introduction to the second edition includes a ridiculous statement that, "the Soviet Navy today [May 1975] has become the most powerful in the world..." which was false when written and appears laughable now. This book is best read in tandem with the recent Russian account, The Tsar's Last Armada, by Constantine Pleshakov.

The book consists of 12 short chapters, four appendices, 14 photographs and several sketch maps. Oddly, the author does not provide an order of battle for either side at the Battle of Tsushima. Although the author is impressed by the 18,000-mile voyage of the Russian fleet - calling it "one of the most remarkable voyages in maritime history" - there is a faint anti-Russian tone throughout these pages and even the title suggests a tragic inevitability. At one point, Hough commits overkill by referring to the fleet as, "a raw squadron that could scarcely maintain station in a flat calm on a steady course." Readers should remember that Britain was incensed at the Russian Baltic Fleet after the "Dogger Bank incident" where the Russian warships mistakenly fired on part of the Hull fishing fleet. Some of the lingering anti-Russian bias intrudes into Hough's account.

One area that Hough's account excels is in his discussion of the Russian battleships, their crews and the logistics of the voyage. The Russian Baltic Fleet was centered upon the four new battleships of the "Borodino" class, but these were poorly designed vessels. Modern fire control equipment was only installed at the last minute and the gun crews were never allowed to practice with it and live ammunition before Tsushima, which no doubt contributed to the abysmal Russian gunnery. Furthermore, the battleships were so top heavy that captains were ordered to, "avoid hoisting all but essential signals from the yards." Vice-Admiral Rozhestvensky, the fleet commander, exacerbated the problem by over-loading the battleships with coal and this made the ships slow and unwieldy in battle. However, in constantly referring to the battleships as "ironclads," Hough is both inaccurate and tedious (since the fleet included no wooden vessels, all ships were made of steel).

Hough does shed some interesting light on the Dogger Bank incident. Both before and after that senseless incident, Russian spotters reported sighting "enemy balloons" and other nonsensical items. Apparently, not only were the average Russian sailors totally untrained in observation at sea, but also their gullible officers seemed inclined to accept all sightings at face value. During the Dogger Bank incident, Hough notes that the Russian flagship at one point was firing on a British fishing boat only 100 yards away and continued to misidentify it as a Japanese torpedo boat! Essentially, the incident was a result of inadequate Russian training and paranoia.

The character of Rozhestvensky is addressed at length in Hough's account, but not as well as Pleshakov's newer account (Hough misses the presence of the admiral's mistress on the fleet hospital ship). During the long, tiring voyage, Hough notes that whenever delays or problems occurred that Rozhestvensky "always responded to this sort of frustration by fits of uncontrollable rage..." which is not an effective command style. As the crews suffered from declining morale, Rozhestvensky became sullen and withdrawn, refusing to divulge his plans to his subordinates. At the Battle of Tsushima, Hough notes that Rozhestvensky issued only two orders and that these lead to confusion and chaos in the Russian fleet. Lacking a real plan of battle, Rozhestvensky's approach to the battle appears fatalistic and reliant on luck rather than skill. Instead, Hough concludes that, "the Battle of Tsushima...was to be lost by the momentary hesitancy of a tired and wasted admiral who could not make up his mind..."

In one of the appendices, Hough includes the post-war account of Rear-Admiral Nebogatoff, who was the Russian second-in-command at Tsushima. Although Nebogatoff's account is very self-serving and designed to cover up his own misdeeds in the battle, he does make some valid points. According to Nebogatoff, the Russian defeat was primarily due to three factors: the deficiencies of the Russian warships and their crews, the poor leadership of Rozhestvensky and the choice of the route through Tsushima Straits. In particular, Nebogatoff criticizes Rozhestvensky's lack of pre-battle instructions and poor tactical handling of the fleet. Nebogatoff also asserts that if he had been asked his opinion, that he would have recommended a passage to Vladivostok through the safer La Perousse Strait. While Nebogatoff ignores the logistic dimension of this longer route, he is probably correct that more Russian ships might have made it to Vladivostok by this more circuitous, but less well-guarded, route. However given the fall of Port Arthur prior to the fleet's arrival in Pacific waters, it is unlikely that Rozhestvensky's poorly-trained armada could have reversed Russia's disastrous military situation even if more of it had reached Vladivostok.

I can only tell you of the old Ballantine version of this book, a trade paper version of the first edition. A look at the table of contents ot this present edition tells me that this is a modified version. I do not expect that the central text has changed much, but there is additional material here. This is the story of the Russian Baltic Fleet's incredible odessey to the Far East to relieve Port Arthur, and its ultimate destruction at the hands of the Japanese under admiral Togo at Tsushima. The journey of the fleet was an incredible achievement in the days when ships had to transfer coal by hand. The facts that the hostile British did not allow coal to be loaded at their stations and that the Russians had to carry out back breaking coaling at sea (an unheard of practice) from chartered ships or in French ports where the local authorities would turn a blind eye (this was the period in which the British and French hammered out the Entente; so, all French help to their European ally had to be unofficial) make the Russians' efforts to reach the East seem super human. Hough did a fine job with this story in the first edition, as any who know his work would expect. This edition with its added appendicies must be even more authoritative. The Russo-Japanese war has meager coverage in English; so, this book is something of a must have.

This is the third book I have read written by Richard Hough. They are all good books, and Hough has a way with describing naval battles. In this book, he describes how the Russian Admiralty collected four good battleships and a motley collection of other ships to lead into the battle with the Japanese. This 10,000 mile journey across half of the world ended in defeat at Tushuma (Donkey's Ears). Hough describes how the failure of the Admiralty, the ship's crews, and the Admiral resulted in one of the most stunning defeats in naval history. There is plenty of blame to go around. Several thousand Russian sailors died as a result.
I agree with some of the other reviewers that more of the writing should have been devoted to the actual battle. In itself, the travel of the Second Pacific fleet was also a naval accomplishment. For a latter and more detailed book of the battle, see The Tsar's Last Armada.

I enjoyed this book. The story of the Russian fleet's journey to Tsushima reads like a black tragicomedy. This fleet which couldn't navigate consistently, maintain a formation, or even keep order among their crews was expected to travel to the other side of the world and defeat the battle-hardened Japanese Imperial Navy. Even to one unfamiliar with the outcome of the Russo-Japanese War, it very quickly becomes evident what the outcome of this battle will be. While The Fleet That Had To Die is the story of a fleet's journey to its death, this somber aspect of the book is frequently overshadowed by the hilarity of the clueless Russians. Their blunders on their way around the world are side-splitting.

This book, written many moons ago now, details a true story from the Japanese vs Russia war of 1904/5. During this war the Japanese gained the upper hand partly by utter naval dominance. The Russian Pacific Fleet was knocked on the head and in order to save the situation the Russians decided to send another fleet spearheaded by their four newest and best battleships and an assortment of other vessels of varying degrees of fitness for the job at hand. This fleet, imaginatively dubbed The 2nd Pacific Fleet, had to get its sorry self right around the world from its' base in the Baltic, right around the body of Europe and down to the South Atlantic before rounding the Cape of Good Hope, thence across the Indian ocean, up through Asian waters and then somehow get to its new (besieged) base of Vladivostok.

In order to truly appreciate this the reader really must be able to take in both the utterly different technological time of this event and also the rather parlous state of Russian seamanship let alone the dilapidated state of much of their fleet. Just getting the fleet there was an achievement especially since the ships often had to take on fresh coal at sea.

The author really does a wonderful job of setting the scene and drawing his characters well. And his obviously naval eye comes in very handy when he puts into simple yet effective words many aspects of the Russian Navy and its Japanese opponents. Every bungle is mirth inducing and in the end you actually root for the Russians just to make it far enough to actually get to the war zone. Of course those of you who know their history in regards to this war will know the outcome and that such an accomplishment ended in such tragedy is one of the underlying themes that will haunt you about this book. Not to mention that the author also does quite a wonderful job of getting across the utter confusion of the actual engagement and his closing chapters detailing the sad litany of the butchers bill is something that is quite stirring.

This is a great war book on a subject now little discussed. Aficionados of naval warfare will lap this up and the general history buff should probably give it a look see as well given it's quick and breezy style and the way the story picks up tension as it goes along.

Hough's book was a gripping read.Though published in the late 1950s ,the book has retained its charm and ably supplements C.Pleshakov's Last Armada.

Odyssey of the Russian fleet to the Far East had always intrigued me.Sent to raise the Japanese siege of Port Arthur the fleet was a motley collection of obsolete,outdated vessels manned by indisciplined ,ill-trained conscripts led by a paranoical ,abrasive sea dog Admiral Zinovi Petrovich Rozhestevensky. But what made Russian Tsar order the fleet to embark on this hazardous mission?

Russia was locked in a power struggle with Japan. Warring nations were struggling for the control over decaying Chinese empire. Tsar Nicholas was contemptuous of his enemy and thought she could be brushed aside. Russian hostility toward Nippon was encouraged by German Kaiser. Kaiser pursuing the policy of wily German chancellor Otto Von Bismarck sought to divert Russian attention away from Europe. Best way to do this was to embroil St.Petersburg in dispute with Japan. In this way German ruler sought to weaken Russia and keep his rear free.

Russian fleet's voyage to the Far East was very eventful.It soon came to blows with the Royal Navy.Dogger bank incident when Rozhestevensky's men mistakenly identified British fishing trawlers as Japanese torpedo boats and fired at them speaks volumes of poor quality of Russian crew.These men were not trained adequately to distinguish ships at sea.But what inflamed the situation Rozhestevensky continued the voyage without bothering to rescue survivors which precipitated war with Britain until Tsar's tender apologies managed to defuse the crisis. Rozhestevensky had problems arranging coal for his vessels. Nations allied to Britain or operating under the veil of neutrality refused to victual the fleet. Occasionally crew mutinied.Thus battling against terrible odds admiral brought the fleet to Japan's door step,an incredible feat seamanship and nautical skill.

However by the time Russians were halfway round the voyage ,Port Arthur fell to the Japanese and mission lost its relevance.Under the circumstances, Rozhestevensky wished to avoid confrontation with superior Japanese navy and wanted take the fleet to Russian port of Vladivostok.A choice 3 routes lay open for him. He could reach Vladivostok either through Korean ,Tsugaru or Soya straits.

Strategically , it would have made little difference as Togo operating along interior lines could move swiftly to block his passage. Rozhestevensky decided to reach home port via shortest route :Tsushima straits.The Russian admiral knew Togo's ships were lurking somewhere in the shadows poised to intercept his fleet. In the ensuing fleet action Russians were routed.Rozhestevensky's flag ship was sunk,admiral made a prisoner of war but subsequently repatriated to Russia.

This is well-written book meant for lay readers.Author's intention has been to entertain and inform public. However there are few deficiencies.Russian defeat had far-reaching repercussions on the course of History which have been ignored by author.What were they?

News of Russian defeat led to riots in St. Petersburg. Soon nation was engulfed with chaos ;another nail in the coffin of Romanovs.Bolsheviks under Lenin exploited the situation to the hilt to seize power a decade later.

Germany emerged strong and powerful which upset balance-of-power in Europe. To restore equilibrium Britain decided to ally with France which ended her policy of isolation.

Strikingly , Japanese victory exploded the myth European armies were invincible. This infused confidence ,hope among subject peoples of Asia and Afrika their days of subservience to European rule were fast coming to an end. For the latter could now be successfully challenged in war.

Finally,Russian defeat heralded Japan's arrival in the 'league of great powers'.Tokyo became bold and assertive and started pursuing belligerent foreign policy which clashed with American interests in the Far East.Japan's long road to Pearl Harbor began.