The " Echo de Chine" translates from the "Novi Kral" the following account of the operations at Port Arthur on the 8th and 9th of February.
"Towards midnight, and although war had not yot been declared, four Japanese torpedo-boats attacked our vessels which were on the anchorage outside the har-hour. The torpedo-boats were received with a well-sustained fire. Some of the numerous torpedoes launched by the enemy struck the ironclads Retvizan and Tsarevitch and the cruiser Pallada, damaging them.
Neither the engines nor the guns of either of the three vessels suffered and they continued to float. In spite of the darkness of the night, measures were taken to tow them within the harbour.
Our losses in this attack were:—Officers, none; bluejackets, killed two, drowned five, wounded eight.
After the attack several unexploded torpedoes were found floating on the water.
Entering the harbour, the damaged Is grounded on account of the low tide.
The Tsarevitch floated off next morning and entered the harbour.
On the morning of the 9th February the approach of a Japanese squadron was signalled. Everything was ready to repulse the enemy in case of an attack.
Our squadron was composed of the ironclads Petropavlovsk, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral Stark, commanding the squadron, the Poltava, the Sevastopol, and the Peresviot, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral Prince Oukhtomsky; the cruisers Bayan, Diana, Askold, Boyarin, Novik, and the transport Angara, All, under full steam, were ready to engage.
Towards eight o'clock, four Japanese second-class cruisers passed in front of the squadron, moving from Liaotishan towards the South-east, and evidently desiring to draw our vessels into following them.
The Boyarin, sent to ascertain their movements, returned at 10.35 a.m. and announced the approach of the enemy in considerable force.
At 1.7 am. there appeared on the horizon the enemy's fleet consisting of 12 units, six first-class battleships and six first-class protected cruisers. The four vessels previously seen followed them in line.
At 11.10 am. the enemy opened fire at a distance of about four miles, with 12-inch guns. Immediate response was made from our side.
At the beginning of the battle our ships were all in one line, but they presently drew up in double formation. The cruisers Askold and Boyarin withdrew aft of the Lutin rocks, the cruiser Novik stood off Lisotishan, and the cruiser Bayan was between our, battleships and the enemy.
The forts opened fire after the squadron.
During the battle, the Viceroy and his staff took up positions on Golden Hill.
Fighting took place at a range of from 40 to 22 cables and lasted from 30 to 45 minutes.
The enemy's squadron having approached to within about 25 cables turned when south of Liaotishan towards the south and disappeared in the light mist which covered the horizon.
The batteries on Golden Hill and Electric Hill were most exposed to the enemy's fire and these places were covered with fragments of shell. A great many shells fell in the old town, as far as and including Quail Hill.
Among the vessels which took an active part in the engagement, the Novik, the Askold. and the Diana received slight damage.
At the end of the fight a dense column of steam and smoke was observed on one of the Japanese boats and it is thought that this vessel sank.
The last reports received are that six of the enemy's ships were damaged and their losses in killed and wounded were 150.
Our losses were In the fleet: killed twenty-one sailors, wounded four officers and ninety-seven sailors.
In the forts: Killed one sailor; seriously wounded one sailor; slightly wounded three sailors. No officers injured.
The cruiser Pallada took part in the battle though aground.
'The torpedo flotilla was stationed east of the squadron ready to attack the enemy's ships which came nearest, but as these latter ceased to advance' and finally disappeared the attack was not made.
Although the enemy's squadron w: composed of the strongest units in th Japanese fest and all the cruisers were admirably protected, while our cruisers consisted almost entirely of non-protected vessels, our fleet having approached the enemy fired and manceuvres with great rapidity.
The Novik did specially valiantly and ral times attacked the Japanese flagships Mikasa, fine land batteries also took part in the battle, chiefly those of Golden Hill and Electric Hill. These two attacked the enemy with mortars and 9-inch guns. The enemy's fire was chiefly directly at these two batteries, but thanks to their excellent construction with the most perfect technical requirements, the battle ended with no loss among their defenders.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.