Pit Workers in the Old Days #12: Pictures in the Show Box #5; The Russo-Japanese War
1958 - 1963

Mukashi no Yamabito #12: Nozoki #5; Nichiro no Eki
[Pit Workers in the Old Days #12: Pictures in the Show Box #5; The Russo-Japanese War]
20.9 x 30.0 cm Ink Painting

During the Russo-Japanese War, Commander Takeo Hirose, a war hero, died a heroic death while he was commanding his corps in the operation to blockade the port of Lushun (Port Arthur) by sinking some old ships at its entrance. He sought Chief Warrant-officer Sugino who had been assigned to ignite the explosives to scuttle his ship again and again in vain, returning from his lifeboat to the sinking ship as many as three times. As soon as he resignedly transferred to the lifeboat at last, an enemy shell hit and killed him. Only a 30-millimeter-long piece of his body and his saber were left. It was when he was leading his crew and officers of the Fukuimaru in the second blockade operation on March 27, 1904.

Lyrics of the Song about His Death
1. Ah, sokai. Ah, sozetsu.
Waga kaigun no kesshitai,
shichiju shichi no yushira ga
goso no fune ni uchinorite,
daibanjaku to isamashiku.
Ah, sokai. Ah, sozetsu.

How exciting! How heroic!
Seventy-seven brave sailors
of the death squad of our Navy
on board those five ships
were as firm as a great rock.
How exciting! How heroic!

2. Minato o mamoru tekikan no
sentoryoku wa usetaredo,
ogoso ni mamoru daiba yori
uchikuru tama wa amearare.
(Ika ryaku)
Yami o tsuranuku chusa no sakebi,
"Sugino! Sugino! Sugino wa oranuka!"

Though the fighting power of the enemy fleet
to protect the port was already lost,
our ships received a cloud of shells
from the batteries on the hills to cover the fleet.
(Text partly omitted)
The commander's cries reached the ears of our soldiers through the dark,
"Sugino! Sugino! Where are you, Sugino!"

On the heights to his right were the batteries of Huangjinshan and on the left were Mt. Laotieshan. Behind him were countless forts and batteries, such as the batteries around Jiguanshan, Fort Erlongshan, Fort Yizishan, the batteries of Panlongshan, etc. Searchlights ceaselessly moved to-and-fro and lit up everything, dazzling the soldiers' eyes.


Translation Assisted by Mr. Nathan Johndro

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