Harry Collingwood

Under the Ensign of the Rising Sun - A Story of the Russo-Japanese War Harry Collingwood

Under the Ensign of the Rising Sun is a fictional war narration that depicts a young British naval officer helping the Japanese attack Port Arthur.

Much of the story is set upon the battleship Mikasa; one of the flagships of the Japanese fleet, it was the vessel upon which Admiral Togo Heihachiro staged his greatest and most daring assaults upon Russian coastal positions. The author's narration is fast-paced and rich in technical detail, as well as the amiable conversation between Japan's officers and our hero.

Our hero, though only a young sailor of nineteen, is a daring yet highly competent British attache of the Japanese navy. In his role in assisting Japan's officers in their fight to reclaim territory from the Russians, we hear of several of the most successful naval battles of the war. Eventually the protagonist commands Japanese ships; his portrayal being one of a man capable far beyond his years.

The Russo-Japanese war ensued between February of 1904 and September of 1905. It was a turning point for the nation of Japan, who asserted its power and competence against one of the world's major powers. The Japanese victory, which was comprehensive both at sea and on land, was a shock to the world's powers - a nation formerly thought benign had shown great might and courage.