360                        A NEW  FLOTILLA                 [pt.h.
by the ships to be formed into two divisions: the first one to consist of six boats of the newest types, the second of eight of the older and slower kind. Both divisions were placed at my disposal,
'' Give them plenty of exercise. Let us hope that they will be good for something," the Admiral said to me. " They could also be used for exercising the ships in repelling torpedo attack. Our destroyers can't be used for this, as it is quite possible that they would be hopelessly damaged, and never reach their destination at all."
On February 6, I took my flotilla out for the first time ; they had never before been worked together. This, our first day's exercise, was marked by an incident which would have been ludicrous, if it had not been so sad.
Shortly before the war, in the autumn of 1903, a new signal code was introduced in our navy. (A standing signal committee had worked at this for five years.) The new signal books never reached Port Arthur, as it was already invested, but they got to Vladivostok, and the Second Squadron was also equipped with them.
At the time of our sailing from Libau I drew the attention of those concerned to the fact that if we were to meet the Port Arthur Squadron we should be speaking different languages; but I was pacified by the assurance that a set of old signal books would be taken as well in any case. The fall of Port Arthur, of course, removed the possibility of such a dilemma in the most radical manner.
But in the Second Squadron this is what occurred. During the hurried equipment of the ships they received boats' signal books of the new edition (these are abbreviated and simplified signal codes, having nothing in common with the ships' signal books) ; but the appendix, which contains the so-called evolutionary signals [governing tactical movements] had been omitted in the new edition. It was then discovered that in the new signal book, and in the appendix to the old one, the same combinations of flags had totally different meanings.
As soon as my flotilla was assembled off the Suvoroff, at the appointed time, I stepped into my "flag-boat," and, using the evolutionary^signals (appendix of the old boats'