| Show K sNOT IMPREGNABLE SIEGE OF PORT ARTHUR b AS GIVEN BY JAPANESE Forts W re trong But the ika o s ten Men Went t A tf f A Against gains t Ih Them em After Being Driven I From rom Captured Positions STI They yC C m re e Back BackI ji and and Again Until They We Were J i Entrench Themselves I H T RS of the Third hira Jap anese anase in Front Of r Port Ar fb ov 2 via Via Chef 00 Nov hen the Japanese drove the from their ther strong position on tho last range o his lulls In front of 1 the he fortress by a surprIse attack July f si the retired to Thu ho forts ut IUt the they ao uJo held previously prepared cd Mance lines to prent the Japanese from closing upon the forU forti lied ridges This lne line of fort forts va fourteen mie long forming a semi semicircle circle ircle from the Ule cat east coast to tour mIc miles from the west coast and circling five miles lies northwest ot of Port Arthur Th ber belt proper was vas a twelvemile flom ruin coast to coast Japs aps n a Mie Mile Away The fhe e was a mie flin the advance Russian lne line in the a of his lulls cn lo On their lef left flank asa as a hi hilly countr country east ot Tat Ta Tau f u mountain Their right Cank flank was over er te the crests ot of a range of his hills ex n a northwesterly direction Port Athur Arthur to Luisa Louisa ba bay Be Bet t en the mountain and the 1 fortress was the triangular valey valley two mies miles wIde ily dry r water courses almost to the toot foot of f the hi bLU The Russian ad adanee anee ance passed paced through the center or f the valley The fortified ridges on the east and andt t of the city were in the ate shape of an angle with it apex In the vale valley The outskirts of oft t the he cit city were betwee the est eat and wet west fortified I Advance Was Easy Though the advance of the he Japanese over the valley was comparatively 1 ively ly e owing to the good cover at af afforded forded by the water ater cJ c and way crops of Chinese corl corn the they were wele subjected to u a concentrated Ing Cr fire from Crom the fort forts on the east and andst and west st ridges ridges Before the Invest nent ment wa was drawn close about the fort SR much was necessary on the Jl rt or of the Japanese fank flanks Two Taku and close to 1 Uie he eastern ex extremity ot of the fortified and essential to a close Invest Jent nent were by the Russians From the top toj pC of Talt Taku a precipitous moun tail lain hundred feet high the Rus tans were able to see the rear or of the ln liOt On the thc flank re le to tort forts or or l 14 yards and 20 yards ards high The inore nor strong trong advance works were situated on the lower peaks peak of th the same rang range extending in a 3 direction from the eIt Louia Louisa bay These works pro prot t e d the RusIan lef left flank nank and pre c th the Japanese from pushIng a L lure 0 on Port Arthur through the val vally 01 ly t the shore of PIgeon bay as a woks works commanded the gap In the th ChaIr hil lull fort forts on the wet west con Coast st Works Well Built The Thc advance works were well con Dud nud more difficult to take talce that than I Ionie onie of the permanent forts It wa wat t d to close on th the left lefi t tr r flank first taking Taku and I The former fonner was rugged t and had precipitous slopes on oni oi t titi i iti t east cut and northeast sides The rhe ad ada a south was made mude under the fire II i the east enst forts fort or of mountain A lon was ordered to take the huh hills AuS 7 the bombardment began in Ii the forenoon the divisional bing a b by three batteries of 47 4 ih guns gun and four batteries of o HII 1 hi f Inch Howitzers replied wIth field gum fI altu mountain and with J I front from the he e est sl orts forts The artil artily y lt IV on two hilb was silenced lIen ed at lt 6 ik tn In the evening und and the J C Infantry advanced at 7 in three thra C lumis the right lk keeping in Ii with Ul th left of the Ule utah main t thie in th In Rain Interfered it The advance was Wall in the torn form I t tf 1 a t or of ft a circle from frolD the east Ita vY rAJu the and tin I IC C HI erly i sLopped th the art fir the Ule infantry In on ni I fu they had pre ly 8 leu the Russian iRn guns th I opened a heavy rifle nC I e fit lilT the crets of oC the and am il the J attacking fore C 1 build trenches for fol u mom nOrth to east elcee clo e to the foot Coot of o 1 tb lam bill c 4 ne regiment took an es angle on thy ascent nt of th C south slope lope the night a battal battalion ion of was added to the at fore force on the south slope The Th e day rain Th C on Olt the south slope were e In hi their from the Ole east ens t fortS and were unable to advance up u p the SliPperY slopes l B and Assault n n torpedo gunboats appeared d doff or off tl CORst near neal S lt d bombarded A Japanese regIment on o U Uthe th the slope so 80 that it had to re retire re tire The fleet teet finally was compelled d to retire under the fire of the Howitzer r Then a general bombardment t and all tire fire from Taku and an d mountains was stopped Eight it Japanese regiments from the it part ot of Port Arthur and one from Crom the th C northwest section gained a foothold on 0 H CH ile erest of Taku mountain an anU r a 8 de desperate per te p compelled the Russians to retire west yard vard Into theIr permanent torts forts Four Fou Lr ld guns were captured The Japanese regiments then corn com blued for an attack on moun I tale taint but were and compelled t tr r tn II spend the night In their trenches at a athe the toot foot ot of the hills At 4 in the morn morning ing the attack was waa renewed and the th e bills were captured The Russians left lef t hundreds ot of dead doad on their ab nod U Th Japanese c 5 re 1400 Though the Japanese w were ro unable to t 0 permanently occupy the captured hills bill 3 they robbed the russIans of ble C o This bled tbD fh p line Une t to be dr drawn Jl from th tha pe e i coast between n the two hills and nd the th a eastern Attack on Left Flank Attention was then turned to the thenus th c cI nus BussI b It n anh Two Japanese f bri I pdt ad fi er cr ordered to Th The y I si s lii hi th the night a un line two miles In i ll At 2 in the morning a heavy rain ain r greatly Impeded d their progress but tho t hey reache the Russian entangle merits un under heavy htaY Ore A quarter inch i it steel wire compelled the pioneers to t o cut ut the poles to open the way The po 1 was ia captured at 4 In the mOl ing of AuG 14 the c attack bein repulsed A heavy bombardment of the Run Rus slat lap s ad works on a low mw hIll north ot of bill finally compelled the fire to n A t night attack was made macic on oi the Russian advance works The Japanese reached the outer en n but were then repulsed Sta Starlight shells located the Japanese Jines ines l on searchlIghts were thrown t after which the Russian RussUm ma hiRe guns buns played havoc all night with the he t tt Japanese In hi the trenches on the Ile t a concentrated fire from f roni I tse m and the advance forts forte compelled d the se to cease oPerations Sieg Siege in Place n it was announced at the Japanese headquarters on or the that the siege guns Jl tC in position ready to a bombardment b on the The headquarters on the were at atI of close to the railroad and thirteen miles north o of I Port Arthur The A Press Pres correspondent upon his arrival there was welcomed by General NogI who I said he was just In time to see the or of a successful campaign and the of Port Arthur The correspondent went to the front the morning of oC the and saw the positions from Crom the highest peak of Feng hoang mountain ata at a range of five miles from Port Arthur and two miles west of 01 the railroad It was evident eident that a general attack had bad been The railroad to Port Dalny was taxed to its capacity in bringing troops s sl siege ge guns ammunition tion and supplies to the front and the roads were crowded l with marching troops and transports Taps Were Energetic Great activity prevailed everywhere In the Japan Japanese e A good vie view of the operations could be obtained on the right front or of Port Arthur Crad led lcd among the hills only the outskirts I were visible jacked backed b by r the beetling brow ot of the TaU Tall peninsula fur further ther south to the right towering the Jagged ridge o ot the tho Llao Tian moun mountains Tj l the foreground and further wet west the Chair lulls theIr peculiar out outlines lines clearl clearly defined SweepIng round further to the tight ight was peak on peak or of tl a lofty range or of hills extending from Port Arthur to the shores o of Louisa bay The high hIght peaks were respect respectively ively and high hiSh The hills were crowned with advance forts In ii the nearer dIstance was the Shu ishi valley vaHey with its green waving ChI CM ChInese nose nese corn forming level leel ground divid dividing lug ing the of oC the Japanese left flank right id center Through the east se sectiOn tl n of the valley valle the railroad I runs in into o the city DIrectly in front valey vaHey the I fort fart rd s extend from the outskirts o of Port Arthur to the coast II Chain Ohain of Ports Forts Four n to the east cost of the city n a ridge of oC mountain were two forts fort th the firt u a strong redoubt i In the valley taUe w vre re three forts on I mountain there were three forts and moun I there ere and on thee were two forts Corts BesIdes this there re WiltS vis the fort In the direction of oC the advance forts and other forts on lulls hills West Vest ot of ho guarding the western con lines ants 0 of thE city Il were the i group of forts wIth four new and po pow powerful erful forts on the foothills of the Liao Liac I tie mountains The Russian advance Hue Ithe of o was in the Corm forni of a semi semicIrcle I cIrcle from the east count coust near Taku I mountain along the base bose of the east I eru erti fort lI d ridges across the apex of the valley where there were strong redoubts protected by trenches I Then in a northwest rl direction I skirting th the Rd co torts forts on a further rIdge near neal the c coast ast was lull L nd other d forts In 11 the cal al I l ley y bet between e 1 the two ridges lies Port Arthur the lie narrow apex of the HI tJ stood fort 1 upon a lull hili which shuts out n a view ot of the thC city The fort belt west of the t eity ar fLOn flOm Port Arthur with the I powerful forts running in a a L I direction to the Chair hit hill I group staid uld beyond were the weston western I fortified rIdges anti the I sea coast south t of Louisa baY I The left flAnk of the Japanese po position u I rested on the coast near neur Taku t I mountain It in the form Corn of O OH H 8 irtle on n the north side of the alIey over a crest of lulls j Masked Positions The right flank was at Louisa ba bay The sIege train and captured I 1 occupied masked positions among the th i I hills In semicircles on the right and ant i left fian flanks The reserve infantry wa va on n the foothills on the further 1 I side of the i range of moun Along the front of the Japanese I base bose was a large lurge system of well eon con I trenches from rota coast to coa coast t manned by bj infantry white while the mali mai I 1 I I bodies of the th Japanese troops were coti coli nd spurs und and passe Jas E II throughout the ranges It was wa mar marvelous elous 10 how the Japanese army sa as S conCealed from view even from rom the cnn cen ten tel of the Ule Japanese position The trans rt and ammunItion col columna columna worked from their base at the tb S village of oC T six miles mile S In fit the rear of the railroad M ch Sickness weather had fermented the ther th S r ed much berl ber 1 among the Japanese troops The num her ber of gases June to September r I was nearly 16 Burin During tIle the soWe eather or of O tober there were caIl cally no cases or of beri berl I During the morning Q of the Ule the thi C siege guns opened a desultory fire to ti n I find the ranges and an entire divisIon L Lof ot of Infantry advanced and assaulted the th 3 Russian redoubts at the foot of Rih I lung mountain The troops captured I Ithe the trenches lit in front of the redoubt Tl TI began It II earnest at a t I r n t tI with a bombard merIt ot o the Um ot of Rus lan it forts Battery battery of Japan ese artillery was unmasked f the Bus Rus fians apparently apparent I being unable to locate them for the they replied Und Under r cover of the bombar ment the Japanese infantry mode made a general advance against the Russians first trenches along lon the r railroad into center oJ of the Ule y and also oil the thc lines In the valley yaney li the east elut and west of villaga Six hun bun yards uth of the village the way into the protected Our advance fonts In the torah form ot of a sqUare open t the rear and an connected b by I u trenches and having a moat In front A desperate attempt ws made by bJ the Japan during th afternoon to capture the strongest t fort The d cut the entanglements crossea the with Scaling stormed the fort and drove the RussIans b back ck ut the real strength of their po position lay in the bombproof oo trenches ext extending south ot of the other They were filled with and con al j machine machin guns Y a deadly han h ail of Into the JU Japanese forced fo them to retire At about the sane sone Ru Russians ians recaptured captured re the thi tr in front of redoubt doubt re in advance pf th the Ri lung fort fortOn On O n the right O 11 k the u n line hpe was forced fo back One Japanese regIment worked w up the east slope and r regiment r matle wa way up the slop sl ope of s hill under the COl cOi c lire fire ot the Ru artillery and a nd tort or at the point of the th e bayonet The fort and hm bill were w ere strongly supported by bombproof trenches enches tr and with i sand ba b a walls and were armed with two urinch fo guns gun besIdes other The J copt captured red five field guns and four f our machine guns uns Their casualties were r ere 1400 TI Three lee hundred and ard fifty R de dead d w were rc left In the po position At 4 1 odo tt In the afternoon during th t he bombardment a tort Cart orl on the ridge c ast of fort sas as struck by a J shell and burst Into flames Hames and a ait nd the Russians who lad had nei it retired back of the Chinese wall In Inthe the t he rear Durin Dunin the evening a 11 divIsion on o n the Japanese left lert flank c cUt t the en n t on the al slope pe east of Keek wan w an fort hIll and before dawn on the 2 1st a center division of o the th Japanese g the foot Coot of East fort called c b by the Japanese Enst Ka ort fort f and tried to cut ut the entangle entanglements ments m eats but tho th troops were repulsed Japs Were Out At da daylight light all the Japanese bat batteries teries eries t of the center di i ion concen concentrated rated t their fire on the and andl I l K forts but despIte the artIl artIllery lery l ery support the Japanese were tere driven L out o ut ot of the east tort fort by sn 1111 at att atack t ack ck of a massed body of Russians from f rom the Chinese wall The threatened t to result in on an utter r fallor to t o secure a foothold on the I ridge idge r and General Nogi summoned th u generals g of the left and center dIvisions I to t o consult with him concerning the op e During his at 11 Ir in inthe Irhe I the he t morning wIthout special orders everal s companies or of a regiment of thc enter center c division emerged from t ir trenches t at the foot of the East Ban Ball tj j usan fort and in tens auw twenties charged c up the slope to the broker broken L wall w all of the around the crest oC 01 the he t fortified hm hill and under cover ol of ofa a splendid shrapnel 1 pra practice from th thlu Ir field f batteries in iii the y The Bus Rus Russians ians s behind the welt walt In the fort fori L poured p out a hall hail of rIfle 1100 bullets and am t he g Ds b forth Japanese ane Twice T wice the l latter were forced back tUl I the he t |
