The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-28
The Story of the Battle.

(By the Associated PresS.)
Toxic, May 27.-(Noon. )-The Jap
anese army swept the Russians fl ON
Kin hou yesterday morning and in a
desperate attack stormed the almost
| impregnable position of the Russians
! on Nanshan Hill, west of Talienwan.
| The battle ragged in the hills all
! through the night and fragmentary
kilograms from the Japanese head
! quarters report that the engagement
is still in progress and that the Japa-
neSe are still pursuing the Russians
south from Nanshan and the head of
! Talienwan Bay.
The Russians had made elaborate
! preparations to check the Japanese
movement south on the Lao Tung
| peninsula toward ort Arthur They
| had fortified the high ground on the
south shore of Talienwan Bay their
works extending to the east and the
west. The extreme Russian right was
at Hushangtao and the extreme left
at Nanshan Hill. This hill was the
strongest part of the line; a series of
batteries, strongly emplaced crowd
ed its crest, while rifle pits extended
around it's sides Mines had been
placed lower down on this hill and
around the base on the northern md
eastern sides were stretched we'll
made wire entanglements. Another
line of defenses, also protected with
wire entanglements, extended from
Yen hia Tung near the head of Talien-
wan Bay, due north of Liuchia Tim,
which lies south of Kin Chou.
A strong Russian force was posted
at Kin Chou. 1t consisted of infantly
and artillery
First Position of Japanese.
The japanese first occpied the 'ine
of hills to the east of Kin Chou Their
position had formed an almost Ter
feet right angle, showing it's front to
TalienWan and it's western front 10
Kin Chou. Chiu Lichan villege was
the apex of this angle the extreme
right of the japanese line rested ut
Chenchatien, which is almost due
north of Chiu Ii Chan, while the ex-
treme left was at Chaitsuho, villege
due east of Chiu Lichan. Back of the
angle the attacking forces assembled
in complete securitl.
The Russians apparently attempted
to draw the Japanese attack last Sat
urday, for their batteries opened fire
slowly on the enemy on that day.
The Japanese, however, refused to BIZ
drawn into an attack until the posi-
tions of the Russians, their guns and
their strength had been fully develop
ed. To this end the Japanese began Il
series of careful maneuvers, their
officers working their way close
enough to the Russian position 10.
draw the enemys fire. They thus Sc
cured fragments of shells for the pur-
pose of ascertaining the caliber of the
Russian guns They discovered that
the batteries on Nanshan Hill includ-
ed four howitzers of about 15 cent?
metres calibres; ten old style cannon
of between 3 and / 5 centimetres call
bre and two quick-liring guns of IL
centimetres.
The Japanese discovered also a
numbe of large emplacements, bur
they did not learn the number OF guns
contained therein. These rmplace-
ments faced TO the north and to the
cast
The guns fired by the Russians de-
veloped a range of $500 metres.
Eight heavy guns posted on the RUS
sian right in the vicinity of Hushang
tao also We're discovered and another
strong Russian position developed by
these reconnissances was on another
nil southwest of Nanshan Hill, where
the Russians had q series Of shelter
trenches On the shore Of Tailienwar
Bay, close to the head of the bay, the
Russians had established a series OF
positions. Here were set up the
searchlights which rightly placed over
the Japanese angle in the hills to the
northeast.
a Fatal Defect Discovered.
Further reconnaissance developed
Continued on Page Five.)