The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-05-03
BOTH SIDES LOSE HEAVILY
EIGHT HUNDRED RUSSIANS AND
SEVEN HUNDRED JAPs ARE
DEAD OR WOUNDED.
BRILLIANT CHARGE BY JAPS
ROuT RUSSIANS FRoMA STRONG
POSITION AND TAKE MANY
GUNS AND PRISONERS.

ASJN0 fNEN0 rnIoON cH0s
Toxic, May 2.-The Russians were
forced to abandon Antung Sunday
They burned the town and r~etreatec
to Fenghuancheng.
The Japanese now control the es
tuary Of the Ya!u.
Toxic, May 2.-After five days o1
lighting, largely with artillery, the
First japanese army under General
Kuroki has forced the crossing of the
Yalu river and Sunday with a gallant
infantry charge, covering a frontage
of four miles, it drove the Russians
from C~hiutiencheng and the heights
on the right bank of the Tho or Aida
river, which enters the Yalu from the
north, almost opposite VIII. The
Japanese turned the left flank of the
Russian position and in the battle of
Sunday they swept away the new
front i~nterposed by the Russians to
check their onward movement.
The present position of the Japanese
Is a dominating one, and they may
force the abandonment of the defenses
erected by the Russians at Antung
and other points lower down the river.
General Kuroki began the move
ment on Tuesday by ordering a de-
tachment of the imperial guards divi-
sion to seize the island of Kurito,
which is in the Yalu above WIFI and
the detachment of the Second divi-
sion to seize the island of Kinteito,
which is situated below Win.
h detachment of the imperial
guards met with some resistance, but
1t succeeded in clearing the enemy
out and occupied Kurito island. The
Russians abandoned the island of
Kinteito when attacked by the detach-
ment of the Second division.
Actual Losses Unknown.
The actual losses sustained by the
detachment of the imperial guards is
not known. as there is an error in that
part OF the message received here re
ferring to the number killed, but nine
OF the detachment were severely and
sixteen slightly wounded. The detach-
meht of the Second division which
took the island Of Kinteito sustained
no losses.
During these movements on the is
lands the Russians opened fire on the
Japanese with eight 9k centimetre
guns from a hill behind Chiutiencheng
and two Hotchkiss guns which we're
mounted on the bank of the river at
kosan, where the Russians seemed to
have established their headquarters.
One battery of Japanese artillery
which had taken a position on a hill
to the east of WIFI fired three volleys
at Kosan and at 400 Of Tuesday the
Russian batteries behind Chiutien-
cheng shelled Wiju, wounding one
japanese soldier with shrapnel.
On Wednesday, the Russians re-
sumed the bombardment of Win,
firing at intervals throughout the day.
The Japanese artillery did not respond
to this fire.
General Kuroki has received reports
to the effect that the Russians are for
dtying the heights on the right bank
OF the Tho river. These new defenses
are declared to extend from Chintien-
cheng through the village Of Makao
w 4AO50Oh1s d ulSLdICc VI JuI0e dn0 n
quarter miles.
6ombardment Ineffective.
The Russians resumed their bonn
bardment on Thursday but it was gen.
orally ineffective. Subsequently Cen
eral Kuroki ordered two companies of
the imperial guards to cross the Yalu
and make a reconnaissance along the
left bank Of the Tho for the purpose of
discovering the character of the Rus
sian Notifications along the heights
on the right bank of the river. The
japanese force advanced toward Ko-
san, and then dispatched a small de-
tachment to the village, where a party
OF Russians was encountered. In the
engagement which followed five Rus
SLAMS were killed. The Russians
shelled the accommodating party from
an e~mplacement in the hills in the
southeast part Of Yoshoko. This fire
was without effect.
The Russian artillery on the hill be-
hind Chtutiencheng, firing at a high
angle, opened on Win. the island Of
Kurito and Seikodo, to the south of
VIII. where some Japanese batteries
had taken position. This firing con-
tinued into Thursday night and Gen.
eral Kuroki reports that while it was
ineffective, it disturbed his prepare
lions for an attack. The Russians re-
ssnmed the Smelling of Win on Friday
but the Japanese guns did not reply.
II The Twelfth division of the Japanese
army was chosen to make the first
crossing of the Yalu. It began it's
preparations on Friday by driving the
Russians from their position on the
bark of the river opposite Suikochin,
which Is eight miles above Win, and
the point selected for the crossing.
Division Crossed in One Day.
This a...vision constructed a pontoon
'triG,ge over the river and at 8 o'clock