Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-13
WITH EUR0KI'S ARMY
Right Wing '9f the Japanese
i, ]: Forces i
TRYING re CUT LINE
ADVANCING OYER MOUNTAINS
wtTHoHT ROADS.
Troops Proceeded Night and Day for
Five Days Pushing the
Enemy.
TRYING To CUT LINE

four days he effected mastery retire
ment along the railroad probably with his
army almost intact and taking away the
bodies Of half of his men who were killed
in action.
The part that the Japanese force under
command of Gen. Kuroki played in the
conflict was remarkable. From the 25th
to the Both of August, when he effected a
junction with the other Japanese armies |
around Liaoyang. he advanced night and
day over almost roadless mountains, push
ing the enemy before him.
He then made a rapid change Of base
from Anping to point on the eastern side
or the railroad with his left wing ten miles
north of Lfaoyang, thus leaving a wide
gap between the troops and main body of
the Japanese.
Kurokps Purpose.
The purpose of Gen. Kuroki was to cut
the railroad, which was Gen. Kuropatkin's
only possible avenue of retreat, and at
tempt surrounding movement. On the 4
night of September his force reached
position two or three miles from the rail-
road with the right division ready to strike,
Dut Cen kuropatkin was able to send a SUI
perlOr5 force against him and hold him at
bay while the Russian army made good its
-
For two days 1t seemed possible that the
a large scale and perhaps force the Japa-
reese right army, as the command Of Gen /
kuroki is called, to abanGon its position. 4
Following Kuropatkin. ,
This morning. September g. however.
Cen kuroki is following Gen. Kuropat-
kin's rear guard. and brisk action, but
PROBABLY without result, is in progress, No
estimate of the casualties can be obtained
at this writing, but dHrips the. forty-eight
hours IN which the right army was en-
gagged in desperate lighting the dead and
wounded doubtless tota,ed several thou
During September 1 and Q the army under
zen. kuroki .st dvaaked to the westward
rom a line between the village and the
s sac Tort Of kWangtnng, with the. division
n ronn ana me re- %aght wing extending to- the
of the Taitse FLYER n The right and centar
OF Gen: Kurokfs line, were fighting with de- 4
adnanaa on and gaining every foot of their
On the morping Of September l the jap
anese artillery was close to Kwangtung. Ii
advanced several times during these two
DAYS, shifting Its positions and taking ad
vantage of low bluffs. During this time the
Russians shelled the Japanese artillery
furiously. Their fire was concentrated prin.
clpaAy upon the batteries located near
kwangtung.a but 1t never disturbed the Jap
anese gunners, who Continued coolly to
man their pieces. '-'' -
Overlooking Mental. ~,.,s,
With the advent Of darkness on septem- |
Der the right division Of Gen. Kuroki's
army had occupied some hills which tha
Chinese aptly named the Five headed i.
hills" situated five miles to the north of
kwahgtung and overlooking the railroad
station at Yentai, which is two or three
mics to the west of them. One brigade :
On the extreme right had gained a posi-
Ion mile or two further north and to
the northwest of Coal Mine hill. urbaro
foreign buildings could be seen.
Ihe japanese center division held a long
low hill five miles to the west of Kwone
LUG ana ABOVE the village of Sukwantung.
between kwangtung, where from a Man
Gnu stone fort on bare and rocky hill
General kuroki observed the conflict tor
Tour days. exposed all the while to the fierce
t ~ oi tne sun, ana the hills which formed
the Japanese advance line. beyond which
they gained but little until the night of
September 4, there lies a rolling country
with several low ridges of hills and many
groves, giving cover to both armies
The Russians had cut away the grain and
trees from in front of their intrenchments
on these hills, leaving the approaches omen
and bare. -
Advanced Under Fire,
In the advance movement over this section
the Japanese troops were under fire con-
stantly. and they could only work forward
by the digging of successive rows of trench
es. The suffering was great
The men, already exhausted by several
days of the hardest kind of fighting and
marching, were obliged to work INCREASINGLY
with their rifles or with trenching tools
They were unable to cook rations for fear
that their fires would disclose their nosi
tons to the enemy.
The taking of these hills, particularly the
one at Heiyingtai. cost the Japanese heav-
lily.
After cannonading this Hill during t,,e
day of September l and gradually forcing
back the Russian infantry on the Main
Without being able to dislodge them, the
japanese again resorted to their fayorite
operation, a night attack, and drove the
russians out at the point of the bayonet
They also stormed the ''five-headed hills
to the northwest. during the afternoon of
September 2 -.
While this engagement was going on the
left division made demonstration against
the high hills at sukWantung. to the south
Taitse river, where the Russians had
strong Notifications and batteries. Apart
Of the left division, supported by the fire
of the batteries on the plain, ATTEMPTED to
advance in, extended formation across the.
wide graveled flats south of the river and
bordering the fields.
They came under heavy fire from the
Russian guns. The only possible protection
was the depressons in the flats, and their
ranks We're raked by the enemy's shrapnel.
The Japanese soldiers lay fiat on their
races ana were iundeF the russian fire I'M
til 5 o'clock that afternoon, at which hour
the movement was suspended A member
of the staff described this movement al a
demonstrations II
1t probably was intended to sunnort the
advance of a part Of the center division on
the same hills. 81
One of the Bloodiest Fights.
One Of the biuodiest safrrays of the entire
war developed Ithatfsrnight on the lower
ridges of these same, hills. A part of the
Japanese center division was engaged IN
another night assault. Upon approaching
the Russian trenches, they encountered an
unexpected defense.
The Russians had strung along the
ground heavy oWires 9highly charged with
electricity. and as the Japanese soldiers
ran against thetwires"in the darkness thew
received severe shocks. In addition to thjs
the Russian troops defending these trenches
threw hand grenades or shells among the
stormers.
The effect was terrifying. and MANY of
the Japanese were wounded. The attemnf
to seize this hill. which was an important
vantage ground to either army. was NOT
successful. One japanese battery which
fought its way into the trenches. exhaust
ed its ammunition. 1t attempted to cut IT'S
xx,ttt he ha