The San Francisco call., 1904-06-17


Is from Vafangow say the Japanese
during the first days fighting had a
battery Of six-inch guns. These re-
ports, unite in saying that the Russians
several times repulsed the enemy,
speak especially of the fine work of
the Russian artillery and report that
the Japanese losses, which include
quite a number of prisoners captured
were much heavier than those of the
Russians. They estimate that the enc
my's battery fired 2500 rounds in the
first days fighting
A semi official dispatch from Muk-
den, dated June 16. says the engage
ment at Nafangow on June ID and Is
was undertaken. with the object of
drawing off a portion of the Japanese
forces from Port Arthur. and resulted
In improving the Russian position.
The Japanese losses were very heavy.
Another correspondent, describing
the fighting, writes:
The date, June IA, will forever be
memorable in our annals. A success
sion of furious attacks by two divisions
Of the enemy and batteries of siX-inch
guns were repelled by our troops, who
nowhere yielded an inch of ground,
despite heavy losses. The Fourth Bat
terry lost many gunners, but did not
WaYer. Our guns were served superb
ly, paralyzing the attack of the Jap
anese infantry and causing their bat
teries TO recoil. The soldiers of the ST.
berian Rife regiments behaved mag
nifiCently. All the troops are full of
enthusiasm"
REPORT OF KUROPATKIN.
Emperor Nicholas has received the
following dispatch. dated June Is, from
General Kuropatkin:
An engagement occurred on June
IA at Wafangtien (north of Port Ar
thur with a Japanese force number
ing at least two divisions. Our losses
in killed include Colonel Khoa stonnow,
commanding the First Regiment of
Eastern Siberian Rifles, and Second
Lieutenant Dragoslaff Nadochinsky,
adjutant Of the regiment The wound
ed include Major General Goingross,
who remained on the field, and Cap
tain Hrintsky Of the general staff.
Twenty officers, whose names are at
present unknown, were killed or
wounded, besides 81 soldiers, of which
the First Regiment of Siberian Rifles
lost twelve officers and 200 men and the
First Brigade of Artillery six officers
and fifty men.
The following night was quiet until
o'clock in the morning, when a fusil-
line Of our outposts. The firing soon
slackened. At $50 o'clock in the morn
ing the japanese artillery opened on
our left flank. Shortly before this our
cavalry discovered on our right flank
the presence, southwark of TafanchOu,
OF a considerable force of the enemy.
The japanese infantry opened fire on
our cavalry, occupying the heights be-
tween Tafanchou and Linchou, on the
edge Of a wood.
CANNONADE BECOMES HEAVIER.
Toward $50 o'clock the enemy, con-
sisting Of a regiment of infantry, with
artillery, attacked from these woods.
At the same time the cannonade on our
left flank became heavier.
AT $50 o'clock General Baron Stalk
elberg passed with part of his force tc
the attack, turning the right flank of
the enemy toward Wafangtien and
Hunchou, and directing the other part
of his force against the enemy's front.
Toward>10 o'clock in the morning the
enemy sent a brigade of infantry, cav
airy and battery of artillery against
our right flank. and having repulsed
our detachments of cavalry proceeded
through Hunchou, turning the right
flank of our position.
General Stakelberg at 10:3O o'clock
in the evening advanced his reserves to
check this movement
According to information received
the enemy during the morning Of June
Is brought up considerable reinforce
ments, and as the main Japanese force
consists Of upward Of three divisions"
The dispatch broke off at this point.
FIGHTING is DESPERATE.
The losses on the Russian side, more
than 800 on Tuesday, show that the
has been of a desperate char
acter, and General Kuropatkin's re-
port this morning proves that both
armies are determined to force mat
ters to a decisive issue.
Kuropatkin's dispatch, given out
this morning, brought the report UP to
2:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon. but
at the most critical point of
the battle, when Stakelberg was meet
ing an attempt to turn his right wing
by a similar move around Nozu's left
flank. Stakelberg's reserves had al
ready been brought up and the jap
anese had been heavily reinforced.
General Goingross, who was wound
ed, commands the First Siberian Di-
vision of four regiments and a ma
chine gun battalion. General Samson
off commands the Usuri mounted bri-
gade.
The operations leading UP to the
battle of Vafangow date back to June
IL, when two Japanese divisions, one
commanded by General Nozu, ad-
vanced from the Pulantien-Pitzewo
line, probably prompted by the intel
ligence that the Russians were receiv-
ing reinforcements. A sharp skirmfsh
took place the night of June IL at
the village of Oudadien, five miles
west Of the railroad and seven miles
south of Wafangtien, and another
skirmish occurred on the heights near
the village Of Lidiatum, ten miles east
Of Oudiaden. The japanese were re-
pulsed. but the Russian advance posts
JAPANESE BEGIN ATTACK.
On June 10 two Japanese divisions
were five miles north of the scene of
the skirmish, their left wing resting
on the village of Vafangow and their