The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-09-09
DESCRIPTION OF
LATEST BATTLE
Japanese Occupied Lao Yang
at a FrightfuI Cost.
THREE ASSAULTS BY okU
APPALLING LOSSES OF M1KADo's
HOSTS.


BATTLE OF Lao Yang. Describing the
operations of Sept. 1, he says:
The general impression was that We
had only to advance and occupy the
town, but Generals Nodzu's and Oku's
armies required a days rest. In fifty
hours Oku had made four general as
sauits which had failed, and he had
subsisted through the inclement wealth
er on rations carried on the person.
Mnlie reserve ammunition required re-
Inc Russians had fallen back in
gooo order, taking with them every
snlhs except some 200 of their latest
dead, While the only prisoners to fall
into the hands of the Japanese were
seven men who were entombed in an
observation mine casemate on a brush
covered hill. y Japanese storming
party had piled sand bags over the edi-
nee OF the casemate. 1t was an extra
ordinary incident, for the entombed
russians had shot two officers who
wished to parley with them and even
tuauy surrendered thirty-six hours
later in a horrible state.
will not dwell upon the sickeniDg
ana narrowing sights OF the battlefield
except 10 mention one incident: The
Japanese stormers had penetrated the
hlghest trench and had overpowered
the Cossacks holding it, but Russians
I'm spllnter-proof shelter behind
had fallen with their bayonets on the
gallant japanese in the moment of
their success and the bodies of both
japanese and Cossacks were piled thick
upon each other in a hideous heap.
The casualties of the Japanese in
nVe divisions at the lowest compilation
were not less than 10000. and they We're
PROBABLY many more, for owing to the
crops Of millet, several Of the wounded
nave not been found and they must
nave died miserably, while many bodies
VIII never be found until the crops are
cut.
II is impossible to estimate the Rus
sian losses, which are probably half
those of the Japanese. II must be re-
lnembered that my estimate of the lat
Ter does not include the Tenth division
of KurokVs army.
Just before shutdown there was q fnII
RUSSIAN response to the Japanese fire
Trains have been seen leaving ali dur
lug the Tday. Again the rear guard hav-
iii &c completed I'm It's work, retired"
arllIery attacks as one of the most Sc
we're concentrated artillery fires the world
mas ever seen. Every gun belonging to
Two or the Japanese corps was trafned in
sition. ?
correspondent saws:
II was magnificent and withal an
a S,iring spectacle. The Russian
S"WooNnS were set on fire as We're the
81 tlcn buildings, and nothing could live
under the attack. The end of the Rus
sian resistance had come, and the Japan
csc 2unners rested from this part of de-
YastatiOn and slaughter. when suddenly
out or the midst Of smoke and murly
dust left from the shrieking shrapnel
came counter flashes from two or three
RUSSIAN batteries. One almost felt in
c ei 10 cheer, but il seemed that il was
their last effort-a magnificent farewell
long. -
We had evidence that Lao Yang would
DC abdn<s5ned but il seemed certain that
though defeated and forced by superior
numbers and superior artillery and to
some extent by superior troops, Kuropat-
kin had in turn defeated japanese STRAIT
egy, Tor as far as we could learn or
judge By the direction of the fire, Kuroki
was sun fighting TO get astride the Rus
sian communications.
That evening the remaining Russians
IN the trenches still kept the Jdpalese at
pay, but the iron-minded Oku. little
that his fierce assaults had
already cost close upon 20.00O men, de-
upon a final enveloping assault
on this stubborn rear guard. The last,
reserves were pushed in and at 3 O'Clock
in the morning. after five DAYS OF the
most severe fighting the world has seen
since the American civil war, the Japan
csc army seized the railway bridge and
was in occupation of Lao Yang
The correspondent says: No resource
known TO modern engineers for field
works had been overlooked. 1t was evil
dent at the outset that OkUs previous
had caused MIN 10 despise the
staying power of the enemy. for without
waiting tor adequate preparations he
pushed his infantry down to the limit
OF the standing crops which rad not
come under the Russians precautionary
sickles.
The Russian TASTES at Lao Yang were
9 revelation for which Ozu had 10 pay
dearly
Describing the failure of some Of The
japanese infantry attacks. the CORE
spOndent says:
The japanese art of war counsais per-
sistence, and they have material that can
be persistent. Despite the failure Of the
first attack on the SOth the cold gray of
morning witnessed another scene of
slaughter on the Russian right as the de-
tenders again hurled back the attack
4 ne japanese deserved success but an en-
Ihadtng fire swept each rush before the
men could even lay hands on the entan-
clements.
Graphically picturing the ebb and f1ou
1f the conflict on Aug 81 the corresnor9d-
ent continues:
"Oku was growing desperate. From thc
soSltion OF the Fifth division il was evi-
lent that the Tenth division and Eurol-i
were making no Roadway so Oku deter.
mined upon the third general assault on
nat night. Just think of tia third as
5auit IN twentyfour hours. All day lie
lad Oeen moving reserves upon the firing
Tue ana TINS assault was but a repetition
IL Drevio-s ones.
EXCEPT at one portion of the line there
vas gruesone evidence the next morniii..
% show how like hares I'm snares the he
ole infantry had struggled into the
Jdrbed wire cntanglpmentS to die-b0U.
numbering in the darkness. sections had
brown themselves down Yards from the
laring lines Of the muzzles whose flashes
marked the goal they were never TO win;
)ut the First battalion Of the Thirty
ourth regiment which for fOrty-eight
lours had been lying in the scrub at the
DOT of the green glaeias Ion the center
Ill broke through the entauglements and
n spite of the flanking fire which SWEPT
lway group after group. had enough en-
iursnce 70 reach the first trench. What
happened there no one knows. but In tho
morning when we viewed the position
Russians and Japanese were lying inter
mingled waist deep in the ditch. while
rom parapet to entang lemcntS. perhaps
or 80 yards q thick trail of PROSTATE
Khaki told a tale no pen can describe.
Everywhere again the assault had
allied. Divisional telephones told head
quarters the desperate news. and the ia
onic reply was: Construct reinforce and
assault again before daybEeak,' but the
curtain had already fallen on the first
lcI Of the drama.
when shaken by the repeated attacks,
earful for his left flank. or finding thai
[uroki could be held only with difficulty
rom his communications, kurOpatkln.
Who was present in person. cOuntenanced
general withdrawal from the posiuons,
nd about midnight he fell back 10 the
bird line leaving seven prisoners in the
Japanese hands
Kuropatkin was beaten. but not routed
~ any means. 1t was thought that the
Japanese would occupy Lao Yang imme-
lately but there were 10 be forty-elght
lours more of sanguinary struggle before
he withdrawal Of kuropatkin.
Commenting on the foregoing, the Times