The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-06-03
ag!4A. SEVERE BATTLE
Which Appalling Losses We're
Sustained by Both Armies.
THE JAPs CLAIM THE VICTORY

THE JAPs CLAIM THE VICTORY
The SGunbonts OF Both Combatantt
Took Part in Cooperation
With the Armies on
ilsSi Land
4 dispatch from Toxic, Japan, says
the Japanese army swept the Russians
frSm Kin Chou Thursday morning
an In desperate attack storrned the
impregnable position Of tire Russians
onENanshan hill, west of Talien Wan.
Tf7-S battle ragged in the hills all
through the night and fragmcntary
telegrams from the Japanese head
quarters reported that the engage.
mept is still In progress and tlat the
Japanese are ST IL pursuing the Rus.
sia1S south from Nanshan pnd the
head OF Talien Wan bay. The Rus,
siauS had made elaborate prepa rations
to check the Japanese movement
south On the Lao Tung peninsula TO.
ward Port Arthur.
They had fortified high ground on
heisorth shore Of Talien Wan bay,
their works extending to the elst and
the west. The extreme Russian right
was at Hushantao and the extreme
left at Nanshan hill. This hill was
the strongest part Of the line; i series
Of batteries, strongly emplaced, crown.
ed its crest, while rifle pits extended
arounnd Its sides. Mines had been
placed lower down on this hill, and
around the base on the northern and
eastern 5idlS were stretched we'll made
wire entangiementS. Another line of
defenses, also protected with wire en-
tanglementS, extended from Yen CHA
Tung near the head of Talen Wan
bay, due north Of Liuchia Tien, which
lies south of Kin Chou.
a strong Russian force was posted
at Kin Chou. 1t consisted Of infan-
try and artillery.
TIE HILLS OCCUPIED.
The Japanese first coupled the line
Of hills to the east OF Kin Chou. Their
position had formed an almost perfect
right angle, showing its southern front
w isLllCh Vah Gillo lSN NCoGCi llOul
to Kin Chou. Chiu Ii Chan village
was the apex of this angel; the cx-
treme right Of the Japanese line rest
ed at Chen Cha Tien, which is almost
due north of Chu Ii Chan, while the
extreme left was at Chaitsuoh, a vii
lage due east Of Chiu Ii Chan. Back
Of tliis angle the attacking force as
Semhled in complete security.
sIh Russians apparently attempted
to DIR lie Japanese attack last Sat
d. eSattefies opened lire
a.. .a.1-t nein5 ttsis.s 9 tsStf 8 y ie
Jap; lse, however refused to be
dra,. tinto an attack until the posi-
tion of the Russians, the guns and
their strength had been fully develop
ed. To this end the japanese began a
series Of careful manoeures, their Of
fcers working their way close enough
to the Russian position to draw the
enemy's fire. They thus secure irag-
mentS of shells for the purpose OF as
certainiug the calibre Of the Russian
guns. They discovered that the bat
teries on Nanshan hill included four
HowitZerS Of about l 3 centimetreS cal
ibre; 10 old style cannon OF between
nine and ID centimetreS calibre and
two quick-tiring guns Of - centime-
tres.
The Japanese discovered also a num-
Der OF large emplacementS but they
did not learn the number OF guns con.
tained therein. The emplaccment is fac
ed to the north and to the east.
The guns fiji ed by the Russians de.
veloped range Of $500 metres. Eight
heavy guns posted on the Russian
right in the Vicinity OF lIuShangtaC
also were di ;covercd and another
strong Russian position developed 10y
these rccOnnoi SsanceS was on anothe
hill sou thwest Of NanShan hill where
the Russians had series OF shelter
trenches. On the shore of Talien Wal
bay, close to the head OF the by, tht
the Russians had established series
Of posi- lions. Here were set up tht
search lights which nightly played
over the japanese angle IN the Hills t
the northeast.
TIE GAP LEFT OPEN.
Further reconnossances developed
the fact that west Of Liuchi; Tier
the Russians had no defenscS. Extend
| ing to Uhe nOrthward from Ven Chi,
Ten to the vest coast of tho l.ia'
Tung peninsula, there were no de
| fenseS whatever, except the fore,
posted ut Kin Chou.
This gap in the defense was | rata
defect in the Russian position, am
when it was perceived the ia )an s
extended their right TO the nor Ii AM
east, enveloping Kin Chou and til
Russian extreme right. The Japa
neSe left also was extended to Wan,
CHA Tung, on the shore of Taie
Wan bay, and the centre moved fol
ward.
Wednesday morning at half-past
the japanese attacked Kin Chou an
for three hours they had an artiller
duel with the batteries on Nansha
hill. The Russian gunners searche
the japanese lines with their fire, bu
failed to inilict much damage.
The battle was resumed at dawn 0
Thursday.
Three Japanese gunboats then Ell
tered Kin Chou bay and in co-operatio
with the artillery on shore, shelied IL
Russian positions on Nanshan hill.
A Russian gunboat in Talien Wa
bay steamed close to the shore an
shelled Che Japanese left.
From dawn the batteries on bot
sides hammered away at each other.
Atan early hour the japanese infal
try moved forward and at 20 minute