New-York tribune., 1904-09-04
OYAMA'S GREAT FEAT.
Operations Resulting in the Rout
of Kur0path,in at LiaO-Y Yang.

/ Liao-Yang TO which the Russians retreated on
! August . after a disastrous defeat at Hal
Cheng lies in the rich valley Of the Lao River.
| Spurs of the mountain chain which forms the
/ backbone of Manchuria slope down westward
nearly to the town. and ridge cuts the plain
southwark, through which the Port Arthur
! Harbin railway runs. The town is about forty
miles from Tashi- -Chiao also the scene of a Rus
! sian defeat, which was responsible for the loss
| Of New-Chwang and about thirty miles from
| Moukden, used by the Russians a base for the
disposition of troops.
Months OF labor had been expended on the de-
| fences of Lao Yang. The Notifications and in
| trenchments. planned by General VeItchke.
! were popularity believed to be impregnable. The
! lines ran in semi-circle along the ridges from
| eight to ten miles east and south Of the town.
| Galleries protected the artillerymen. and wire
fences and mines were disposed to repel infantry
assaults. All parts of the works were connected
by telephone, and were considered to be marvelS
| Of engineering skill Within these lines General
Kuropatkn withdrew an ofttimes beaten, but
plucky. force Of infantry. cavalry and artillery
Estimates of its strength. with reinforcemepts
from the north varied from 10000 to 225OOO
men and from 700 to 1000 guns. many Of them
emplaced. -..
The relative position OF the Japanese armies
was practically unchanged when operations
the close of the rainy season, on August 23 The
three japanese forces covered all the points OF
the Russian semi-crce-Kuroki the east,
Nodzu the southeast and Oku on the south
Their total strength was estimated at 100000
men and 1000 guns.
Field Marshal Oyama, the japanese COM
mander, set the combined armies IN motion be
fore the rains had ceased and while transporta-
tion and movements difficult The Jap
anese began a series of sharp attacks on the
outlying Russian position August "a, and on
the following day two divisions of Kurokfs left
were in readiness to attack Lian-Dian-Sian.
about twenty miles southeast of Iiao-Yang.
This attack was delivered early in the morn
ing. and lasted two days. while Oku and Nodzu.
commanding the Japanese left and centre. re-
spectivey, assailed the Russians on the south
and southeast NodZu's left beaten back
and Ol1u's direct success was small. but KuroId
rolled up the Russian left. inhicting heavy
losses and forced the retirement Of all the Rus
sian corps on the main defences. AnShan-
Chan, their strongest position on the south was
evacuated under heavy pressure from Oku. and
several guns fell into his hands.
The japanese hastily followed the Russian re-
treat and bringing all their artillery into play.
rained shells on the Russian inner lines of de-
fence The bombardment lasted from dawn
till dark. and, under cover of the guns the in
fantry attacked. There was fierce hand TO hand
fighting on the south. the Russians repelling all
attacks. though they suffered heavily from the
rain OF shrapneL
on the following day. August 81. General XII
rok began flank movement north OF the Tai
Use River which runs almost east and west.
short distance above IIao-Yang. This move de-
cided Kuropatkin to evacuate the town. The
assaults the south and southeast had weak
ened his forces. and the japanese showed no
sign OF weakening despite great losses.
The retreat across the Tai-Tse began Sep
tember L and that morning KuroH attacked
the Russians at Hei-Yng-Tai, twelve miles
northeast OF Liao-Yang. General Nodzu's army
hastily pushed across the river TO his aid,
and on the following day he took the last line
Of the hills between his troops and the rail-
road.
The retiring Russians were massed near the
Yeutai mines, and General Kuropatkin began an
advance to rocapture the positions taken by
Kuroki; but the Japanese were by this time
in overwhelming force and compelled hur-
red retreat OF the entire Russian army north Of
the river toward MoukIen.
All of the Russians did not cross the Tai-Tse.
General Stakelberg. with 5000 men. remained
on the south bank. disobeying orders. General
Kuropatkin said. and was driven several kilo-
metres west of LIao-Yang and cut off by Oku's
Russians TO leave Lao-Yang set tho stores on
fire and blew up the magazines The japanese
occupied the town.
The Russian losses in the eleven days almost
continuous fighting only be guessed. Twen-
ty-hve thousand Japanese had been killed or
wounded in the actions from August % to Sep
tember 2, and it is reasonable to suppose that
the Russian casualties will ssrpass this number
Many doubtless fell in the retreat which Cen
eral Kuropatkin describes as hurried
The general situation IS determined by the
Khin-Gan ridge. which forms the backbone Of
Manchurla- This ridge runs from the south of
Port Arthur right up to the great bend OF the
Amoor River. at Khabarovsk, and is, in fact, the
cause OF that bend the Aruoor flowing round it
to the north on the east of this backbone ridge
lies the valley Of the Yalu. On the west OF the
same ridge lies the valley Of the Lao River.
Frlm this main backbone ribs OF low hills go
westward into the Lao River plain. The rail-
road from Port Arthur crosses several of these
ribs and IN parts 1t resembles a switchback rail-
way. Between each pair OF ribs a stream flows
down into the plain. going generally dua west
and Joining the Lao River in the valley. This
valley is OF immense fertility and is coversd
with magnificent fields, with numerous villages
and farms and numberless tomos, each marked
with O tuft of trees generally elms. willows or
frs and pines. It Is recorded that the elrns near
Lao Yang are heavily decksd with mistletoe
The streams between the ribs are mountain
torrents. liable TO sudden floods from cloud
bursts and the bridges, OF NJ. de Whites
ma sterpeces allow for these foods by the great
height OF their arches. Westward OF the rail-
road toward the Great Wall are rnagnIdcentIv