The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-06-02
Nine Times the Brave Japanese
Charged the Fortified Nights
at Kin Chou.
CARRIED At BAYONET'S POINT,
The Most Terrible Hand to Hand En-
counter That Has Thus Far
Characterized the War.
The Jap's Left Throughout the Action
Was Exposed to An EnfIading
Fire From the Russian In
fantry and a Gunboat.

Toxic May 30.-.The details of the
fighting at iiin Chou emphasize the
heroic tens ity of the Japanese in
their conduct at Nanshan. Nine sue
cessive times the Japanese charged
the fortified heights In the face of a
storm of death dealing missiles and in
their last effort they carried the forts
and trenches only after a bayonet to
bayonet coh'ict with the Russians,
who made & Derate despairing strug
gle to beat ba, !, the oncoming hordes
The final assault of the japanese in
which they at last succeeded In taking
possession was marked by the most
desperate hand to hand encounter that
has thus far characterized the war
The Japanese left, throughout the en-
tire action until night, was exposed
to an enfilading fire from the Russian
infantry, a gunboat on Talenwan bay
and four 9.centimetre guns posted at
Tafengchen. At critical moment the
ammunition of the artillery ran low
and 1t was decided to cast the remain
ing ammunition into one final desper.
ate assault.
Fortunately however at the moment
this decision was reached the Japan
ese squadron in Kin Chou bay, which
had ceased bombarding when the in
fantry had first moved forward, sud.
denly resumed the shelling of Nan.
shan. Then il was that the issues of
the day were determined at a moment
when the outcome was futtering be.
tween success and defeat for Japan
at that moment was an almost certain
repuse converted into victory so sue.
cessful that the forces of the czar
were swept into confusion and disor.
derly retreat. With every Japanese
gun centering its fire upon the Nan
shan forts and trenches, the japanese
infantry sprang over the bodies of the
dead comrades who had sacrificed
their lives In the previous fruitless
charges. The entire line rushed for.
ward toward the Russian left. where
the fire of the Japanese squadron had
proved most deadly and which was
the first to weaken under the death
dealing bombardment. And 1t was
there that the first breach was made
in the human stonewall that all day
had been an invincible barrier to the
impetuous assault of the brown men.
II was the fourth division of. the
Osaka men that stormed the Russian
left. 1t had once been said that Osaka
men were not brave. 1t will never be
said again.
The first division of Toxic, which
had the center and the third division
of Nagoya occupying the left and
which had been exposed all day to the
Russian fire against the front flank,
now followed the example Of the Osa-
ka men and rushed forward and the
battle became transformed from an
artillery duel into one of personal con-
fiict, with the bayonet as the instru-
ment Of warfare. On every parapet
the restless, death.defying Japanese
surged forward in increasing numbers
and hustling the Russians from their
intrenchments, swept over the hill.
At 1880 o'clock as the sun was sink
ing beneath the horizon the flag of the
land Of the Rising Sun foated above
the blood sodden Nanshan hill, while
the shouts of "Banza" swelled from
hill to hill and re-echoed from squad
ron to fort
The Japanese paid for their victory
IN $500 killed and wounded. To the
Russians humiliation of defeat was
Intensified by the loss Of 6S cannon
and 10 machine guns while lying dead
in the fort and ddrenches were 500 men,
the victims of the accuracy of Japan
ese long distance craftsmanship and
OF close range fighting.