Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-05-30
Details Of the Fighting at Nan
Shan Hill Only Empha-
size 1t.
INFANTRY CHARGED NINE TIMES.
Last Assault Was Marked BY the
Most Desperate Hand.tO. Hand
Encounter

Wv heAANHin ~ ANHi RHoA 'HibllaolHV wv
heroic tenacity OF the Japanese In their
conduct at Nan Shan hill,
Nine successive times the japanese
infantry 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 bayonct conflict
with the Russians, who made desper-
ate, despairng struggle to beat back
the on-coming hordes.
The final assault Of the Japanese, in
which they at last succeeded In taking
possession was marked by the most
desperate hand o-hand encounter that
has thus far characterized the war,
The japanese left throughout the
entire action until night was exposed
to an enfilading fire from the Russian
infantry, 4 gunboat on Talienwan bay
ana -FOUR 9-centimetec guns posted
at Tafang Chen.
At a critical moment the ammunl-
ton OF the artillery ran low and II was
decided to cast the remaining ammuni.
ton into one nnal desperate assault.
Fortunately however, at the mo-
ment this decision was reached the
japanese squadron In Kin Chou bay,
which had ceased bombarding when
the infantry had first moved forward,
suddenly resumed the Smelling of Nan
Shan hill
Then it was that the issues Of the
day were determined at a moment
when the outcome was fluttering be-
tween success and defeat for Japan
at that moment was an almost certain
repulse converted into victory so sue
cessful that the forces of the czar
were swept into confusion and dis
orderly retreat With every Japanese
gun centering Its fire upon the Nan
Shan forts and trenches the Nippon in
fantry sprang over the bodies of the
dead comrades who had sacrificed their
lives I'm the previous frultless
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 deal
that the first breach was made In the
human stone wall that all day had
been an invincible barrier to the i'm
petuous assaults of the brown men.
II was the fourth division Of the
osaka men that stOrmed the Russian
left II had once been said that osaka
men We're not brave. II will never be
said again.
The nrst 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 Rus
Sian fire against the front rank, ncw
followed the example Of the Osaka
men, rushed forward and the battle
became transformed from an artillery
duel into one Of personal conflict with
the bayonet as the instrument of war
fare ON every parapet the resistless
death dealing japanese surged for
ward In increasing numbers and, hust-
ling the Russians from their entrench-
ments, swept over the hill And at
1880 o'clock, as the sun was sinking
beneath the horizon, the flag of the
land OF the rising sun iloated above
the blood sodden Nan shan hill. while
the shouts Of "Banzar swelled from
hill top to shore and re-echoed from
squadron TO fort.
Japan paid for her victory in $500
killed ana wounded. To the Russians
the humiliation Of defeat was intensi-
fed by the loss OF 6S cannon and 10
machine guns, while lying dead I'm the
forts and trenches We're 900 men, the
victims Of the accuracy of Japanese
long distance craftsmanship and of
close range fighting.
Gen. Oku, In command of the Japan
csc, began his aggressive movement
on the Russian position at midnight
Wednesday. He assigned the fourth
division to the right with Instructions
to swing around Kin chou and move
south He gave the first division the
center and the left was allotted to the
third division. During the night a ter
rible thunderstorm accompanied by a
heavy rain broke over the advancing
army and impeded the movements of
the men, II had been planned to begin
the fire at $3.50 o'clock I'm the morning,
but dense fog had followed the
storm and II was an hour later before
all OF the artillery under Gen Uchya-
ma opened on Nan shan hill, a detaCh-
ment seized Kin Chou castle and then
the entire infantry force gradually
moved forward
The guuners on the fortified heights
were not slow in giving smart response
To the Japanese attack, and soon a
vigorous FIRE and counter. fire was In
progress, Ia which the big guns OK the
Japanese squadron lent noisy chime at
o'clock when the atmosphere had
cleared up sufficiently for the naval
Workmanship to work effectively. For
three hours the Smelling from bay and
shore and the replying from the forts
continued without interruption and
then the Russian fire abated,
The cessation of the firing on the
Hill was signal for forward move
ment OF the troops below. ana the
attacking batteries changed their po-
sitlons to secure better range. At IL
o'clock a zone varying from 300 to 500
Aa a. Il Il T..
and Russian lines. and the rest Of the
day WAS spent by assaillng forces IN
crossing the fire-swept zone.
a Russian gunboat IN Talierwan
opened lire on the Japanese left nj 10
O'clock m the forenoon, and continued
mlrg Tor five hours
Five Russian steamers attempted 70
land their crews near Hung Tu-Ai, but
the third division stopped them. In
the meantime four heavy guns at Ia
fangcleu found the range Of the third
division and kept Smelling It until 7
o'clock In the evening. The artillery
with the third division yainly endeaY.
cred to reach these guns, but failed on
account Of the darkness,
In the main attack the Japanese ar
tlllery continued Smelling Nan Shan
Hill, sec king TO destroy ENGAGEMENTS
and otherwise clear the way for the
infantry but every time the infantry
advanced the awful Russian fire drove
them back
In the meantime the Russians had
reinforced their right under cover Of
two field batteries previously with
drawn from Nan Shan with fresh in
fantry, whose fire entlladed a consid-
cradle portion of the entire Japanese
line,
Very critical at this time was the sit
uation for Gen. Okus forces, for with
the wavering Of the line under the
reinforced fire OF the Russian infantry
came the reports from the Japanese
batteries that ammunition was almost