The San Francisco call., 1904-11-04
Fighting as Uiewed From the Jap
: dneSe Lines
LONG SERIES OF BATTLES
Quarter Neither .ASked Nor GiOen
by GdO and NippOnese.

WITH THE THIRD JAPANESE
ARMY, BEFORE PORT ARTHUR.
Nov. The following is a censored
account Of the main incidents Of the
siege Of Port Arthur. beginning with
the attacks upon Rihlung and heek-
wan Mountains on August lS:
During the morning of August 19 the
siege guns opened a desultory fire TO
md the ranges and an entire division
o of infantry advanced and assaulted the
Russian redOubts at the foot OF Rihl-
ung Mountain. The troops captured
the. trenches in front Of the redoubts.
D. The operations began in earnest at
dsybreak on the 20th with lombard
ment Of the whole line OF Russian forts.
Battery after battery Of japanese ar
t.IIery. was unmasked. the Russians ap-
parently being unable TO locate them,
- for they replied spasmOoically- Under
cover Of the bOmbardment the Jap
anese infantry made a determined gen
eral advance against the Russians first
O trenches. along the railroad into the
center OF the Shuishi Valley and also
or the lines IN the valley between tne
eTst. and west of Shuishi village. Six
- hifndrGd yards south Of the village the
way into the city was protected by
-FOUR advance half-mOOn forts, in the
form Of a hollow square, open at the
fear and connected by bombproot
trenches and having a twenty-foot
.Rioa1. in front. A desperate attempt
was made by the japanese during the
afternoon TO capture the strongest
. half moon fort. The infantry charged
cut the entanglements, crossed the
fnoat with scaling ladders, stormed the
fort and drove the Russians back But
the real strength Of the Russian posi-
ton lay in the bOmbprOOf trenches, eX-
- h,
forts. These were filed with troops
: and concealed machine guns. which
poured a deadly hail Of bullets into the
japanese and forced them 10 retire. AT
about the same time the Russians re-
captured the trenches in front OF the
redoubt in advance of the Rihlung
fort
RIGHT FLANK SUCCESSFUL.
On the right flank the Russian line
was forced back. One japanese regi-
.Tlient worked up the east slope and an
. other regiment made its way up the
west slope Of ia Yards Hill, under the
concentrated fire Of the Russian artil
lery, and captured the fort al the point
Of the bayonet al noon. The japanese
captured five field guns and four ma
chine guns. Their casualties were
400. Three hundred and fifty Rus
sian dead were lefL in the position.
At daylight on the following day
all the japanese ba atteries Of the center
division concentrated their fire on the
Benjusan and keekwan forts, but de-
spite the artillery support the Jap
anese were driven out of the East
Heekwan fort by an attack by a
massed body Of Russians from the
Chinese wall
The assault threatened TO result in
an utter failure to secure a fOOthOld
he SEQ r-iT fre = nci
.. summoned the general of the left and
center divisions TO consult with him
concerning the operations. During
his absence. at II O'Clock in the
morning. without special orders, sew
eral companies OF regiment Of the
center division emerged from their
trenches at the foot of the East Ban
jusan fort and In tens and twenties
charged up the slope to the broken
wall Of the trench around the crest
OF the fortified Hill and under cover of
: a splendid shrapnel practice from
j.: their field batteries in the valley. The
Russians behind the wall and in the
fort poured out a hail Of rife bullets
AND the machine and Qulck-hrlng
guns belched Forth on the intrepid
Japanese. Twice the latter We're forced
back, until the slope was covered with
bodies. but a third attempt was made
and a score of japanese reached the
broken wall. The terrible fire of the
Russians, however, started their re-
tir6ment.
TURNS DEFEAT INTO VICTORY.
Suddenly a japanese officer, regard
less Of: the danger, stood up, called out
an order. planted his regimental flag
on the wall and was Immediately rid
died by Russian bullets. The effect
On the japanese Of this sacrifice was
Instantaneous. The retreating infan-
Eymen stopped in their tracks, hesi-
tated and then charged back, fought
like demons, jumped over the wall,
charged the Russians with the bayonet
and forced many of them up the
=. glacis, over the ramparts and into the
fort.
The fact that they had reached the
corner wall on the dead ground en-
abled the japanese to hold on, though
the entire Russian FIRE. was concen-
trated on that point for six hours.
Yhe japanese were reinforced from
stime TO time by rushes made by their
comrades UP the death way 'front.' the