New-York tribune., 1904-05-30
BAYONET DECIDES FIGHT
Sir Hundred added to Casualties
SCoenty-eight Guns Taken


Toxic. May 29.-NIne successive times the
Japanese charged the fortified heights OF Nan
Shan IN the face Of a storm Of death-dealing
missiles and in their last effort they carried
the forts and trenches only after bayonet
to bayonet conflict with the Russians. who
made a desperate. despairing struggle to beat
back the on-coming masses.
The final assault of the Japanese. in which
they at last succeeded in taking possession, was
marked by the most desperate hand-to-hand en-
counter that has thus far characterized the
war.
The japanese left. through the entire action
until night, was exposed 10 an enfIading fire
from the Russian infantry. a gunboat on Talien-
Wan Bay. and four 9-centinetre guns posted at
Tafang-shan.
At critical moment the ammunition Of the
artillery ran low and it decided to cast the
remaining ammunition into one final. desperats
assault.
Fortunately, however. at the moment this de-
cision was reached. the japanese squadron in
Kin-Chow Bay. which had ceased bombardius
when the infantry had first moved forward. sud-
denly resumed the shelIing Of Nan-Shan.
RUSSIANS SWEPT INTO CONFUSION.
Then it was that the issues of the day were
determined. at moment when the outcome was
futtering between success and defeat for Japan:
at that moment an almost certain reDuIse was
converted into victory so successful that the
forces Of the Gar were swept into confusion and
disorderly retreat
With every Japanese gun centring it's fire
upon the Nan-Shan forts and trenches. the Jap
anese infantry sprang over the bodies Of their
dead comrades who had sacrificed their lives
in the previous fruitIess charges
The entire line rushed forward 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. 1t was there that the first
day had been an invincible barrier to the I'M
petuous assaults Of the brown men,
OSAKA MEN THE HEROES
The Fourth Division of the Osaka men was
the force which stormed the Russian left. II
had once been said that Osaka men were not
The First Division. of Toxic. which had the
centre. and the Third Division. of Nagoya. oc-
cupying the left. and which had been exposed
all day to the Russian fire against the front
flank. now followed the example Of the Osaka
men. and rushed forward and the battle became
transformed from an artillery duel into one of
personal conflict. with the bayonet the IN
strument of warfare
On every parapet the resistless. death-defylng
Japanese surged forward in increasing mum
bers, and. driving the Russians from their IN
trenchments swept over the hill. At 7:30
O'Clock, as the sun was sinking beneath the
horizon. the flag of the Land of the Rising Sun
ioated above blood sodden Nan-shan. while
the shouts of 'Banzair' swelled from hill to hin
and re-echoed from squadron to fort
THE COST OF VICTORY.
The Japanese paid for their victory with $500
killed and wounded To the Russians the hu-
initiation of defeat was intensified by the loss
OF sixty-eight cannon and ten machine guns.
while lying dead in the forts and trenches were
five hundred men. the victims of the accuracy
of Japanese long distance craftsmanship and Of
hand TO hand fighting
General Oku. in command of the japanese. be-
gan his aggressive movement on the Russian
position at midnight on Wednesday. He as
signed the Fourth Division to the right with the
instructions to swing around Kin-Chow and move
south He gave the First Division the centre
and the left was allotted to the Third Division.
In the night terrible thunderstorm. accom-
panied by heavy rain. broke over the advanc-
ing army and impeded the movements OF the
men, 1t had been planned to begin the fire at
4:30 o'clock in the morning, but dense FOG mad
followed the storm. and it was an hour later es-