Gilpin observer., 1904-09-15
LAO YANG FIGHT
TERRIBLE DUEL OF ARTILLERY.
Details OF the Battle Given In a Mes.
sage From General Oku's Army
at Lao Yang.

message from headquarters in the
field Of the second Japanese army
General Oku's) before Lao Yang,
says: The capture of Lao Yang was
accomplished only after nine days OF
desperate fighting on the part of the
second or left, Japanese army under
the command of General Oku. During
this time, while the artillery arm car
ried out its part in the greatest artil-
lery duel the world has ever seen,
there occurred the hardest fighting and
the most desperate infantry charges of
modern times.
The fighting began August &c, when
this Japanese army, moving to the
northward, collided with the Russian
forces entrenched on the hills at An
shanshan. The Japanese bombarded
this position all day long, and at night
the Russians retired.
The next three days, August 9th,
28th and 10th, were occupied in fol-
lowing the retreating Russians. jap
anese batteries were sent forward to
shell the enemy. The Russians re.
treated steadily, the artillery in their
rear guard engaging the Japanese ad.
vance and succeeding in retarding it
until the main force of Russians
reached in safety the strongly forti.
fled positions in the Shoushanpao hills
eight miles south of Lao Yang.
At dawn. August 30th, the Japanese
began an artillery attack upon this po-
sition, the second army bringing ZIG
guns to bear upon the Russian forti-
fications.
This Russian position was the
strongest the enemy had held up to
that time. 1t consisted of three hills,
averaging each 300 feet high, all forti-
fled with strong entertainments con-
nected each one with a covered way
leading back to a bomb-proof capable
of holding all the men engaged in
working the guns. This bomb-proof
was SO skilfully hidden that the JAP
anese could not locate it accurately
during the two days fighting that en-
sued.
This artillery duel probably was the
biggest that has ever taken place. 1t
lasted all of August 30th without any
appreciable result.
At dawn August 31st the artillery
fire was resumed, the japanese bat
teries having moved forward within
1000 yards of the Russian position
during the night.
The artillery ceased at noon and the
Japanese infantry then charged from
an adjoining hill in the face of heavy
fire from the trench itself and terri
BILE crossfire from Russian artillery
posted on another hill to the rear.
The bottom of the hill was defended
by wire entanglements, pits and
bitches.
Japanese engineers cut these en-
tanglements after terrible slaughter,
one detachment losing seventy-seven
out Of eighty men. The men of Ma
goya, the flower of the second army,
were assigned to charge this hill They
took the first trenches with a rush.
At the second trenches they met the
enemy in a hand-to-hand fight and then
went on to the top of the hill, treading
on their own dead.
The trench at the crest of the hill
was taken after another long hand-to-
hand fight, the Russians being driven
out at the point of the bayonet and
with clubbed muskets. Hundreds were
killed in this charge, and the trenches
were filled with the mingled bodies OF
Japanese and Russians.
In many cases attackers and defend
ers were found dead clutched in each
others arms. No more desperate
charge was ever made. The position
apparently was unassailable, and II
should have been held by one man
against twenty. The taking of this hill
ended the defense of this line of posi-
tions, the Russian right evacIating
after slight resistance. At daylight Of
September 1st the Japanese flag
fioated over all the hills, and the Rus
slams had retired in good order toward
Lao Yang.
al,
tember End and 3rd, the Japanese
making some progress on the center
and right.
During the night of September 3rd
the last of the Russian forces withdrew
from Lao Yang and early in the morn
ing Of the 4th the Japanese occupied
the town.