Arizona republican., 1904-08-05
ABATTLE STORY Russian Report of Fight at
 SimanCheng
READS LIKE A VICTORY
But at the Same Time the Czar's Forces Lost Ground - No Develop. ments at Port Arthur - Significant Gathering of German Warships.

IFOHl Lieutenant Oeneral SaKnarOft, dated August 3: Lieutenant General Zassalitch reports the following de. tails: In the fighting of July 31, the operations were not decisive. The ac- tion of the Japanese on our east front on July 30 convinced me that they were mafing with their main forces on our south front near Outuschoutoun to- ward Dapoutzza and Pkhailantoun. From dawn until daybreak of July 3l we heard Cannonading on our right | flank, which obliged me to hurry down to the south front, where, at first from a battery and later from a range of hills, l directed the course of the fight.
 "The battle began under the most | favorable auspices for us. The first report I received was from Lieutenant Colonel Solomonsky, who informed me that he was tenaciously holding his position, although he had many wounded. I ordered at first two com panies, and then a battalion, to rein force him, although he did not ask for support.
 Simultaneously with the attack on the heights, the center of our position, the Japanese directed their attacks againnst Major General Mistchensko's s detahcment and against our right | flank.
 ''The beginning of the fighting show ed the superiority of our artillery over that of the Japanese. Not only did our batteries silence the Japanese guns previously in position and prevent them leaving their positions, but the batteries sustained no less and were able to develop their fire at leisure.
 At 1G o'clock I received the follow ing note from Lieut.. Colonel Solomon sky: The Ja panese turning movement 1 has been stopped, the enemy sustain ing enormous losses. We have many wounded. Captam Golitinsky was kill ed. The wounded include two officers and surgeon. l am making a firm stand
 Simultaneously with the receipt of this report. it was seen that our de- tachment had evacuated three crests of the mountain range. It was evident that Solomonsxy had too strong d force to cope with, and had been ob- liged to give ground somewhat. He continued, however, to hold his posi- tion.
 After reinforcing Solomonsky with two battalions and afterward with two and three-quarters battalions and de- string to centralize the comma nd of these troops, I dispatched Colonel Pol ovitch Lepovatz with orders to take command of all the troops engaged in that position.
 "The fusilade continued on our right flank without becoming threat ening. Our artillery continued 70 crush the enemy's artillery with its fire, Sal- though the Japanese had brought mountain and, field guns into action.
 At 4:30 p. m. I received report that a regiment posted at the extreme right flank had retired from its position in the mountains, the Japanese having turned it's flank. Six disabled guns were abandoned. Two officers were killed and two wounded and the com aLCer of a battery w&s injured.
 Before this had happened the Jap anese had placed two more batteries on the left of those which had pre- viously taken up their positions there, and with their batteries on the eX- trene left, they began to Lombard our battery as We'll as to entllade the right flank of our formation. This was the cause of the destruction of our bat tery and the serious loss of troops on our GlSnl HdHhs
 "The battery was shattered, but at the beginning of the action we sue cee6ed in saving four guns. while four others were left on the field disabled. Of the four saved, two had to be spik- ed and abandoned owing to lack of horses.
 With the view of distracting the at- tention of the Japanese from our right 1 o,,ly 1irarta6 (tnl I.annU1tZ At o'clock, when the heat was diminished to order the soldiers to take off their equipment and assume the offensive To support this offensive movement ordered our batteries to open a hot fire on the ridges held by the Japanese The fire of our guns, which had pre- viously bombarded this point was murderous and the Japanese again sustained many killed or wounded. "Our attack in open order astonish- : ed all beholders. Our men in this for mation advanced quickly across tho principal mountain range. rushing or bOf>L sides with fixed bayonets on thu Japanese, who were unable to sustain , the shock and quickly evacuated tho three crests they had occupied. I an informed by Major Kipamitze that those who remained were bayoneted After this brilliant affair, ordered Col Lepovatz to stop and push no further At o'clock I received an order to re- tire in the direction of Hai Cheng. According to the report of the com mander of a Cossack regiment which reconnoitered the valley of Dapoutze. l during the battle as well as organized f the delivery of ammunition and the re- |, .,1 nf l,a q 1i1-;c of the Japanese were observed moving through the town of Haputzea. {. "Our losses on July 30 and July B
 have been up to the present estimated ? at twenty-nine officers and slightly f more than 1000 men killed or wound. } ed.''
 The fact that there is no further