The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-03
Japanese have gone ahead With irresistible

Japanese have gone ahead with frresistlple
force.
When the war began In February there
was much speculation as to the lines OF
attack the Japanese would adopt in the
! land campaign. 1t soon became apparent
| that the main army would be massed IN
| Corea. Troops landed at Chemulpo. and
later on at Chnnampho, moved slowly
/ forward toward the Yalu. Some skirmish-
| ing with Russian scouts marked the adj
| vance, but no serious resistance was ex-
pected south OF the Yalu. and none came.
| The engagement at the river opened with
an artillery duel, In which the Japanese
showed marked superiority. When the
| big guns had partly cleared the way the
Japanese threw pontoon bridges across the
! river on April 30, and Gen. Kuroki took his
men across, carrying out during that day
and night the first OF the successful fanking
movements that have marked tho campaign.
.On the morning of April 80 the Japanese
ha already turned my left flank" Gen.
Kashtalinsky reported. In Sunday battle
the Russians were badly beaten, their
casualties reaching 5000, and the Japanese
driving them from Kiuliencheng. They
retreated to Fengwangcheng, where de-
termined stand was expected. but on May
. tHey again Icucdtcu WIG eoph"Seo
occupied the town. Here Kuroki made his
headquarters and rested temporarily while
the campaign developed elsewhere.
Meanwhile Gen. Oku had left Japan with
the second army, and on May he put
troops ashore at Pitsewo on the Liaotung
Peninsula, north OF Port Arthur. In three
weeks he had his army in position, and on
May 20 defeated the Russians at Kinchau,
Iii st tha tvpp
of land there, the key to campaign against
Port Arthur. Nanshan Hill, a strongly.
fortified position, was captured by bayonet
charge after the troops had been fighting
for twenty-four hours.
There were now insistent calls from
Russia for Gen. Kuropatkin to save Port
Arthur at all costs. 1t is said thai the Car
yielded to this clamor and practically
ordered Kuropatkin to act At any rate
| Gen. Stakelberg was sent south along the
peninsula from Haicheng on this desperate
| mission. Gen. Oku diverted part OF his
army from the Port Arthur campaign and
sent It north to meet che Russians.
The clash came at Telissu on June Is
and ended in complete Russian rout.
| Again the hanking operation was successful.
Gen. Stakelberg patheticaly reported Il
had intended yesterday to attack the en-
emy's right flank, but just as the troops
assigned were beginning to envelop the
enemy's right the Japanese in their turn
attacked my right with superior forces.
| | was compelled to retreat" Stalk elberg
left more than 600 dead on the field and 1t
| ia believed that his total casualties reached
| 5000
Before this Gen. Nodzu had landed with
| the third Japanese army at Takushan, mid
way between the mouth OF the Yalu and the
| I.iaotung Peninsula He advanced north
westerly on the road toward Haicheng and
on June drove the Russians from the Inn
portant position at Suyen.
| In the latter part OF June Gems. Kuroki
and Nodzu cooperated in one Of the most
| important movements OF the campaign,
Kuroki moved forward on the roads to
| Anping and Iiaoyang. capturing the i'm
| portant Molten Pass, where the Russians
expected to check him. At the same time
Nodzu took the Fenchui Pass, giving him
| command OF the roads to Kaiping Kiaochou)
and Haicheng. That Kuroki's victory was
| a severe blow to the Russians was shown
by their desperate attempt on July IL TO
retake Molten Pass. Kuropatkin attacked
| with 20 900 men and waged ffteen-hour
| battle, DuC was uneQudi W Vic ooSh oi'N
again fell back. Kuroki followed this up
| quickly, and in the succeeding two days
drove the Russians further back toward
Anping, improving his own position for the
| final movement on Liaoyang.
| Nodzu was not idle. Early In July he
cleared the hills In front OF him Of Russians
in a series OF assaults, and on the 9Th
entered Kaiping, just south OF Haicheng
Oku meanwhile had been advancing north
ward along the peninsula, and found the
Russians in force at Tashichao. After three
days OF fighting, principally with artillery,
he drove the enemy back on July rs. This
left clear road to the west to Newchwang
The Russians abandoned this important
point and a small body OF Japanese took
possession while Oku, with his main force
Joined Nodzu for the taking Of Haicheng.
Nodzu had taken the Simucheng heights
after severe fighting A general lombard
ment OF Haicheng was begun on Aug. l.,
and the Russians lost valuable field officer
in Gen. Count Keller. Next day the Rus
SLAMS retreated to AnshaDchan, which they
in turn abandoned when the three Japanese
armies began two weeks ago the advance
which brought on the battle Of Liaoyang.
The generally accepted figures OF the
Japanese armies have been Kuroki, 100000;
Nodzu, 30, 900, and Oku, $4,000.