Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-02
INVESTING THE CITY
Japanese Shortening Their
Lines Around Port Arthur.
WEEKS OF FIGHTING
RECITAL OF AN ALMOST CON-
TINUoUs STRUGGLE.
Desperate Efforts Of the Besiegers and
the Beleaguered-Gallan
on Both Sids.
WEEKS OF FIGHTING


TOKYO. November 1.-The official reports
OF the Port Arthur operations since August
-orm recital Of almost continuous fight
ing OF q desperate nature. The Russians
first struggled desperately to block every
Japanese advance and then met the con-
centrated artillery fire OF the japanese with
its kind. Latterly. since the japanese be-
gan running parallels and traverses and ex-
tending mines, the Russians have been con-
stantly making sorties. They rushed into
the japanese trenches and engaged in fe-
rocious struggles with the engineers and
pioneers. With desperate courage the ia
!,anese continued to close in upon the for
tress. progressing stage by stage. The
japanese infantry never failed to respond
when asked to make an assault on almost
impossible positions and when the troops
gained foothold they generally held 1t with
unf1inching determination
Capture Of Taku Mountain.
The reports commencing August record
the assault and capture of Taku mountain,
q general advance following and then a gen
era1 bombardment, opening August 10, and
August 20 an attack on Panlung mountain
Electric wire entanglements protected the
latter pos ton. The japanese artillery first
sheiied the Panlung Notifications fiercely
and hensAugust q the Japanese infantry
charged and were beaten back owing to the
deadly IRE from the Russian machine guns
and the lnsuffciency of the preliminary de-
Structlon OF the wire entangiements. The
japanese were a1se forced to abandon a fort
southeast of Kee kwan mountain. which was
captured after desperate fighting owing to
tie enf1lading fire Of the neighboring forts.
During the morning of August %. the Japa-
nese troops forming the center army charged
the east fort on Panlung mountain and by
noon had captured two-thirds of 1t. The
Russians continued to hold the Keep resist
ed desperately. aided by the fire Of the west
eort and forced the japanese to abandon
the positions occupied. The Japanese center
Immediately reformed. stormed, captured
and held the west fort. forced the abandon
ment by the Russians Of the east fort and
mastered the entire position.
Attack on Keekwan Mountain.
On the night OF August o the Japanese
center, with the right cooperating. attack
ed the heights northwest Of Wangtaf and
the north fort east of Keekwan mountain.
but the troops were forced to abandon the
attack on account Of the heavy losses sus-
tanned from machine gun fire from every
direction.
In the morning of August q the Russians
the entire Japanese line and were repulsed
Until the end of the month and first week
in October the Russians continued to attack
and shell Panlung mountain. They man
aged to seriously damage the new Japanese
works there and to hamper the operations
of the Japanese miners.
By August 8 the Japanese mines had
reached within about forty yards of Fort
Kuropatkin and about 200 yards east of the
northern forts on Keekwan mountain and
some fifty yards from Fort Suishiying.
August II the Japanese discovered that
the Russians were endeavoring to mine
Panlung mountain.
Capture Of Fort Kuropatkin.
The afternoon of August 10 the Japanese,
using siege and naval guns. opened gen.
eral bombardment, and at o'clock in the
evening made assaults on Forts Suishiying
and Kuropatkin and on a Russian position
on Observation-Disclosures ree-meter Hill. The
attack was continued at dawn August 30
with the result that the Japanese occupied
Fort Kuropatkin In the forenoon of that
day They also captured four additional
forts south of Suishying mountain and
two forts southeast of One-hundred-and-
seventy-four- meter Hill, inflicting serious
casualties on the retreating Russians. The
Japanese attacked NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
meter Hill from the east. north and west
during the night, and company OF the
Japanese managed to reach and secure
NIT of the hill, which the japanese prepared
as a base for further operations and then
endeavored to capture the entire position.
The Russians, however, were reinforced
and desperate fighting followed. The gal
liant little company of Japanese. without
food or water, managed to hold the position
throughout August q and until night Oh
August %, when they retreated During
the fight the Japanese threw BOMBS and
stones at the Russians.
August % the Russians centered their fire
upon the Japanese trenches leading to Hin
lung mountain. detachment of one hun
dred Russians then advanced and attacked
the Japanese miners. Thirty Russians
charged into the trenches and twenty were
killed before the survivors retired.
August "a the Russians again sheaed the
Japanese miners and twenty Russians
charged the Japanese. twice throwing
bombs into the trenches.
Bombarded Russian Fleet.
During August 2s the Japanese lombard
ed the Russian fleet. Seven or eight shells
struck Russian warships. August 30 the
battleships Peresviet and Pobieda were
each hit five times. The night of October
2 the Russians desperately attacked the
Japanese miners and also the japanese
siege line. but were repulsed after a fierce
battle The Japanese continued to shell
the Russian feet and hit the Poltava'
Peresviet and Pobieda.
During the night of October the Japan
csc surprised the Russians and destroyed
two guns on Yenchiang Hill. The Russian
attacks on the japanese miners and the
Japanese Smelling of the forts. city ana
feet continued throughout the early part
of October. the Russians varying the rou-
tine October 10 with q night attack, In
which they used dynamite. against the west
fort on Panlung mountain. They were re-
pulsed.
October II the japanese captured the rail-
road bridge south OF Lung-yen. and October
II and Is Japanese shells set IRE to the
Peresviet, apparently disabling her. They