The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-13
HARD FIGHTS FOR
| TWO RUSS PASSES
JAPANESE ATTACKS SUCCESSFUL,
4 IN CARRYING BOTH POINTS.

| = :
Plans for Surrounding the Russians
teries Thwarted by Success of Rus
/ sian Retreat.
General Kuroki's Headquarters In
| the fleld, Near Tuo-wan, Aug. 1,
Js(Delayed in Transmission -Yester-
| days battle consisted of a double at
| tack for the purpose Of driving the
Russians from their strong defenses
commanding the Yang-se pass on the
| Liao-yang road thru the first range
of hills beyond Molten pass, and also
to drive them from Yu-shu pass, on
! the road to Mukden. The operations
| extended over a front more than fifty
miles in length.
Both attacks were successful in re-
spect to carrying local points, but the
Japanese plans were not fulfilled for
the reason that they contemplated
| partly surrounding the enemy, cap
1 turing many and possibly capturing
& the batteries. The Russians managed
4 to retreat with all their guns except
one. They carried away their dead
and wounded, and they left prisoners
behind them in several outpost skirm-
| ishes.
The Russians had their batteries
and entertainments in fine strategic
positions, and they showed better
/ generalship than heretofore. Their
i artillery fire was accurate when they
had located the japanese positions
Their infantry in some of the trenches
made more determined stands, but
1 most of the contingents fled when the
/ Japanese were able to reach close
quarters, being unnerved, evidently,
| by their previous experiences with the
japanese troops. The Russian bat
teries left their ammunition and much
of their equipment on the field and
one gun, which had overturned when
they were galloping down the gun
/ hill, showing that the batteries were
hard pressed to escape.
The Japanese Plan.
4 The Japanese artillery fire was ac-
curate and the infantry was courage
Gus as usual. The Japanese plan was
as follows: The main body of the di-
vision occupying the center of the
japanese line was to move upon the
Yang-se pass with an infantry at
tack crossing the valley diagonally
toward the southwest. The division
occupying the Japanese left was to at
tack from the south, fanking and TAX
ing the rear of the Russian positions.
, The division on the japanese right,
with a contingent from the center di-
vision, was to attack Yu-shu pass.
The infantry advance on Yang-tsu-
lin began so late that the japanese
were unable to reach the highest
Russian entertainments before dark,
owing to the vigorous defense. This
was resumed early the next morning.
The main body Of the Russians had
retired during the night, leaving only
a rear guard.
During the night of July 80 the
Japanese worked repairing the road to
enable bringing UP guns. Scouting
parties located and prepared posi-
tons for the guns. Seven batteries
were sent forward. A majority of
!, them took possession of a range of
hills nearest the valley, while the
others reached the cover of the corn
fields below.
, The left division advanced three
brigades on different roads. These
engaged in an infantry attack all day.
At S O'Clock in the evening the Rus
slams attempted a counter attack, but
were repulsed, sustaining a heavy
loss. One Japanese brigade reached
a position southwest Of Yang-tsu-lin
at 5 o'clock in the evening, being
practically in the Russian rear, but
their attack was unsuccessful.
Russians Make Stand.
The center of the division marched
from the northwest, took the village
of Tientsin on the plain and a gun po-
sitiOn there, but met a most stubborn
resistance on a hill north of the pass,
where the Russians were entrenched
and where they made a successful
stand with small force.
| The fight at Yu-shu pass also began
at daylight. A detachment from the
/ Japanese center division marched
thither thru Hen-En. At o'clock a
general attack was made on the Rus
sian right.
The Russians lost many and they
raised three Red Cross flags. Under
their cover they carried away their
/ wounded, the Japanese ceasing their
fire in the meantime. The. Russians
were driven from the first lines of
t their defenses and pursued to the sec
ond line.
The fighting was renewed this
morning, Aug. 1, and the japanese
carried the positions. The artillery
battle was more evenly matched and
a more impressive spectacle than the
one preceding the crossing of the
Yalu.
The two armies. exchanged fire from
the hilltops across the valley for
twelve hours, except a tWo-hours ces-
sation at midday. 1t was impossible
to see the result of the fire. Neither
side succeeded IN Sllenc1ng any Oh the
batteries of the other. 1t appeared
to be a drawn game. The Russians
J used about thirty guns. The principal
position was on the highest hills out
side of Tuo-wan, facing the road from
| Mo-tien pass.
Jap Shells Bursting.
i For three hours in the morning the
Japanese shells were bursting about
the hillside constantly, and puffs of
white shrapnel smoke We're hanging
thereover in clusters. with an occa-
sional cloud of dust thrown UP when
a shell struck the earth Another
!; Russian battery was on the slope of
the hill one mile north OF Tuo-wan.
Another was on low hill directly
, south of the village, covering the APP
proaches to the village across the
{ fields from the south and east. These
, batteries were the targets of a con-
/ slant bombardment. When the last
mentioned was visited afterward, more
than fifty shell-torn holes were dis
covered in the ground within radius
of 100 yards directly behind the guns.
Three dead horses, killed when
/ brought up to remove the battery,
ytwere also found.
The attacking infantry appeared in
the fields at o'clock in the evening.
The country seemed deserted. All the
i Russians were under cover and the