The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1904-11-04
Graphic Account of How Fierce.
ly They Fight.
On One Occasion Every Japa-
nese Soldier Was Wiped
Out.
VERY LITTLE ACCOMPLISHED

With the third japanese army before
Port Arthur, November About the
end of August this division of the japa-
nese besciging army received heavy how
tiers. Reinforcemcnts Of men were al
so brought up. September 10 at dawn
bombardmont was begun upon Namao-
kayama ridge, the 203 metre hill, half
moon forts of Shuishi valley and the
redoubt at the foot of Rihlung mountain
The Russians did not reply until the af-
tcnoon when the Japanese advanced
They were met by tremendous fusil-
lade from rifles and machine guns and
were forced to retire to their trenches,
but at four in the morning the main at
tack was made and the japanese sue.
cceded in capturing the Rihlung redoubt.
entering in through a breach made by
the artillery.
a fierce hand-to-hand encounter in
side the redoubt followed, during which
dynamite and hand grenades were used
to destroy block houses, whose brave de-
Tenders stood their ground until the last
man was bayoneted. Russian trenches
were captured and occupied by the Japa-
nese but the redoubt was destroyed by
explosives. Japanese casualties were
over a thousand. The Russians left only
a few dead in their positions.
In the evening OF the 10Th a regiment
attacked the half-moon forts in Shuishi
valley but were repulsed. Twice again
during the night the japanese made un.
successful assaults ON these forts. Early
in the morning of the twentieth the
whole force was concentrated in a furi-
Gus assault on the west half-moon
forts.
The moat was crossed with sealing
ladders and dynamite and hand grenades
were used TO destroy Russian trenches
and bomb proofs. The fighting. which
lasted twenty minutes. was carried on
at the point of the bayonet. Finally
the Russians gave way and the japanese
occupied all the half-moon forts. The
The japanese loss is four hundred. =
The attack upon 2O3-metre hill and
the ridge Immediately north, called Ma
haokayama, was started at five in the
evening Of the 10Th.
A second japanese regiment advanced
against the west slope of 2O3-metre hill
and third regiment moved against the
southwest slopes. The Japanese bom-
bardment began at dawn ON the TWEEN
tieth and all morning the slopes of the
hill and ridge were transformed into an
inferno by bursting shells.
At eleven o'clock small party of the
second regiment charged forward to gain
the foot Of the west slopes. Russian bat
teries opened shrapnel fire on them. The
firing of shrapnel continued ten minutes,
after which all the Japanese were down.
either wounded or killed. The artillery
duel CONTINUED until $3.50 in the evening
when the first Japanese regiment adj
vsnced up the slope of Nataokayama 10
the position which the single company
had gained the nigth previous. With a
rush they carried the trench line ON the
crest of the hill. The last rush of the
Japanese ended with bayonet encoun-
ter with the Russians on the full sky
line. Stones, bayonets. swords and hand
grenades We're used by both sides. The
utmost ferocity was displayed.
Before dark the Japanese were in pos
session of the whole ridge, which they
retained despite the awful shrapnel fire
from Chair hill Tai-Yangkow, Tigers
tail and Liaotie forts. At ten in the
evening the third regiment advanced ON
the southwest slopes of the advance fort
OF Nahaokayama hill. Four assaults
were made by the Japanese during the
next two days, but they were all re
pulsed.
The third regiment was finally COM
PEELED to retire from the trenches at the
foot OF the hill by concentrated shrapnel
FIRE from the valley below. The unsuo-
ccssful attempt to capture the advance
fort resulted in two thousand japanese
casualties. The japanese were disap-
pointed at their failure to capture the
advance fort which was the key to the
western fortified ridge.