Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-06-02
STORY OF
KINGDOM BATTLE
Bravery of the Japanese Unsur-
passed in History.
RUSSIANS RESISTED BRAVELY
Eight Times tive MikadO's Men
Rushed Toward the Enemy's
Intrpnchments, but Were
Driven Back.

AOhAoy nidy oV' Inc uctdllo VI luC
lighting at Kin Chou emphasize the
serious tenacity of the Japanese in
their conduct at Nan Shan hill.
Nine successive times the Japanese
charged the fortified heights in the
face of a storm of deatb-dealing
missiles, and in their last effort they
carried the forts and trenches only af-
ter a bayonet-to-bayonet conflict with
the Russians, who made a desperate,
.despairing struggle to beat back the
oncoming hordes.
The final result of the Japanese, in
which they at last succeeded in taking
possession, was marked by the most
desperate h~and-to-hand encounter that
has thus far characterized the war.
The japanese left, throughout the en-
tire action until night, vas exposed to
an enficting fire from the Russian in
fautry, a gunboat on Talien Wan bay
and four 9-centimeter guns posted at
Tafegchen.
Ammunition Ran Low.
At a critical moment the ammunition
Of the artillery ran low, and it was de-
cided to cast the remaining ammuni-
ton into one final desperate assault.
Fortunately, however, at the moment
this decision was reached the japanese
squadron in Kin Chou bay, which had
ceased bombarding when the infantry
had first moved forward, suddenly re-
sumed the Smelling of Nan Shan hill.
Then it was that the issues of the
day were determined--at a moment
when the outcome was %futtering be-
tween success and defeat for Japan-at
that moment was an almost certain re-
pulse converted into victory so sue
cessful that the forces of the q were
swept into confusion and disorderly re-
treat. With every Japanese gun CEN
tering its fire upon the Nan Shan forts
and trenches, the japanese infantry
sprang over the dead comrades who
had sacrificed their lives in the previous
fruitless charges. The entire line
rushed forward toward the Russian
left, where the fire of the japanese
squadron had proved most deadly, and
which was the first to weaken under
the deadly-deadling bombardment. 1t
was there that the first breach was
made in the human stonewall that all
day had been an invincible barrier to
the impetuous assaults, of the brown
men.
viii Never lie Said Again.
1t was the fourth division of the
Osaka men that stormed the Russian
left. 1t had once been said that Osaka
men were not brave. 1t will never be
said again.
The first division of Toxic, which
had been the center, and the third di-
vision Of Nagoya, occupying the left,
and which had been exposed all day to
the Russian fire against the flank,
now followed the example of the Osaka
men and rushed forward, and the bat
tie became transformed from an ar
tillery duel into n of personal con-
fict, with the bayonet as the instru-
ment of warfare. On every parapet
the restless, death-defying japanese
surged forward in increasing numbers
and, hustling the Russians from their
intrenchments, swept over the hill.
At 1880 o'clock, as the sun was sink
ing beneath the horizon, the flag of the
land of the rising sun foated above
the b~lood-sosden Nan Shan hill, while
the shouts of "banzai' swelled from
hill to hill and re-echoed from squad
ron to fort.
Paid Dearly for Victory.
The japanese paid for their victory
in $500 kille dand wounded. To the
Russians the humiliation of defeat was
intensified by the loss of 6S cannon ant
ten machine guns, while lying dea(
In the forts and trenches were 500 men
the victims of the accuracy of Jap.
anese long-distance craftsmanship ant
OF close range fighting.
Gen. Oku, in command of the Jap
anese, began his aggressive movement
on the Russian position at midnight
on Wednesday. He assigned the fourth
division to the fight, with instruction
to swing around Kin Chou and move
south. He gave the first division thu
center, and the left was allotted to thu
third division. During the night
terrible thunder storm, accompanies
by a heavy rain, broke over the ad
vancing army and impeded the move
ments of the men. 1t had been planned
to begin the fire at 4:30 o'clock in thu
morning, but a dense fog had followed
the storm, and it was an hour late
before all of the artillery under Gen
Uchiyama opened on Nan Shan hill
A detachment seized Kin Chou castle
and then the entire infantry force grad
ually moved forward.