The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-06-20
WORK IF IAPS
 WAS BRILLIANT General Oku Describes Great Battle at JE .u RuSSIAN}<' OuTGENERALED Subjects of the czar Made Desperate Attempts to Stop the oncoming
 Japs, But Were Finally
 Routed With Heavy Loss.

Tokio. June 1s.--(S D. m.)-General oku, the victor of the battle of Nanshan Hill on May 26. fought and won the battle of Telissu (Vafangow, according to the Russian designation on June 15.
 There Is strong similarity between the two fights. At Telissu the Japanese while at Nanshan the enemy occupied one hill. The Russian position at Telissu was sperior to that of the Japanese and equal ized the advantage of the Japanese in having a larger force. The Russian posi- ton extended from east to west and run the Foo Chou river and the railroad. From their position on the right and left in the high hills which flaked this valley. General Oku drove the Russians down Into the valley The Japanese general carried first the enemy's right and then his left. The fight at the left of his line was the most desperate of the day. Thg Russians held this position with desper- ate determination and only fled when they were almost completely enveloped. The field had been disputed all day and when the Japanese reached it, 600 of the enemy's dead were found there.
 Line of March.
 General Oku started from line mark ed by Pulantien and the Tassa river on June 13. His right column moved along the Tassa river, his main column along the railroad and his left column by a road leading through Wuchiatnn, Such ankon and Tahosi. The Japanese cavalry started from Pitsewo over road lead ing through Shunseo. and the small bodies of Russians opposing this advance were brushed away. The left column reached s7achialingmon June A. and the main or middle cofuisli andt tile right codimn keeping in touch with each other, reach ed line between Chiachioutun and Tapingkou, seven and half mile south of Telissu, the same day.
 The Russian forces then held line between Tafangshen and Lungwangtiao. The entire Japanese lines advanced and at 8 clock in the afternoon the Japanese artillery opened fire. The Russians had 9S guns and they replied with spirit until darkness put an end to the artillery duel.
 During the night of the 14th, the Jap anese right column seized a hill between Tsongchiotun and Weng Chisngtung, and the middle column occupied a hill to the west of Tapingkou.
 Obscured by Fog.
 When dawn of the 10th broke the field of battle was obscured by fog. but the artillery opened early. A portion of the Japanese middle column advanced to the north side of a bend in the Foo Chow river. Here these men were greatly exposed to the enemys fire. but force of infantry and artillery was hurried forward and relieved them At half past o'clock this relieving force seized point to the west of Weng Chiangtung, and in cooperation with the middle col umn, drove the Russians from Tafang- shen. The Russian batteries posted at Lungtangshan and Lungwantiao poured a heavy fire into these forces, but in spite of this smelling the middle column and the men who were sent forward to relieve the force at the bend in the Foo Chow river climbed the heights ahead of them. and quickly mastered tfk situation.
 'In the meantime the Japanese right was marching. The Russian left had been reinforced until their numbers were greater than the opposing Japanese. Gen eral oku was twice forced to order up infantry reserves.
 Desperate Counter Attacks.
 "The Russians made a series of desper- ate counter attacks, and when the situa- ton was most critical. Japanese cavalry swung around the Russian left and struck the enemy on the flank At this time additional Russian endorsements had arrived, and the Russians held their position with dogged determination until their front and both Hanks were under fire They then broke and fled
 The Japanese cavalry pursued the emy for a short time. but the roughness of the country made it necessary soon to abandon the pursuit. The Japanese left succeeded in ambusing 300 Russian in- fantrymen who were discovered retiring toward Wuchiatun. They sent two com panies of infantry and one battery of ar tillery to hill opposite of Hong Chiatun, and the Russians were completely trap ped. Many of the enemy at this point were killed or wounded.
 Tn his report General Oku says the Russians began the fight with twenty five battalions of infantry, seventeen squadrons of cavalry and 9S guns. They were reinforced several times, but the number of endorsements is not known The Russian casualties are not known. with exactitude The Japanese right found and buried part of the enemys 8 dead. Seven Russian officers and 300 men were taken prisoners. The Japanese cas- ualties reported up to noon of June b amounted to about 900 men including eight officers killed and IA wounded
 General Oku concluded his report mod estly any loyaly with these words.
 "The success in carrying superior posi- tions and routing the enemy was due 10 the influence of the reigning emperor Russian Report.
 A dispatch from St Petersburg dated June IS said the total Russian losses at the battle of Vafangow (Telissu) were about 2000 men. including more than 55 officers. The Russian forces which took part in this fight were described as marching to the northward. and it was reported that the Russians had 42 battal- ions engaged, against A Japanese battal- ions, and that the Japanese had great superiority in artillery, having more than 200 guns.
 Another report from Liao Yang also dated June IS, said that the Russians had W guns in action at Telissu opposed to 100 Japanese guns.