The San Francisco call., 1904-11-04

intrench at the foot.
During the night of the 24tn the ranks
of the Japanese were so decimated by
the furious shrapneI fire of the Rus
slams that they were forced to retire 10
the valley below the captured forts,
and what might have been successful
general assault, with the capture OF the
fortified ridge east OF Port Arthur. was
converted by Russian tactics into a re-
pulse, redeemed in part by the Won
derful fighting. qualities of the Japan
ese infantry and their refusal to accept
what seemed to be the inevitable
COST OF THE ASSAULT.
The Japanese casualties from the 18th
to the oath were $4,000. The center di-
vision alone lost 5000. and a single reg
iment lost $500. Only six officers and
200 men of this regiment were left after
the fight.
7 The retention of the Russian forts.
giving the Japanese a foothold on the
fortified ridge, was the sole result of
six days of general assault. The abil-
ity of General Stoessel and the deter
mined spirit of the Russians had been
underestimated, and the experiment
was never repeated.
AS with the Russians at Plevna. with
spirits dashed by repulses and heavy
losses, the Japanese army settled down
to sapping and making parallels. For
two weeks the Russians were unceas-
ing in their efforts to recapture the
Banjusan forts. They bombarded and
assaulted by day the bombproofs and
trenches which the Japanese repaired
by night. Though the japanese resorted
TO unoccupied decoy trenches and
bombproofs, the daily loss was 100 in
each fort until September s. when the
Russians ceased their continuous ef-
forts to recapture the forts.
FEROCITY OF THE FIGHTING.
While the defenders of the Banjusans were
converting the forts and trenches into bomb
of siege PARALLELS. the left division toward
doubt AT the foot of the ITrh forts and the
right division toward the Lunettes south Of
Shuishi village The Russians SORTED and at
tackled working parties almost every night.
while guns bombarded by day.
AS the Japanese trench line neared the
entanglements on the fort hills the sorties be-
came more frequent and determined. Quarter
was neither asked nor given the fercest an
tagonism was displayed. and even stretcher
that the Russians alleged that their forts were
bombarded while messenger under white
August 16. The feeling was augmented. and
later all flags We're unrecognized-
The pioneers suffered heavy casualties in
cutting entanglements After the failure Of
the regulation device for removing wires, the
pioneers were sent 70 attach ropes to posts TO
which entenglements were attached, and troops
in the trenches pulled the ropes. dragging
posts and heavy wires away This worked sat
iffactorily until the enemy began the of
bracing wires. The pioneers then advanced
and fell though killed close TO the entan-
clements and remained motionless until.
observed. they could work along their
backs under the wires. which they cut with
long shears. AS result OF this expedient the
Russians made certain that all were dead who
fell near the entanglements.
The latest expedient was a steel shield COW
ering the face and body. suspended from the
shoulders of the pioneers. from behind which
the cutters used. Dynamite bombs
used by the Russians against the Japanese
trenches and advance works. For assaulting
forts. where IL was impossible TO use bombs.
wooden nortars were made bound with bam-
boo. These are carried by the soldiers, and
with them bombs were thrown 80 TO 100 yards.
These the most effective of the many de-
vices tried by the Japanese.
In order TO recover the wounded men, vol
unteers crawied from the trenches at night
and worked along on their stomachs, pulling the
wounded slowly to cover by the heels. Many
Of the wounded were not recovered.
There are plenty of volunteers for the des
perate service of cutting entanglements and
recovering the wounded. Acts of bravery
We're innuInerable.
The Russians apparently had an inexhaust-
ibe supply of heavy ammunition. Hundreds
of ten and twelve inch shells were hurled at
Japanese batteries when they were located,
with serious effect. The heaviest Japanese guns
were ~ and g inch naval guns. At the end
Of August some heavier howitzers arrived and
were mounted on concrete. They were found
to be wonderfully effective. 1t wonderful
70 see how seventeen-ton guns were moved
miles over bad roads.