The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-07-31
STORY OF JAPANESE RAID.
How Major Naganuma Blew Up the
Hsinkai Bridge.
Iondon Times

London TimesS
r erule as this war has been in incidents
Of Japanese heroism, the palm for mic
turesgueness and dash must perhaps be
awarded TO an exploit performed nv a
body of Japanese cavIry Just before the
battle of Mukden. One rule observed
Japanese military reports is that the
Humper or men engaged in any action is
Wsi lI from the public. In this instance
three aSterisks appear where a definite
figure should stand. and collateral evil
dence alone enables US to infer that the
ueIachinent mustered $50 sabres II con-
sisted OF volunteers from four regiments
Ihey represented what is known in japan
as lesshitaf. a term fnadequateIy rem
dered by its only English approximation,
"forlorn hope" the real neaninr beinx.
"a force prepared to die" These men
gamma. Their orders were to cut the
railway At some point as far as possible
ouL rom Sumapao, near Heikautai-Su-
mapao destined TO be immortaIized two
weeks later as the scene of one of the
most sangulnary phases in the battle of
Heikautai.- Just at that time AIischenko's
cloud of cavalry was sweeping down to-
ward Yingkau and old Niuchwang along
the west bank of the Lao. and Naganu-
ma squadron, turning the horses heads
northward left this great force in their
rear, but nevertheless rode within field
gun range of the track Travelled three
days previously by the Cossacks thous-
Each trooper carried in his holsters a
weeks meager rationS of compressed
rice, and With the thermometer ranging
from = degrees TO 90 degrees below freez-
ing point they rode off to find food and
shelter where they might.
Major Nsganuma either knew the coun-
Japanese who, impelled by ambition or
love of ENTERPRISE had explored nearly
all parts of Manchuria before the war
commenced. His objective point was the
railway bridge over the Hsinkai river. a
100 miles north of Mukden. The ride TO
that point from SumapaO. following the
devious routes that had 70 be taken,
measured nearly 300 miles, and as no
movement could be made by daylight,
forty-three days were required to reach
the Hsinkai-ho. Yet the feat was &C
compHshed without the slightest mis-
chance and without attracting Russian
attention.
On FEB. II. when Marshal Oyama was
making his final dispositions for the bat
tie of Mukden, NaganuIna's troop emerged
the railway bridge. The possibility of con-
cealnent WAS now at an end. They gave
tHSi hgrStS blS oFioiS anu IONt 5outu-
ward Three days later, Feb. ID they
were attacked by two sotnias of Cossacks
with two field pieces but, although out
Numbered la the ratio OF two to one, Ma
Ganuma's smen succeeded in routing the
enemy aud capturing one of his guns as
well as transport wagon. which objects
they carried back as trophies. To cut the
railway had not been their sole aim. The
headquarters staff, in sending them out on
so desperate an errand. argued that their
enterprise would bear in Russian eyes a
character OF n serious turning movement.
and would thus lead 10 the detaching OF
troops from the Mukden position, where
KuFopatiSin really needed every man he
could muster. That is exactly what hap
Dened.
The Russians at once dispatched a
strong body of cavalry toward Chang
chun, thereby denuding the very region
through which Nogi's divisions We're to
march northward ten days later. BY the
outside world little was heard of Ma
ganuma's exploit. On Feb. 26 news trav-
eied eastward via Kinchau to the effect
that. the railway beyond Telling had suf-
fered fortnights disablement. and there
was vague talk OF a Japanese force hav-
ing been seen far in the rear of the Rus
sian lines But the public paid little at