The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-08
OYAMA'S STRATEGY.
The Russians Understood 1t From
March 4.

Mukden. March S.-The outlines OF
Field Marshal Oyama's strategy have
been well defined since March 4
I While maintaining a series of ener-
getic attacks on the eastern front and
I demonstration on the center the Jap
lanese made their principal stroke
westward, the chief effort being in an
endeavor to break through the trt-
angle of Ulinpu, Madyapu and Firth
taitzu thus SeVering the eastern army
and the frontal force from Mukden
land at the same time threatening a
further advance to the northwest to
4 deprive the Russians of the road by
which to retreat to Tie pass. Against
this plan General Kuropatkin decided
to accept battle both on the front and
west of Mukden, and ordered an at
tack beginning at dawn on March s.
There was a terrific artillery fire and
a rain of missiles from ten batteries
on the whole ground between Nlu
guantung and Ulinpu- Major General
sTSerpitsky's battalions fought with
fierce determination, apparently real
izing that seven miles in the rear in
Mukden were its tons of commissary,
artillery and hospital supplies, parks
of reserve artillery and baggage In
the Aukden railway station there was
a scene of feverish activity. Trains
We're moving, now north and now
south, while the streets were hlnng
with two wheeled ambulance carts,
rude Chinese vehicles, filled with
the fighting that was in progress. On
4 the roofs, on heights and even from
4 tree tops crowds of curious Russians
and Chinese watched the fight, which
continued to increase in intensity
south of Madyapu. The japanese, like
mad men or as though crazed with
some drug. threw themselves upon
4 the regiment occupying a position east
lof the old railway embankment and
drove it eastward, occupying the rail-
5T-f1 I tai it1z11
where the same mad attack was met
\ by a stubborn resistance.
Toward evening the fight slackened
on the railroad and the cannOnading
was stilled, but in the twilight the
Russians by a brilliant attack cap
turned Podyasea and Padaotun-
/ Through the utter darkness of night
the same regiments were engaged in
a series of demonstrations giving regi-
ments and batteries in the rear a
/ chance to rest.
At dawn on March began a fight
\ long to be remembered in the
history of wars. 1t was of terrific
! grandeur, and might be compared to a
I vast thunderstorm of lead, shrapnel and
] bullets pelting mercileSsly a. strip of
I land 20 miles long and seven miles wide
moving down victims by thousands and
I with the explosion of Shimose shells ana
\ the scythe like work of six inch shells
razlng whole villages. Through this in
4 ferno Japanese and Russians charged
7 anu SOLulSFCldISeQ Dy regiments
! Though some of these had been pound
/ ed by batteries continually for six days,
they fought with amazing determina-
/ tion and hrmness. Regiments were re-
duced to companies and companies 10
squads: but these managed to unite and
\ WED with fresh troops in the resolution
with which they reentered the fray
South of kushantun. in the region of
Madyapu. sanguinary fighting was kept
up till nightfan. The japanese were
intensely determined to break through
at this point. The soil of the river val
ley is thickly sown with bits of shrap-
mel casing and chunks of shells of large
and small calibre, covered in places
with green oxide resulting from the e1-
plosion of melinite, lyddite and shimose.
/ Often men dropped dead. suffocating
with the sitting gases of smokeless
powder and the fumes of high explos-
ives.