Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-05
JAP'S ATTACK
and INVESTMENT
OF TSINC-TAU
Exciting Episodes and
Picturesque Incidents
-Fanatical Courage
and Humane Acts of
the Japanese-Net-
work Closing Around
the Fortress.

| TSing-tau, Oct. l2.-AlmoSt Two
months have passed since Japan en-
tered the war against Germany ana
demanded the evacuation of this fort
! ress Il North China. In that time the
warships of Japan and the Allies have
i successfully prevented Tsing-tau har-
Dor from being used as a navel base.
/ Japanese soldiers have been landed
and brought with their equipment and
/ artillery to the borders of the leased
territory, and at the present time they
] fill the ravines and gullies back Of a
i range of hills hemming in the German
positions, which lie across a peninsula
from Kiao-Chow Bay to the sea-
Facing the attacking forces across a
three and q half mile front is the Ger
man garrison,-a mere handful of men
in comparison of the forces opposed to
! them but in a strongly protected po-
sition. Behind the German infantry
and light artillery are the heavy guns
Of the fortress commanding the ap-
proaches by land and sea.
1t took the Japanese three days after
they had brought up a division to the
borders Of the leased territory to push
the German advance detachment Of
five companies, eight machine guns
and 10 field pieces, back to the present
position just outside the city. The
| Japanese advance began on Sept. 26.
The engagement that followed was full
| of exciting episodes and picturesque
/ incidents. For instance, on the Ger
man right wing high up at the top
| of Prince Heinrich mountain, in what
Is called the Eagles Nest, so German
volunteers were stationed.
The position was valuable as an OBJ
servation point. So steep were the
paths that led up to it that soap could
be used to. grease them and make the
access of the Japanese difficult. The
Japanese surrounded the mountains
In force and climbed the steep slopes.
A heavey fight of half a day took
place, many were killed and wounded.
| One German sergeant and IL men
succeeded in breaking through the
Japanese lines. The rest, about 20
men, finally surrendered.
On the German left wing, where the
| fighting was most severe, two machine
| guns failed to get the order to retire
| on the night OF the 9th, and on the
morning of the 18th found themselves
in the rear Of the Japanese. APP
preaching along the road to Litsung,
Chinese town eight miles from
! Tsing-tau, was a column of Japanese
who were marching along with no
idea that there were Germans in the
vicinity. The Germans opened fire
and raked the column from the flank.
The surprised Japanese fell back a
few rods and thereby exploded some
land mines. At this the japanese re-
| cd "a
| back to the German positions along
the dry course of the Litsung river.
The German casualties during the
three days fighting were only 107 dead,
wounded and missing. The small
| losses are attributed first of all to the
very poor infantry fire of the Japanese
and to the orders which the Germans
! got to retire witout sacrifice of many
men. The Japanese on the other hand
advanced along the three roads
through the territory to Tsing-tau in
massed columns. They subjected
themselves to a heavy fire from the
gunboat Jaguar and the Austrian
cruiser Kaiserine Elizabeth, the ships
pouring shrapnel into the column adj
vancing along the bay. The machine
! guns of the Germans also did great
execution. The bullets of the Japanese
are much smaller than those of the
Germans, and many of the Germans
who have been wounded are again
1 back in the lines.
Since the 18th there has been a con-
slant artillery fire, mainly directed by
the defenders, who have been securing
the hills and the slopes behind, drop
ping shells even as far as the town Of
Litsug. 10 kilometers distant, in order
to render the preparation Of artillery
positions difficult for the Japanese.
| On October 2 two companies of the
garrison made a sortie to drive the
Japanese from little hill over a mile
away from the inner works. The in
fantry was supported by artillery.
The Japanese were present in force,
however, and caught one of the COM
panies with thanking machine gun
fire. This company retired leaving
its captain dead and "a men missing,
and the other company had small
losses. The sortie was made at night,
and the cracking of musketry. the
pumping of machine guns, and the
bright sheets of fame that sprung
from the hills opposite as shrapnel
tuc dSIuldA guns CApiOoCQ Ahtuc
the scene an exciting one. In the
midst of the engagement the Germans
sent up two rockets which lit up the
surrounding country. The sortie. even
though resulting in losses to the de-
Tenders, was of value to the garrison
/ by putting it for brief time in the
position of the aggressor.
/ Thus far in the investment of Using
tau and the engagement between the
hostile forces both sides have observed
scrupulously the rules of international
law and etiquette that apply to the
situation. The Japanese soldiers have
made reputation for fanatical cour-
age and at the same time humanity.
There are no dum-dum bullets, but
on the contrary there are little court
estes reported by the Red Cross work
ers. The Japanese commander in re-
Spouse to a communication from Gov
ernor Meyer Waldeck giving the name
of Japanese officer whom the Ger
mans had killed in patrol skirmish,