THE WAR IN THE FAR EAST.

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue 128, 31 May 1904, Page 5

THE WAR IN THE FAR EAST.

DESPERATE FIGHTING AT NANSHAN. THE STORMING OF THE RUSSIAN POSITION. HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING IN THE TRENCHES. VAST CAPTURE OF WAR MATERIAL. [By Electbio Telegraph—Coi'tkight—Pnuss Association.]

LONDON, 30th May. NnnMinn Hill, standing on high, steep ground and walled, was splendidly defended by the Russians against tho Jap..anas© attack. There woro seventy guns i protected by emplacements, besides two quickiiring batterios and eight machinei guns, with loopholed shelter trenches rising tier upon tier round tho hill, manned by infantry with machine-guns, i At daybreak tho Japanese field-guns centred their fir© on the emplacements, | silencing the principal batteries by 11 ' o'clock, .and compelling tho quickfirers i to withdraw to Nankwangling. Tho Japanese batteries then opened on tho tronehos, and tho infantry, advancing within riflo range, gradually worked to within four hundred metres of the Russian lines, whero they encountered ex- j tensive- wiro entanglements, pits, and i mines. | An opening was, however, discovered in thoso obstacles, enabling the infantry to approach within two hundred metres. | Repeated rushes failed to reach the entrenchments oecupicd by tho Russians, and every officer and man was shot down within twenty yards of th© first line of trenches. Tho chief lossos occurred hero. All the afternoon tho Japanese artillery maintained a tremendous cannonade, and towards evening they wifoh groat difficulty opened a breach in tho entrenchments, and tho infantry impetuously stormed a section of the first trench, thus breaking tho lines. Soon the whole of tho stormers swept up, and, capturing tho whole height, expelled Hi© defenders. It is believed that General Stoeseol commanded tho defenders, who included many of his garrison troops. The Japanese casualties were about 3500. GENERAL OKO'S REPORT. DAUNTLESS BRAVERY OF THE JAPANESE TROOPS. HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING IN THE TRENCHES. LONDON, 30th May. General Oko, in his report of the Kincliau fight, states that the fourth division forming tho right wing, with tho first division in th© centre and th© third division on tho left wing, commenced lo march on Kinchau and Nnnshan at midnight on Wednesday. Tho night was stormy and intonsoly dark. Kinchau was soon captured. Fog delayed th© opening of the artillery attack on Nanahan until 6 o'clock on Thursday morning, when four warship* in Kinchnu Bay co-operatod. All th© Rußsian guns replied. After threo hours' fierce fighting tho Russian fire slackened. The Japanese infantry then advanced to within threo to fiv© hundred metres of tho outworks. By 11 o'clock all bh« Russian open forts wer© silenced, and th© quiekfirers retreated to higii ground at Nankwang- ! ling, whene© they fired occasionally. j A Russian gunboat at Dalny shelled ' th© third division. Tho Japanese guns tried their hardest to destroy the defenttivo works, silenc© tho batteries, and cover tho infantry assaults, but tho Russians offered a most obstinate defone© from an exceedingly strong position. No broooh could bo inado for a dash until 5 o'ciook in the afternoon. Onco the third division advanced so far as to bo quit© surrounded by Russian*, who, boing reinforced, attempted to chorgo tho Japanese. ° "Our artillery ammunition then ran short," says General Oko, "and it was almost necessary to withdraw our guns, so wo mad© a final grand effort on mosso, j our batteries firing their fiercest. : "The first division, with incredible bravery, charged. They lost heavily, and were checked before gaining tho further- , most position. Fortunately our ships recommenoed firing on tho Russian left, the Japanese fourth artillery co-operating. "Th© fourth division, with a mighty effort, attacked the Russian left, and gained tho heights enthusiastically, whereupon the third and fourth divisions, leaping over their own dead, forced th© trenches and forts. "Then they engaged in a hand-to-hand combat with pistol, sword, and bayonet, driving Hi© enemy pell-mell out of thoir last defences. "By 7 o'clock the setting sun saw the Rising Sun of fche Japanese flag waving from tho forts commanding tho neck of the poninsnla. "The Japanese pursued and shelled the fugitives. The troops slept on th© battlefield. "Over fiv© hundred dead Russians were found on th© ftold. A number of officers and men were captuired. "In addition to the captured guns, ono locomotive, three searchlights, on© dynamo, fifty mines, many rifles, and much ammunition was secured." RUSSIANS RETREAT in CONFUSION | LARGE NUMBER OF GUNS CAPTURED. SYDNEY, 30th May. Tho Japanese Consul hero has reoeivod a cablegram that General Oko reports that the enemy in th© engagement at Kinohau consisted of ono divwion of field army and two bttW-erics of field artillery, besides the fortress artillery and marines. After th© enemy were dislodged they retreated in confusion, burning their mturosines at Tagangsliin. Sixty-oight guns and ten machino-guns wero takon as trophies. NARRATIVE BY THE TIMES CORRESPONDENT. THE COSTLY CLOSE FORMATION. (Received May 31, 8.54 a.m.) •LONDON, 30th May. The Times conrespondont, describing tho desporato infantrr assaults on th© Russian position at Nanshan, says that column after column of Japanese, in Iho short extension' which Qeruftny taught, pressed forward, only to become cntftrujJod in chevaux de friae and abattis

at tho foot of slopes crowned with dogged Russians. Attack upon attack failed. Still fresh troops reinforced positions which each succeeding wave of assault carried nearer to its objective. Occasionally the waves ebbed ; but tlie determination of the infantry aided by the naval attack on tho left and rear, enabled the Japanese bateries to push within olfeeliv© i - ange. By 6 o'clock the Russians were bwilen. General Oko still had fresh troops, besides hundreds of men fienzled lo desperation by sixteon hours' of carnage. AH reports say that the infantry advanced with magnificent elan (dash), but tho formation was costly, depending more on woight of numbers and momentum than on firo for its supremacy. [Chevaux do frise are pieces of timber traversed diagonally with wooden spikes, five or six feet long, generally pointed with iron. They offer a serious check to tho approuch of an enemy, especially cavalry. Abnttis aro rows of branches of trees, sharpened and laid with the points outward, placed in front of fortifications or at tho foot of slopes, to obstruct tho approach of assailants. The larger ends of tho branches are fastened to tho ground by forked pickets.]